What is the most important element of the design of a yacht’s
Interior? Mark Berryman of Mark Berryman Design considers lighting to be high on the List. ‘We try to explain to clients that lighting can really make or break an Interior,’ he says. Whenever possible, Berryman likes to involve a Lighting specialist to perfect the mix of the types of light he considers essential. ‘I think most of us working on yachts approach lighting design In the same way as any other residential project, with different layers of light for different moods
And tasks – and that’s best done by specialist,’ he advises,
One such specialist is David Caddick of The Light Corporation.
‘Clients are now so used to high levels of sophistication In homes and hotels that they expect yachts to be equally luxurious, if not more so,’ he says. ‘Clients can be a little extravagant when It comes to their yachts, especially the interiors, and are happy to indulge themselves with the finest things available. A yacht Is seen as a toy, albeit a beautiful, exciting and exclusive one. Key to achieving that luxury is
Lighting, which, according to Caddick, has come an leaps and bounds thanks to a host of innovative new products. ‘Interior design on board has changed rapidly to reflect what is happening on shore, so that now you see same very contemporary, beautifully designed and finished Interiors,’ he says. ‘But, until recently, the lighting En these schemes looked like the poor relation. Now inventive lighting – designed specifically for yachts – is catching up.’
Those luxurious and contemporary interiors demand a similarly up to date Lighting scheme. ‘The key consideration is to give the yacht a welcoming feel,’ says Sally Storey of Lighting Design International. ‘In the past, the standard solution was a small coffered ceiling and a grid of downlights that did
not relate to the room, only the ceiling pattern.
However, the lighting should relate to the interior by highlighting artwork, focusing on the centre of the coffee tables and so on.’
Kamini Ezralow of Intarya believes lighting a yacht interior begins with the design scheme, just as it would on land. ‘Good Lighting falls into two types: task and ambient lighting, where >u don’t seethe light source, just the effect, and decorative lighting, which can be very beautiful,’ she explains. ‘But everything on board needs advance planning.’ But alongside those practical challenges, of which more later, comes a unique opportunity for creativity, as Ezralow xplains. A yacht is a wonderful platform for design because it is a moving environment,’ she says. ‘Unlike a residential project in a static location where you factor the surroundings into the design, a yacht might be in the Mediterranean one season and the Caribbean the next – the only constant is the water. Having such a blank canvas allows you to be creative and fresh, and lighting can really help you achieve that by
Showing off and enhancing special features,’ she says.
Don’t forget the exterior rooms, advises Caddick. ‘Outside life on board is very important and many yachts now have a ‘beach’ area with sun loungers, spa pool and bar, plus space to run off the jet skis and other toys on board,’ he says. ‘This needs to be lit for evening parties, so think about in-ground and low-level wash lights, plus concealed linear lighting around seating areas and bars, preferably with a colour – changing system for when the party really gets started.’ Parties, adds Storey, are key to the interior too.
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