When planning a luxury yacht build or refit, there are a host of things that need to be taken into account and one of the most important is yacht furnishing – If you’re investing in new yacht furniture and upholstery, then a comprehensive plan is vital to ensuring all your personal requirements are fulfilled.
Occasionally during a refit, there are certain desired changes that may be considered too costly or structurally impossible to implement due to how a vessel is laid out. That’s why it’s important to get things right from the start if you’re involved in a new build yacht project.
At Eclipse Yacht Furnishings, we have years of industry experience and have assisted in improving the interiors and exteriors of superyachts worldwide. In fact, a very large proportion of our work focuses on creating the perfect yacht exterior for guests and crew. It’s something our teams are truly passionate about and we love to share our knowledge.
So in this blog, we’ll run through a few of the key things you should bear in mind to ensure a successful yacht upholstery project.
Measurements & Floor Plans
Acquiring an accurate floor plan is the first step in designing and ultimately purchasing your yacht furniture. It will save you time and ensure that you don’t start your project by designing something bespoke or researching custom yacht furniture designers only to find out that the items you’ve purchased won’t fit in their proposed space.
Having a clear depiction of what space you’re working with will give you a better idea of the options that are available to you. So, make sure you get an accurate measurement from the start.
Yacht furnishings for smaller, more confined spaces
No matter the size of your vessel, you’ll want to ensure that you are making the most of your living spaces on board. That’s why we supply a wide range of space-saving furniture options, including folding tables and seats that double up as storage.
Entertaining Guests
Having the right yacht furniture design and layout will have an impact on your ability to entertain charter guests. So, it’s important to consider which areas of the vessel will be used most regularly and then focus on obtaining suitable furniture.
Ask yourself: Are you planning on having large functions?
If so, you might want to consider large seating options that can accommodate more guests, including rounded booths and/or extended sofas. However, if smaller dinner parties are more in line with your style then you might be in the market for a separate area with luxury dining furniture.
Either way, when choosing outdoor furniture it’s important to consider the quality of the upholstery as it will be exposed to the elements (e.g. salt water and sea air) on a daily basis. To make the best possible investment, you will need to weigh up the pros and cons of each material type.
At Eclipse Yacht Furnishings, we use a cushion core (DuPont) that is 90% open structure for outdoor upholstery – this prevents moisture retention and mold, whilst also increasing the longevity of upholstery.
Yacht Interior Accessories
Once you have the designs in place for your yacht’s furniture, it’s time to think about the accessories you may wish to include (e.g. cushions and ottomans).
Yacht cushions
Luxury yacht cushions are the ultimate decorative accessory and a must-have in any well-designed living area. Wherever you have seating located on your vessel you’ll want to add cushions – not only to improve the aesthetics but also for practicality and comfort.
Choosing the best cushion material
While there is a long list of materials you can choose from when deciding on interior cushions, you’ll need to identify a more durable material option for cushions situated on the deck. Outdoor cushions will need to handle ever-changing weather conditions and a certain amount of abuse from entertaining, sea air and ocean spray.
At Eclipse, we use DuPont material to make our AireMaze MX yacht cushions as it does not absorb rainwater or any other liquids.
Replacement Options
With bespoke designs, it can often be tricky to find replacements. In fact, it’s not uncommon for us to receive requests from yacht crew who have upholstery that is damaged beyond repair, or simply need to freshen things up for an important yacht charter.
So, you may want to keep this in mind when designing custom-made furniture as it may prove tricky to replace bespoke upholstery later down the line.
Need help sourcing yacht upholstery?
If you require replacement upholstery then using our digitized measurements is a quick and easy way to obtain them. We can manufacture the products and send them directly to you without needing to visit your vessel in person again.
Our process also allows for a very quick turnaround, which is perfect for yacht charters that need replacements quickly.
If you’re planning a luxury yacht refit or investing in new furnishings, we hope this article has given you a few things to think about.
However, if you would like any more information regarding our yacht upholstery services then don’t hesitate to get in contact with us. Our experienced team of experts are happy to assist you in achieving your yacht interior/exterior goals.