Kevin Rossi Design: How To Turn Your Yacht Interior Design Dream Into Reality

How to turn your yacht interior design dream into reality by Kevin Rossi.

Kevin Rossi Design is continually challenged with new design disciplines. One such design was recently made into reality. Rossi’s passion for unusual projects saw him travelling to Monaco to do research on design for luxury super yachts. Here Rossi was afforded first hand, in-depth, access to the ultimate in design and functionality of some of the most exceptional super yachts. Upon returning to South Africa, Rossi has found himself delving further into finding out what makes a good interior design for sea vessels. In this article, Rossi shares his experience on his super yacht case studies.

 How does the super yacht commission work and what are the stages?

The process begins with a client meeting, here it is important to establish the user programme and how the client wants to utilise the space. Thereafter, we discuss the direction and fees of the project and compile mood boards and maquette. Once established, this enables us to document technical joinery drawings, finalize layouts, and work closely with the client to decide on finer details as in different finishes. Once the initial stages are complete, we manage the build process, overviewing to what is happening on site, and ensure a beautiful design is delivered.

The approach for yacht interior design is somewhat identical. According to super yacht interior designer Mark Tucker, when presented the opportunity to embark on a yacht interior design, if it’s a custom design it must be exactly what the client has always dreamed of and needs to work for them down to the final detail. This may not always apply to smaller production yachts, and the secret here is to ensure the design is practical and works at sea.

Knowing when to call a pro

Justin Ratcliffe discusses, that in terms of exterior design, the yacht designer is basically responsible for the styling or look of the vessel, which may also extend to the general arrangement and general interior design. It can be argued however, that interior design is a skilled discipline of its own, such that it requires the designer to be fully sufficient in the skills of a trained eye, innovation, creativity and connections. Therefore, great interior design is always subjective as with any design discipline at Kevin Rossi Design special organisation is key and are configured from importance, function and symbolism, creating a vital interface between the exterior yacht designer and interior designer. In this sense, designers do play an essential role in the conceptual process of creating sailing and motor yachts.

Steve Jobs once said “Design is not Just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

With this in mind, the naval architects and marine engineers work as a team to design the complete vessel, and are the ones that make it possible. 

Natural Materials are On-Trend

Recent studies show that inorganic materials such as plastics and metals to some extent, are being replaced by natural materials, like wood. Today design elements are becoming more and more naturalistic in today’s top yachts, leaning towards natural fibres, materials and neutral colours. There are many good examples of this, Sinot`s 120-meter super yacht called “Nature”, a classic exterior design, the contrast with warm textiles, timber, stone and other such materials inside the vessel. This contrast proves to have unique, one-of-a-kind appeal, which truly inspires imitators.

At Kevin Rossi Design, pantone colour of the year for 2019 was – Living Coral. A vibrant orange with a tendency to pink became very popular trend. While yachts in the past often shied away from bright colours, colours like Living Coral are ideal for accenting the neutral colours often used in today’s superyachts – breathing personality and life into each living space. Rossi applied this design strategy to his major module in the design research, where the adaptation of a retired cargo vessel could be repurposed into a functional and affordable student accommodation in Cape Town harbour.

Selected finishes for the Kevin Rossi major module interior theme. 

Rossi adds to this that the idea here is to integrate the types of living on land at home with that living on sea also at home. It’s a growing trend in interior design in yachts is to eschew maritime design elements and focus more on traditional domestic elements that make a yacht feel more like “home away from home”. This allows yacht owners to feel more comfortable when they`re enjoying their yacht. 

Getting Inspired by these trends

Natural Textures and colours, bold accents, glass, and a focus on homey, domestic designs are just the beginning when it comes to top yacht interior design trends. To learn more about renovations and projects get in touch with Kevin Rossi Design.