Patrick Knowles of Patrick Knowles Designs has been a top name in megayacht interiors for more than two decades. The list of megayacht builders he’s worked with are equally notable: Trinity Yachts, Burger Boat Company, Palmer Johnson, ISA, Feadship, and more. In mid-2011, Patrick Knowles Designs was tapped for the interior of a 197-foot (60-meter) motoryacht that a small family planned to use for extended personal cruising. The firm outlined the general arrangement and created all drawings, including the ones needed to fabricate furnishings and other elements. Unfortunately, the design did not come to fruition.
Here, Knowles presents several views of the master suite as well as one of the main staircase. He selected them because they’re representative of the personality of the rest of the megayacht’s interior design.
“The client requested an interior that was classic in nature with a tailored decor, along with elements of contrast, texture, and a hint of what one might refer to as influences of a ‘gentleman’s club.’ Various materials were implemented to achieve the owner’s request, such as walnut burl, figured mahogany, sapele mahogany, leather, and shagreen skins, among many other finishes. All were selected to create the elegant look of the raised-panel-joinery interior.
“The marble design for the interior, which is comprised primarily of White Thasos and Black Absolute, can be seen in its greatest display in the mosaic of ‘his’ side of the master head. The design created much of the juxtaposition the owner yearned for in the interior. In addition, pearl-white onyx was also used on surfaces that are designed to be backlit, such as nightstand tops and accent walls throughout the vessel.
“The decor elements are restrained and tailored, with a color palate that reflects a rather conservative point of view, in classic navy and white. The berths were designed with open bedding as opposed to the more traditional day covers. The design of the custom carpeting was intended to introduce texture as well as pattern and, of course, contrast to the joinery work.
“The study lies at the entry into the master suite, which embodies the full sense of a refined gentleman’s club. Louvered shutters extending from the deck to the overhead give a grand feeling of large windows, when in fact the windows behind are relatively modest in size. The bookcase, designed to be full length, provides the venue for an assortment of leather-bound books.
“In the master stateroom itself, the owner requested a ‘nesting of the bed’ within the millwork, which inspired the deep recess of the bed within the night tables and their pilaster columns. In addition, it was important to the owner that all berths incorporate joinery panel detailing, a throwback to a more traditional era in yachting. The joinery bulkheads were designed with insets of upholstered fabric panels, bringing reprieve from the abundance of wood in the interior. Within the cabinetry of the forward bulkhead, where the entertainment systems are housed, two niches were designed to accommodate two custom sculptures, which were to be commissioned.
“All accent metal selected for the interior is polished nickel as opposed to the traditional and expected polished gold or brass. This includes the lighting fixtures, decorative cabinetry hardware, and plumbing fixtures.
“Some of the design elements that are not as noticeable in the photos include details such as hand-stitched leather doors in the wardrobe, backlit onyx tops on the nightstands, custom polished nickel ventilation grills, polished nickel inlays in the perimeter wood border of the decks, as well as an unusual amount of indirect lighting within the overheads, soffits, valances, and furniture.
Within the main staircase, which connects all decks, backlit, hand-carved onyx panels adorn the bulkheads. The onyx panels are carved in vignette images, all of which depict experiences of the owner and his family during past travels of the globe. The ambience of the illuminated inset onyx panels sets the tone for the public spaces of the yacht’s interior, while providing a gallery in which to gaze at a storybook of family experiences.”
