A Material World

Meet the artisans who are turning leather, glass, metal, and more into high design for superyachts.

- Julia Zaltzman

YACHT INTERIORS HAVE long been defined by both their joinery and custom decor, the latter often including traditional fine art. But a handful of artisans are now combining the two, transforming run-of-the-mill materials such as leather, glass, and metal into functional masterworks.

Blending durability with an aesthetic edge, Guido De Cesare’s Marine Leather designs and produces embossed, woven, and printed leathers for superyacht interiors. The Italian firm recently installed a panoramic mural comprising custom-embroidered-leather panels on the main salon wall of a 295ft yacht.

On a 236-footer, handwoven panels in the primary suite became focal points of creative expression, eliminating the need for conventional paintings or photographs. Embroidered doors, ceilings with hand-cut patterns, and intricate furniture inlays are examples of the atelier’s smaller, subtler work.