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It might not float everyone's boat (pun intended) but a home on the sea can certainly change perceptions for those who experience the finest of the bunch. Floating houses have a certain charm that makes them extremely appealing. Those seeking dream destinations beyond the beachfront can enjoy houseboats, the world's latest and greatest luxury. We spoke with Sarah, Co-Founder of Njord by Bergman Design House, a yachting division of London's award-winning Bergman Design House. Her professional experience includes yacht management companies, brokerage firms, shipyards, designers, service providers, family offices, and some of the world's most iconic superyachts. Here, she shares with us her top tips on how to design the perfect floating home.
Sarah Colbon's Top 5 Tips For Designing Perfect Floating Home
1) Design To Maximum Effect, It’s A Superyacht...
Whether it’s a sailing yacht or a motor yacht, they are vessels floating on the water, they can all be homes, it’s about knowing your client and their family lifestyle. You adapt the interior to reflect this, knowing how to work with the interior infrastructure of the vessel, the crew service and the circulation of a home, technically and ultimately designing the most beautiful and incredible home each and every time, from the materials chosen, to the comforts of a home, even the ultimate luxury that is told through art and furniture pieces, it all comes down to who the client is and what kind of home you are creating for them.
2) Live Inside Your Client’s "Underwear Drawer" For As Long As You Can!
Use your personable understanding and ability to truly decipher how your client would use their yacht as their home. Ask questions, always know what is important to them, how they carry out their day-to-day, where they like to travel, where they stay, what brands they adore, work-life balance, and what makes them truly happy. Friends and family, do they like to entertain, spend quality time with children or grandchildren… the list goes on! This is the most important tip for turning any yacht into your client’s home. It's our job to know everything we can about them to create this home effectively and design accordingly.
3) Know The Crew, Involve Yourself With Them, Be Part Of Their Team...
You adapt the interior to reflect your client’s home – it must be a home away from say their land home but more! A superyacht home isn't like anything you can have on land, you also adapt this home so that the service from the crew, the living and privacy on board allows you to have your service staff living with you but not living in your space. The crew are vital in designing the most functional floating home, from service to maintenance to circulation to storage requirements. You learn this, knowing how to work with the interior infrastructure of the vessel, the crew service, and the circulation of a home.
4) Excite Your Client... It’s A Superyacht After All!
Exciting a client who has everything is not easy. It is not simply a matter of choosing and installing the most expensive items at every opportunity. It is part of the job to get them excited, and that means sourcing and creating things that have never been seen before.
5) Avoid The Trends On Yachts, Find The Alternative Solutions...
Sustainable materials are at the forefront of our minds. We are going to huge lengths to find exquisite materials that happen to be made from things like plastic bottle tops, old fishing nets, and even pineapple leaves. Finding alternative solutions is the process of creativity and imagination, being able to think of alternate solutions to achieve the same effect but with different methods.
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