Yacht Design Is Reimagined Through Sustainable Materials

Cotton, feathers and hemp are used instead of leathers and woods, while non-reusable eggshells mimic coral and pearl on walls and tables.

By Julia Zaltzman 04/02/2021

Whatever the term “luxury” means to you, it’s not usually associated with plastic bottles, fishing nets and wood chips. But that’s exactly what yacht design studios are citing as sustainable alternatives to indulgent and often rare onboard materials. From banana-leaf leathers to tactile wall finishes from mushrooms, yacht designers are reimagining otherworldly interiors with a lighter footprint.

British studio Winch Design has committed time and resources to ensure that sustainable design is laced into the DNA of every project, from carpets and metals to special finishes, and trims. It has assembled a library of sustainable materials. Natural textiles like organic cotton, hemp, flax and jute are paired with more innovative materials, such as Econyl, made from ocean waste.

“Econyl is highly durable, recyclable and luxurious,” Alex Parkinson, Interiors Library Manager at Winch, told Robb Report. “This material is being used by top carpet suppliers and fabric houses.”

Non-reusable materials like fishing nets and urchin spines have been transformed into luxury surfaces by UK specialist Nature Squared. Courtesy Winch Designs

It’s not just ocean waste getting the special treatment. By-products of the food industry are being transformed by luxury surface specialist Nature Squared. Its eggshell turned into faux coral is a favourite at Winch.

“It has the same texture and feel of real coral without harming the environment and without being porous,” says Parkinson.

For Lay Koon, founder of Nature Squared, artisanal craftsmanship goes hand-in-hand with reusing waste products, including that found in landfill. “Our aim is to use waste material that doesn’t have another value,” Koon told Robb Report.

The beautiful, designer look is being sought after by younger yacht owners who put sustainability as a core value in their yacht designs. Courtesy Nature Squared

Current examples include fruit skins, or feathers from pheasants bred for the food industry. As the birds are mechanically plucked, the feathers are destroyed and have no resale value elsewhere.

The surfaces take time to perfect. For instance, it took 10 years develop surfaces made from whole tobacco leaves. But the effort is worth it, says Koon. Bath-tubs lined in eggshell, curved cabinet doors featuring urchin spines, muscle-shell veneers and banana-bark thatching are in high demand in yachting circles.

“Lots of people who make accessories have worked with fruit leathers, but we try to turn any waste into architectural features,” says Koon.

Yacht designers are using resourced materials instead of luxury finishes and furniture

Heesen’s Aura Concept Yacht will be using recycled materials across its interior. Courtesy Heesen Yachts

The introduction of “luxury” waste products has entered the world of interior outfitting, too, says Christian Bolinger, managing director at interior outfitters List GC, but in yachting sustainability is still in its infancy.

“Residual material can be used in the production of special surfaces, but the main problem that we encounter is that the need to produce surfaces without imperfections, such as veneers, is often at odds with being truly sustainable,” Bolinger told Robb Report.

Some yacht owners, however, are pushing the sustainable envelope. Two concept yachts that Winch is now designing use only sustainable materials, from wall panelling and floor finishes to sumptuous bed linens.

This crystal “caviar” sculpture was made from recycled glass. Courtesy Reymond Langton

Heesen’s new 50m yacht, Project Aura, unveiled at the start of 2021, includes an interior designed by Reymond Langton that incorporates faux leather and suede manufactured by Majilite.

“We decided to use Majilite in place of real leather because it is authentic with a luxury feel and can be reproduced in a large variety of patterns, colours and interesting metallic effects,” Pascale Reymond told Robb Report. “It also has exceptional strength and durability and is easy to apply. Most important, it’s environmentally responsible.”

According to Parkinson, the gradual shift in customer demand corresponds with a lower average age of yacht owners, and the expectation for luxury brands to align with their values. “Wealth shifting from industries like oil and gas to e-commerce means clients are becoming more conscious of the environmental and social impacts of their purchase decisions,” she says. “Clients want options. and ultimately something unrivalled in quality and aesthetics.”

The cracked look of this “Pearl shell Callisto” surface shows the clever use of intricate materials. Courtesy Nature Squared

And they are receiving the innovative materials—fast. “Nature Squared manipulates existing natural materials in such inventive ways that the results are not only unexpected but cater to clients’ high expectations,” says Parkinson. “The pace at which they’re producing sustainable options is also astonishing.”

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