Vibrant Vessels

The 90-foot sailing yacht, Acadia, designed for both cruising and racing, features interiors by Baton Rouge interior designer Colleen Waguespack. This vessel, launched in late 2016, balances classic marine style with modern aesthetics, a blend that garnered attention even before its completion. The owners sought a yacht that they could actively sail with minimal crew, and Waguespack, having previously worked with the couple on three land-based design projects, was chosen to lead the interior styling. The design process involved a collaborative effort between naval architects at Hoek Design, yacht designers Ezra Smith, and Claasen Shipyards. A key challenge was the streamlined nature of the yacht, which necessitated built-in elements for every item, eliminating arbitrary decor. Every detail, from furniture to small accessories, required meticulous selection and sizing, maintaining close communication with design and construction teams across different time zones. Pinterest served as a crucial tool for Waguespack and the owners to share ideas, make comments, and finalize selections, down to decanters and votives. The interiors were planned to accommodate specific items, such as Hermes “Bleus d’Ailleurs” china and Christofle flatware, requiring custom-built cabinetry to fit them perfectly. The choice of materials, particularly the balance between varnished wood and painted surfaces, was a significant design decision aimed at achieving a fresh, contemporary feel while honoring traditional woodwork. Three-dimensional models were utilized to visualize each space from all angles. The design extended to minute details, including the stitching on leather trash cans and monograms on guest towels. Waguespack employed a neutral color palette with classic blue accents for the below-deck areas. Above-deck spaces incorporated red accents, inspired by the yacht's distinctive red and white sail and the red hue of its aluminum hull below the waterline. Everyday placemats were sourced from Custom Linens in Baton Rouge. To connect the yacht to the owners' Gulf Coast roots, Waguespack integrated regional art. A silver leaf-motif painting by Slidell artist George Dunbar was placed in the salon, while a commissioned piece by Mobile, Alabama, artist Susan Downing-White, depicting a fisherman casting a net in a marshy landscape, adorns the master stateroom. Both artists' works are also present in the owners' main residence. The Acadia is now managed by a full-time captain and first mate, with the owners actively participating in sailing. A chef plans and prepares meals onboard. The yacht has also proven its racing capabilities, securing second place in the Antigua Superyacht Challenge in February. The yacht's schedule includes dividing its time between Caribbean and European waterways, with annual maintenance in the Netherlands. #YachtDesign #NauticalStyle #InteriorDesign #LuxuryYacht #ColleenWaguespack #CustomInteriors #MarineDecor #SailingYacht #GulfCoastInfluence

Kimo and Sarah Bertam, after being outbid on traditional homes, discovered a passion for floating homes after renting a houseboat in the Bay Area’s Mission Creek. This experience, fueled by their shared love for water—Kimo as a surfer and Sarah from childhood summers on a sailboat—led them to commission architect Robert Nebolon for their own floating home project. Despite Nebolon’s lack of prior floating home experience, his background in building near and on water made the transition seamless. The 2,100-square-foot, two-bedroom floating house was constructed on land over six months before being moored in Mission Creek. A primary challenge involved maximizing storage within the limited space while ensuring essential functionalities and managing weight, as the home would not move once in place. The resulting structure, inspired by the area's industrial heritage, features a sculptural, loft-like design that integrates seamlessly with its waterfront surroundings. Its distinctive sawtooth roof and expansive windows optimize space and natural light, creating a bright and airy interior. Architectural elements like the door, staircase, and kitchen incorporate an orange hue, referencing the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The home boasts three decks, enhancing its connection to the water. Oversized warehouse-style windows are strategically placed to allow reflections of the water to ripple across the ceilings, further integrating the aquatic environment into the living space. The exterior is clad in 24-gauge metal siding with a fluorocarbon finish, selected for its durability and resistance to fading and chalking for up to 40 years, eliminating the need for periodic painting. This choice also circumvents the difficulty of painting a floating structure. The warehouse-style windows, made of black anodized aluminum with stainless steel hinges, are designed to withstand corrosion. No wood was used on the exterior, except for the finger pier that provides access to the front door and the couple's boat. From the main deck, residents can enjoy views of downtown San Francisco, including AT&T Park. The first-floor deck is furnished with Amazonia Terra teak chairs and IKEA Runnen teak outdoor floor decking. Inside, the living room features Australian cypress flooring with a tung oil finish, a Solas wall-mounted fireplace by Hearth Innovators, and a unique chair by Putra Salahin from Bali. The kitchen is equipped with a Wolf gas range, a white Carrara marble countertop bar, and Cobb Rise & Fall pendants by Original BTC. A custom wine glass holder, designed by the architect, is also present. The orange staircase, fabricated by Stocklin Iron Works and designed by Nebolon, uses steel railings and IKEA wood butcher blocks for treads, aiming to make the ascent to the second floor an engaging experience. The bathroom includes a teak live-edge countertop and a custom yellow cabinet supporting a Duravit double wash basin. A mirror from Restoration Hardware is paired with custom steampunk-style lights designed by the homeowner. The second-floor master bedroom features a custom captain’s bed, designed by the homeowner, with integrated drawers and storage. Its elevated height provides expansive views through the nearby window, contributing to the home's overall sense of openness and connection to its unique aquatic setting. #FloatingHome #WaterfrontLiving #RobertNebolonArchitects #MissionCreek #BayAreaDesign #ModernArchitecture #CustomHome #SustainableDesign #IndustrialInspiration

