With an in-house team of design experts, we find out from Mary Hall, Principal Creative Designer and Design Studio Manager, exactly how the design process works and how detail-orientated it is.
Where is the Princess Yachts Design Studio?
The principal design studio is located in Plymouth, Devon, the brand home of Princess Yachts. We also have a London base where we can welcome suppliers for meetings and clients who wish to sit down and spec their own yacht in person with us.
What’s the function of the Princess Yachts Design Studio?
We create all areas of yacht design, styling and finishing including the interior design development for all models, providing a ‘standard package’. This includes everything from structural lineouts (headlining and bulkheads) to furniture, upholstery, fabrics, colour palettes, the galley cabinetry, worktops, bathrooms, carpets, flooring, curtains, blinds, lighting and soft furnishings. This is called FFE – fixtures, finishes and equipment. The development of a new boat can take about a year as every element is so considered, reflecting the brand and appealing to our broad client base and being mindful of resell.
How bespoke can a Princess yacht be?
We support all of the distributors and their customers across the world in specifying the interior of their yacht, including Princess Motor Yacht Sales’ stock boats. These items include upholstery, curtains and blinds, galley finishes and worktops, flooring etc. This service is free of charge for customers purchasing a yacht over 70 ft. Furthermore, clients can change anything in terms of the accessories package which includes everything from custom linen to crockery. And in some circumstance on the larger yachts, clients can even sometimes change some small things with regards the layout or usage of spaces whilst in build.
With a bespoke design we start with a face-to face meeting with the client either in London or Plymouth to discuss the design brief, go through colour palette options, look books, furniture etc. We also often do this remotely which works just as well. After about 6 weeks, we then present a design scheme back to the client, we can walk them through the boat and gather their thoughts.
Are there cultural differences with Princess Yachts Design?
Some regions are very brand focused such as Hong Kong, while the yachts bound for the US market are very luxy. We also need to be mindful of colour in hot sunny climates. The NSO team (non standard options) will even offer unique items such as swapping a standard hob for one that can accommodate a wok for the Asian market for example. We can also steer clients by presenting looks from 50-60 brands from furniture to textiles. Many clients aren’t familiar with the vast range of suppliers and options and it doesn’t need to be the most expensive. Some clients come to us with very strong ideas, sometimes based on their own style preferences and home interiors or a photo of a favourite hotel room and some clients aren’t that way inclined at all and prefer our guidance.
Does the design aesthetic differ across the different ranges such as a V Class sports yacht compared to an S Class sportbridge yacht?
There is a clear brand identity for the interior design of a Princess, but within that each class has its own identity by having some very subtle design cues. Each class has its own personality and therefor the design intention differs slightly as they can often appeal to a slightly different audience. For example, the S Class sportbridge yachts are cool and sophisticated, they are sharper and sleeker and have some darker contrasts. While the F class can often suit families, having generous spaces with a lot of outdoor deck area, they are easy and comfortable to spend time on. Our approach is classic yet contemporary, we create a feeling of ‘home’, more residential than marine inspired.
Where does the design inspiration come from?
We carry out a lot of research to keep current and offer contemporary design. We visit many design, furniture and materials shows across the world such as the Milan Furniture Fair and spend time in Milan afterwards absorbing the visuals, colours and trends. Clerkenwell Design Week is also a very inspirational show. And of course, we draw inspiration from luxury fashion designers and their home interiors brands such as Armani Casa textiles and Fendi Home.
What is the Princess Yachts Design Studio working on at the moment?
We are currently working on slot 1 of the new Princess X90 which will launch next year. A distributor has bought it. We started by creating the design intention, and what’s lovely about this project is that the client said ‘you decide the colour scheme’, which is wonderful, as we can start from initial sketches and take it right through to the final scatter cushions. There’s usually around 3 client meetings where we go to and fro, refining the design concept to reach a final design intention and present the agreed mood boards.
Princess is celebrating its 60 year anniversary this year, what does ‘Distinction in Detail’ mean to you?
From a design perspective it’s about every detail being considered. From hand stitched handrails through to usage of space, the overall aesthetics, incorporating sustainability, down to the tiniest details of the accessories package which includes linens and cutlery. We look at it the Princess Yachts Design every day to ensure everything is perfected.
If you’re considering updating the interior design of your current Princess yacht, contact your nearest Princess Motor Yacht Sales retrofit team: www.princess.co.uk/aftercare/pmys-individual
Princess Yachts Design.
