Furnishing a yacht can feel like a daunting and overwhelming task. Without any guidance or information, you can end up spending a lot of money on furnishings that may turn out to be inappropriate for your boat and lose a significant amount of money in the process.
This guide was written to help you figure out what kind of furniture you’ll need for your boat and why. Read on to learn about all the factors you need to consider when selecting furniture for the interior/exterior of your yacht.
Things to consider
Size: The size of your vessel is one of the core considerations when it comes to furnishing your yacht. The amount of space you have on board will dictate the amount of furniture you’re able to fit in. The size can also affect the type of design you choose: if it’s a big space, you may decide on a modern sophisticated aesthetic, whereas if it’s smaller, you may elect for a more cosy and rustic design. The size of the boat can also play into the type of furnishings you decide to purchase: the furniture you require partly depends on the type of activities you anticipate enjoying on board. This, of course, is directly influenced by the amount of space available to you.
Furniture usage: The regularity of usage is also an important factor to consider when purchasing your yacht furniture. How often will you be using the vessel? If you’ll be using it a lot, you’ll need to factor durability into your selection process. Perhaps you’ll need furnishings made with fabrics designed for regular use, or potentially, fabrics that are easy to clean if children are present.
Visual harmony: While the interior and exterior of your boat will often have different requirements in terms of furniture, it’s important that they share a visual harmony. There should be a noticeable color scheme/style that exists throughout the boat.
Interior yacht furnishing
Ambience: When curating the interior of your yacht, it’s important to create a warm and positive atmosphere that your guests will feel comfortable in. Use of furnishings like pillows and soft seating made with soft fabrics like cotton, vinyl, fine synthetics, linens and silk are effective choices for creating a comfortable, accommodating presence on board. At Eclipse Yacht Furnishings, we work with all of the aforementioned fabrics to ensure our customers have the most unique, tailored and comfortable furnishings possible.
Minimise breakable items: If you’ve been on a boat before, which will almost certainly be the case, you’ll be aware that the weather is not always predictable. Sometimes, in choppy water, boats can move quite a lot, jostling interior furnishings significantly. With this in mind, it’s important not to purchase many breakable/fragile items in case they get broken or injure a guest as they fall.
Space preservation: Depending on the size of your boat, you might be trying to conserve space on the interior of your vessel. If that’s the case, you might be slightly reluctant to furnish it. However, a common method of getting around yacht furniture, often heavy/space-consuming items, is to purchase furniture that’s lightweight and/or perhaps elevated off the floor to create the illusion of more space.
Visual harmony/color scheme: The color of your furniture is one of the first things people will notice about your interior, so it’s important to create visual harmony with your furniture. While items don’t have to be the same color, it’s best to choose colors that complement one another to tie everything in the room together. While it might prove difficult to find certain furniture in the right colors for your chosen color scheme, companies like us are able to alter/create lightweight yacht furniture in a variety of fabrics/colours to help you add to your interior furniture without altering the existing style.
Lifestyle: The lifestyle of the guests using the yacht will also make a big difference. For example, a family might have small children who are prone to making a mess. In this case, you’d be advised to choose darker-colored furniture made of fabrics that are easier to clean, or look for softer, child-friendly furniture.
Exterior furnishing
Atmospheric damage: One of the primary concerns for the exterior furniture on a yacht is the atmospheric conditions they encounter. For example, the sun can be quite damaging to certain types of fabric, and salt water is especially damaging too. With this in mind, it’s vitally important to ensure that your exterior yacht furniture is chemically treated to protect it from natural yacht-based wear and tear. Protecting your furniture as soon as you purchase it is a lot more cost-effective (and environmentally friendly) than replacing it once it’s damaged.
Fixtures: It’s also important to remember that exterior furniture is just as likely to slide during extreme weather as interior furniture. This is why the larger furnishings are often fitted to the vessel itself via fixtures. It’s important to keep this in mind when you’re choosing furniture to prevent you from purchasing (and losing) a nice piece of furniture simply because it was unable to be secured and got damaged during turbulence. For this reason, the durability of a piece of furniture is also an important consideration for exterior yacht furniture; even though it might be covered, it will likely receive the brunt of any surprise, harsh weather.
Measurements: Finally, as mentioned, furniture will need to be covered to protect the fabrics as much as possible from harsh weather conditions. For those covers to be the most effective, they’ll need to fit the furnishings perfectly. On top of this, for areas of the boat that require shade, awnings/coverings should be used to create shaded areas for respite during hot days.
Measurements will be required to ensure that all awnings/coverings are the correct sizes. Thankfully, at Eclipse Yacht Furnishings, we specialise in using technology that takes the most accurate measurements of furniture. We use this information to design perfectly crafted/tailored coverings and awnings for the exterior of your vessel.
There are multiple factors that need to be considered when you’re furnishing your yacht. Poorly planned furnishings can be very expensive and wasteful, so it’s advisable to consult with professionals before making any purchases. At Eclipse Yacht Furnishings, we’re here to help you avoid such situations. Contact us about your yacht furnishing requirements today!