The CNB 100 / Chrisco is a 100ft yacht crafted from composite carbon fiber, notable for its elegant design and sophisticated interior. Unlike typical high-end nautical architecture that often maintains a distinct aesthetic, this vessel, designed by naval architect Luca Brenta, breaks away from convention by integrating design principles commonly found in land-based architecture. The yacht's interior, a monumental undertaking, was meticulously conceived by Wetzels Brown Partners, an Amsterdam-based studio recognized for its expertise in translating architectural concepts to various transportation designs, including private jets and motoryachts. The design brief for the CNB 100 / Chrisco's interior was exceptionally comprehensive, encompassing every detail from the overall aesthetic to specific elements like table settings, graphics, and even the crew's uniforms. The initial phase of the project focused on establishing a simple yet coherent design palette to guide the subsequent intricate work. A key feature of the interior is the glassy cabin architecture, which maximizes the influx of natural light into the upper deck and provides expansive views both fore and aft. This design choice contributes to an overarching sense of lightness and openness within the yacht. Further enhancing the interior's unique character, the main mast is intentionally left visible from both above and below decks. This strategic exposure transforms the mast into a central focal point for the living accommodation, integrating a structural element seamlessly into the aesthetic. The interior adheres to a minimalist black and white color scheme, which is deliberately neutral. This provides an ideal backdrop for the owner's art collection and allows a custom-LED light installation to introduce dynamic color washes across the walls, adding a modern and adaptable dimension to the ambiance. All furniture within the yacht is custom-made and precisely fitted to the vessel's unique dimensions, emphasizing a bespoke approach to design. Complementary accessories, including china, glassware, and vases, were carefully curated from renowned brands such as Alessi, Carlo Moretti, and Gaetano Pesce, ensuring a high level of sophistication and quality throughout. An innovative design choice involves leaving parts of the hull's shape visible, allowing it to act as a sculptural counterpoint to the interior objects, cabins, and forms, creating a dialogue between the vessel's structure and its internal arrangements. The material palette of the interior features luxurious and high-performance elements such as carbon fiber, leather, linen, and silk, all contributing to the monochrome scheme. The dining chairs, specially designed by Wetzels Brown Partners, exemplify the blend of functionality and aesthetics required for life at sea. These chairs are engineered to withstand the rigors of marine environments while maintaining a structural honeycomb form, demonstrating a commitment to both durability and refined design. From the exterior, the glass volume extending from the main deck presents as a dark, faceted mass, creating a striking contrast with the bright, airy spaces within. Luca Brenta's exterior design skillfully leverages these intersections between the deck and hull, accentuating the sleek lines of the yacht. The overall design of the CNB 100 / Chrisco stands as a testament to the successful execution of an intensive and detailed design brief, pushing the boundaries of nautical interior design. #YachtDesign #NavalArchitecture #InteriorDesign #LuxuryYacht #CarbonFibre #CustomFurniture #LEDLighting #ArchitecturalConcepts #TransportationDesign

This blog post highlights a diverse collection of design-oriented products spanning homewares, lifestyle items, and apparel, each chosen for its unique aesthetic and functional qualities. The selection begins with the DOIY Acquedotto Vase, a ceramic vessel inspired by Roman architecture, available in single and double arch designs with marbled patterns. This piece merges architectural influence with floral display, offering a distinctive decorative element. Following this, the Rayleigh Desk Lamp by Sean Augustine March is featured, an illuminating sculpture crafted from dichroic glass that produces striking optical effects through light refractions, colors, and geometric shapes, mounted on a wood base with a long-lasting LED. For music enthusiasts, Sampa the Great's second album, 'As Above, So Below,' is presented as a pre-order on opaque peach vinyl from Vinyl Me Please. The album, recorded in Zambia and Botswana, blends hip-hop with various African genres and R&B, offering a dynamic experience of self-exploration and joy. Complementing a laid-back lifestyle are Canna Style Pink Cones, pre-rolled, hot-pink metallic-tipped cones designed for ease of use and a smooth smoking experience with slow-burning paper. The Lalo + West Elm Kids collaboration introduces 'The Chair,' a versatile piece that functions as both a high chair and a play chair. This item boasts a sleek acorn finish, a five-point safety harness, non-toxic tray, and a machine-washable cushion, with 50% of proceeds supporting No Kid Hungry. The Bucatini Candle Holder from Copenhagen-based (a.o.t) studio showcases an exploration of aluminum's versatility, featuring a sculptural and winding form in various colors, hand-crafted to offer unanticipated dimension. For the kitchen, Freckled Fuchsia's Papaya Tea Towel, designed by Chandlyr Jackson, adds color and whimsy with its geometric papaya print on 100% natural cotton flour sack. Sustainability is emphasized with the Avocado Green Mattress Wood Stool, a classic timber stool with whimsical curves made from upcycled beechwood and non-toxic finishes as part of their Zero Waste collection. Awagami's Hand-Dyed Indigo Uchiwa Fan, a traditional Japanese non-folding fan, is hand-dyed by artisans in an ombre pattern using kozo paper and bamboo, reflecting Japanese craft. Apparel includes the MAAP Evade OffCuts Pro Jersey, a limited-edition cycling jersey made from repurposed excess fabric, designed for performance and environmental consciousness. The Real Bad Man Psychic Plant Tie-Dye Shirt features a playful, psychedelic graphic inspired by plant communication. For outdoor and casual activities, the Snow Peak Soft 18 Cooler offers a minimalist aesthetic with functional insulation, while Duvin Design Company’s Banana Leaf Button Up Shirt, inspired by '80s surf culture, provides a relaxed, tropical look. The YOWIE Zipper Candle, with notes of black pepper and bergamot, encourages exploration with its smoky and sweet aroma housed in sleek black packaging. Lastly, the Homa Studios x Pétales et Plantes Trio Vase, combining 3D printing and ceramic artistry, presents an eclectic and tilted design to enhance floral arrangements. #HomeDecor #DesignProducts #LifestyleItems #SustainableDesign #HandmadeGoods #FashionApparel #MusicAlbums #Kitchenware #OutdoorGear