We were asked by ICFR Interiors magazine about the process of conceiving original and comfortable interior designs and how we judge the success of these creations.
Here’s what Nicola Preece, our talented Design Director, had to say…
What are the principal features of ‘contemporary’ interior design that sing with your design style?
With contemporary-styled interiors, we look for the opportunity to tell a story. We have a blank canvas and an opportunity to dial in the clients’ brand and aspirations and find the personality within the design which ultimately holds up interest and has longevity. In essence, the styling is unique in every case.
What are the challenges and opportunities in building comfort into a contemporary passenger ship interior?
The passengers, for the duration of a cruise, form a community. For us, it is essential to understand the flow and journey of the guest and the crew from morning to evening, creating a frictionless service and a partnership with the interior design and service signatures, building touchpoints to engage with the guest and finding the balance between flexibility and personalisation.
Working closely with specialist contractors, we designed a pop-up bar and automated canopy system, each lowering to enable this luxury river ship to travel under low European bridges.
Never missing an opportunity to maximise guest experience potential in a space, we also incorporated an outdoor cinema screen to the back of the bar.
At night, guests can watch movies under the stars.
How do you assess and critique your work through your creative process to ensure you fulfil the multiple demands of contemporary passenger ship interior design?
From the offset, alongside our client, we set out a vision and a narrative; this acts as our “North star” throughout the design process. We work with various stakeholders and consultants, pulling on their wealth of knowledge and experience to enrich and bring to life the experience. We will always circle back to the vision as a sense check.
The brief for Anthology restaurant required a sophisticated and neutral palette to allow the food to take centre stage as it showcases global cooking talents and cuisines, provenance and rare ingredients, along with wines by highly coveted winemakers.
Set in an ambience of refined elegance, with the opportunity to dine al fresco, Anthology offers flawless service in an intimate yet elevated atmosphere.
You can see more of our contemporary projects on the work page of our website. Please get in touch if you have a vision for a project you want to bring to life.