Photography by Marc Paris
It was just more than a year ago that Feadship and Patrick Knowles Designs stunned the yachting world with the unveiling of the final refit of the 163-foot motoryacht Inevitable. This past October, there was more cause for celebration of the ship as it sailed away from the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with the coveted first prize from ShowBoats International. At this year’s awards gala on October 31, Inevitable was officially awarded as the “Best Refit” completed in 2008.
It was not a shocking win, as upon completion of the refit project the motoryacht instantly became a media darling and continued to wow all who had the pleasure of stepping on board. The beauty, which was originally built in 1990 and sailed under the name Mi Gaea, has repeatedly been called the perfect gentleman’s yacht, a good thing considering Patrick Knowles himself has described the owner as the ultimate host who is consumed with the level of service and comfort guests receive while on board—a refit desire that was addressed by enlarging the bridge deck, which is now the entertainment hub of the ship.
Knowles and Feadship have been long-time favorites of yachting aficionados, both claiming a plethora of accolades throughout their careers, so it only makes sense that the collaboration between two masters would once again result in award-winning headlines. In a recent interview with Show Management, producers of the Fort Lauderdale show, Knowles expounded on the recent trends in interior yacht décor, many of which are reflected inside Inevitable. “I’ve been seeing gravitation towards simplicity. Colors are calmer, textures have become more important, and are rich and diversified, and finishes are more favorable to lower maintenance.” These design details show themselves on the interiors of the Feadship motoryacht with traditional raised panels in a honey teak palette and a satin finish that reveals the grain. The trend of textures is demonstrated with ecru floor coverings, upholstered ceilings, and fabric wall panels in pale linen in the main and upper saloons.
As Knowles notes, sources for such inspired ideas can trickle down from the most unexpected places, like the famed fashion catwalks of Paris and New York. As he has observed through the years, runway trends often inspire ideas for the home, particularly with so many fashion designers creating their own collections of home décor. From there, it is often a natural progression for the colors and design patterns to seep into yachting interiors as well. Knowles identifies the yacht owners who adhere to this type of design philosophy—those whose yachts are a reflection of their land-based estates—as “creatures of habit. In other words, owners who believe ‘my yacht must look like my home.’” Another category of owner dictating designs is the “lover of all things aesthetic.” Knowles explains that “this is the owner group that is responsible for bringing us that look that has a familiar feeling of home, combined with the twists of the unusual and unexpected, and sometimes that thing that’s simply ‘off the hook.’” Finally, the revered designer detailed the characteristics of a third group of owners who he calls “the daring thrill seeker—otherwise known as the ‘been there, done that’ group, who are most responsible for bringing change into the evolution of yacht design, pushing the envelope and creating cutting edge looks, for better or for worse.”
