Norm Architects gives homely feel to interiors of luxury yacht Bella

Danish studio Norm Architects has applied its minimalist aesthetic to a 20-metre-long luxury yacht, decking out its interiors with an array of warm and tactile materials.

Named Bella, the yacht’s internal spaces have been designed by Norm Architects to “provoke a homelier feel”.

“We wanted to challenge the general understand of a luxurious yacht interior and move away from brass, glossy wood and other typical elements that people see as belonging,” said Katrine Goldstein, managing director of the practice.

“We aim to achieve a simpler framework by correcting the unnecessary elements of the boat and embracing the natural curves of the ship,” she told Dezeen.

Bella is the first Y7 model to be released by Y Yachts, a company headed up regatta sailor and boat builder Michael Schmidt.

Designed to “combine comfortable sailing behaviour with competitive sailing performance”, the yacht was constructed with a reduced weight of 28.5 tons and a concealed rigging system.

Dark-hued wood was used to craft several fixtures in the below-deck spaces of the yacht, such as the kitchen cabinetry, wardrobes in the bedroom, and dining table.

This timber has also been used to make a low-lying partition wall, which closes off a small work desk.

Soft furnishings like the seating banquette are upholstered in an oat-coloured fabric, while hardware like the door handles and light switches are made from blackened steel.

Other than a couple of spherical lamps, strips of lighting are incorporated in the ceiling and beneath cupboards to emit a comforting glow.

This is the first time that Norm Architects has completed a yacht’s interior. Previous projects by the studio include an austere concrete holiday home in Sri Lanka and a contemporary farmhouse in Suffolk that overlooks the countryside.

It joins a wave of architects and interior designers working with waterborne modes of transport – earlier this year Kelly Hoppen fitted out the 1,500 suites aboard cruise ship Celebrity Edge, while Tom Dixon is creating retro-futurist guest rooms on Virgin Voyages’ cruise ship The Scarlet Lady, which will set sail in 2020.

Read more

• Interiors
• Highlights