Mention “sustainability” in some circles, and eyes roll. With the issues of greenwashing and virtue signaling, efforts to discuss more environmentally sound principles can be a challenge. Nevertheless, builders, interior designers, and owners’ teams remain concerned about sustainability and the related issues of ethical impact on nature and people. They’re turning to F/Yachting for assistance. This one-year-old Austrian company, with a U.S. office, grew out of F/List, a global supplier of interiors for jets and residences. F/Yachting, like F/List, focuses entirely on not just finding solutions, but also creating them, through its in-house F/Lab. Our editor, Diane M. Byrne, recently spoke with Claus Meixner, head of customer relations and sales for yachts, and Sophie Degenfeld, head of corporate communication and media relations, to learn more.
Q: What are some of the most surprising materials you’ve repurposed? What naturally occurring properties made them ideal to use, too?
A: We’ve reimagined luxury through unexpected materials by-products like stone dust, metal scrapings, ground mother of pearl, and even linseed-based compounds. One standout is F/Lab Aenigma (above). It fuses upcycled stone fragments and mother-of-pearl into glistening, customizable surfaces. Their naturally reflective, textured properties lend depth and light interplay, while also offering excellent durability. Another example is F/Lab Linfinium (top), which can incorporate desert sand, brass, or even silver dust into a linseed base. It yields surfaces that are tactile, resilient, and wholly unique. We therefore co-create with clients. For example, one owner wanted sand from their private desert estate embedded in the material of their interior. That kind of personalization not only creates emotional value, it pushes our material innovation forward.
Q: What are some more environmentally conscious and ethical alternatives to animal skins?
A: Natural leather has its drawbacks. Cattle farming requires vast areas of land. Enormous amounts of water are consumed, too, both in livestock rearing and during the tanning process. So, we asked ourselves: Could we create an artificial leather that’s not only sustainable, but also meets the rigorous aesthetic and functional standards of our industry? The result is F/Lab Whisper Leather. Our 40-headed R&D team developed this fully plant-based, flexible textile to mimic the luxurious texture of traditional leather. It’s lightweight, durable, endlessly customizable in color and finish, and can even act as a creative canvas for integrated artworks.
Q: Are certain stones becoming scarce, and therefore you use other stones that are just as stunning and/or in abundance?
A: Rather than extracting new stone, F/Lab upcycles stone by-products such as dust and fragments from our own manufacturing process. We reincorporate them into materials like F/Lab Aenigma Smart and Aenigma Eco (above). These repurposed elements retain the natural beauty and unique patterning of stone while reducing waste. Combined with other sustainable ingredients like plant-based pigments and metal scrapings, the result is visually stunning.
Q: What about lacquers? Does Mother Nature have some amazing or fascinating solutions?
A: Absolutely. In products like F/Lab Aenigma Eco, we replace traditional synthetic finishes with plant-based pigments and natural binders. These not only reduce environmental impact, but also open up an extraordinary palette of colors and textures free of harsh chemical emissions. The Aenigma Eco finish, for example, can capture approximately 400 liters of carbon dioxide per square meter as biogenic carbon. This actively contributes to carbon sequestration.
Q: Since “sustainability” means more than being environmentally conscious, do you source materials from artisans whose skills would otherwise be lost?
A: Absolutely. Many of our materials, particularly those in the Aenigma line, are handcrafted using time-honored techniques that blend decorative arts with modern technology. We co-create these surfaces with artisans and designers, preserving and evolving craft traditions within a highly technical environment. Additionally, much of our pattern development happens through collaboration with external designers and interior specialists. This co-creative process leads to unique surface expressions that would never emerge in a vacuum.
F/Yachting f-yachting.at
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