It’s hard to argue that anyone does nautical style better than the chic inhabitants of the Côte d’Azur and French Riviera. So, whether you’re kitting out your own superyacht or planning décor to appeal to charter clients, you could do much worse than channel a little interiors inspiration from Europe’s most glamorous seaside destination.
An open-ended and highly flexible design genre that can be adapted to suit a huge range of tastes, colour palettes and boat layouts, Riviera style should capture the allure, sophistication and carefree elegance of the Mediterranean coastline. For obvious reasons, blues of all shades are key for a Riviera-style interior. Begin with your favourite hue and mix in patterns, bolder bright colours and more complimentary tones to build up a mood board. This is especially useful for choosing bed linens and, if you are having bespoke furniture made, upholstery fabric. Dedar’s understated Basquette print fabric (£111.50/metre, dedar.com) is ideal for both saloons and sun decks.
For larger pieces of saloon furniture opt for bold shapes instead of prints - Amy Somerville’s turquoise velvet bar stools (£3,475, amysomerville.com) find just the right balance between comfort and style – and choose bright cushions for added interest. It’s hard to go wrong with a classic Breton stripe but for something with a little more impact mix and match fellow superyacht owner Roberto Cavalli’s statement butterflies (£179, harrods.com) with Missoni’s signature pastel chevrons (£175, selfridges.com). When it comes to beach club or poolside furniture, bolder, more creative pieces are ideal. Ralph Lauren’s nautical-striped tray stand (£995, ralphlaurenhome.com) couldn’t be more perfect for holding mid-afternoon sun lounger cocktails.
The classic American designer is, in fact, something of a go-to for yacht-ready interior furnishings. The aptly named Ralph Lauren Porte de Riviera collection features everything from stationary to sofas with a seaworthy edge but it is the new Côte d’Azur Batik dinnerware (£80 for four piece set, ralphlaurenhome.com) that has caught our eye this season. Pair with crisp white linen napkins, simple silver cutlery and Alessi’s magnificent deep blue Joy n.1 centrepiece by Claudia Raimondo (£73, alessi.com) filled with fresh flowers to create a table that will turn even the most casual of lunches into a special occasion.
Of course, nowhere is Riviera style more appropriate than the superyacht bathroom. Intersperse gleaming white tiles with decorative flourishes in navy, sky blue and sunset orange and kit every bathroom out with the softest, fluffiest white towels you can find (finished with your yacht insignia, of course). As a generous finishing touch place one Ville & Campagne gift box (£29.50, villeetcampagne.com), containing three French scented soaps, a striped cotton washbag and pure cotton face towel, per guest in each cabin as a stylish reminder of your impeccable taste.