Nautical luxury: how we crafted the yacht interior

In our company we had the experience of creating visualizations for Arksen, a young ambitious project from the United Kingdom. It was unusual because we had to model something that didn't look like a square box resembling a residential house with its adjacent courtyard landscapes.

Realistic images of explorer yachts were the result of long hours spent by artists studying this new direction. It immediately became a part of our services not just because we defied the conventional wisdom about pancakes that don't turn out right the first time. The main impetus for immediate action in developing the concept was the passionate love for yachts of our founder Alexander Kasperovich.

Metaphorically, we couldn't have suspected the opportunities awaiting us on the horizon of the Mediterranean Sea. While our British clients were embarking on expeditions on the waves of the northern coast for those eager to see the world around them, our visualizations of their Arksen 85 boats flooded the Instagram feed. In the scale of the world's ocean it was a drop. But it was enough to propel us into this direction.

Under the small steps we took to fulfill the cherished dream a clear path emerged with the progressive name "Yacht Visualization." The sequence of these letters seems luxurious, not to mention the magical process of modeling the exploration vessels themselves. Metaphorically, we not only learned to model but also learned to swim. We felt our boundless power and stepped beyond the shores of modeling only facades of suburban houses and commercial properties.

Exactly at this point, the next twist in our story unfolded. Whether our work on "SEA VOYAGER" became a significant argument in our portfolio for collaborating with a new Italian client. We don’t know. However, there is a fact. The inquiry from a representative of Wider Yachts in Fano ignited a spark within us.

Working without specific technical requirements is often a common situation in our practice. However, their absence this time was due to other reasons. Let's be clear. The client didn't limit our imagination suggesting us to showcase your skills to affirm your professionalism.

We could understand the doubts of the Wider Yachts team members, whose shadow lingered throughout our communication. It spurred us on much like the project itself, which proved to be yet another challenge.

The goal of STUDIO57 was to create an interior for a mega-yacht spanning several tens of meters. It seemed that the knowledge acquired over decades in the field of interior visualization for apartments could be shelved in the "trash" folder on the desktop of a personal computer. Why?

Comfort for an individual as well as for a large noisy group that prefers to relax in the pool. And for who tipping over a glass of gin in the bar. And for who playing in billiards. And for who relaxing in the SPA. Individually, we handle these spaces like nuts. Quickly and qualitatively. But the problem lay elsewhere. The rules effective in planning a three-room apartment layout were utterly hopeless for the interior of any yacht. Especially a small one (visually, they often resemble Finnish saunas "on an engine," which doesn't look quite appealing). Why did the task initially seem daunting?

The first reason is the narrow specialized niche. If you enter a popular stock of ready (even paid) 3D models, finding any hint in the "yachts" section is difficult. So to speak, there's no answer key. Therefore, the key to our success was a clear plan and well-thought-out actions. We didn't set ourselves up for a sprint distance but rather focused on carefully studying every nuance.

The second reason – those very nuances. Many nuances. The unknown always seems terrifying, doesn't it? For us it was an additional source of questions and the search for unequivocal answers to them.

For instance, it's challenging to label the shape of a yacht as perfectly square or rectangular. This isn't the story of townhouses or cottages, in modeling which we've long mastered the art. A vessel with a beach club, when viewed from the top resembles the contours of a "chef's knife". This singular characteristic perplexes. Why? Because it necessitates pre-determining the safe placement of a sofa on the cockpit, understanding how many chairs will fit on the main deck and which material would better suit a sliding door leading to the salon.

Even selecting fabric for upholstering soft furniture requires thorough scrutiny. In an apartment after showering a person dries off en route to the bedroom until they "land" on the bed (if they choose to overlook the towels' practical use). Here the conditions are different. A person might opt not to dry off at all. For this reason the material must be water-repellent. And within this set of conditions come the fittings absent from cozy 40-square-meter studios in new buildings. It's crucial to reflect them in visualizations to showcase the contrast between living on land and at sea. And it's stark! "Onshore" armchairs in living rooms don't need shock-absorbing stands for total comfort. Also stairs and railings encircling the entire perimeter of the vessel are necessary.

To summarize, every square meter of flooring in a yacht's interior demands attention. Lighting plays a varying role dependent on both the deck carpeting and the laminate too. 

In our project wood is used. Its naturalness accentuated by light accents. Collaboratively, they create an atmosphere of luxury enticing one to bathe daily. Like in the warm palette of the space, where neutral furniture items contrast. Recessed track lighting mirrors the deck lines outlining the interior's irregular geometry. Plants hint at ecological consciousness placed strategically, while the view of the maritime landscape through large oval windows fosters a sense of unity with nature. Every nook of the yacht is an ideal place for relaxation permeated not only with a sense of coziness but also with refined modernity.