It’s hard to imagine anyone being disagreeable to Judy Ross of
TradeWinds, whose design clientele ranges from Paul Firestone of Reebok in
Boston, Massachusetts, to philanthropists and arts patrons Madeleine and Edward
Redstone in Rancho Mirage, California. Nevertheless, this petite redhead with
alert, kind eyes was astonished when she encountered the yachting industry for
the first time; everyone was so uniformly pleasant, she says, from Andrew Winch,
to the artisans at Feadship’s de Vries yard, to the jolly crew of 12 on board
171-foot Solemates, on whose
interior she collaborated with Winch.
The salon, Top photo, and skylounge, Bottom photo, show Judy
Ross’ idea of relaxed living spaces using two distinctly different palettes on
Solemates. Rounded furniture shapes, loose
pillows, asymmetry and contrasting colors create drama without formality. (Click images to enlarge)
When it comes to designing a yacht for relaxation, Ross notes, "The industry
and the subject matter itself has a relaxed manner, and that’s so important to
keep in mind. There are those beautiful sunsets, the sea. Yachting people
clearly enjoy each other. Building the boats is hard work, but there is a lot
of pride in craftsmanship that you rarely see elsewhere."
Tucked on a shelf in Ross’ Boston office amid samples of
antique moldings is a 1999 ShowBoats Award for Solemates. To achieve a relaxed atmosphere on
Solemates took years."You need patience in design, especially for a soft,
comfortable look. It has to evolve into a living presence; finishes need eight
or nine coats and to be rubbed away for hours and hours. Any commercial finisher
can give you a gilt finish with a white edge, but this is different," she says,
hefting a sample of the French polish joinery from Solemates. "You can feel this gorgeous patina, see the
colors coming through. You feel elegant, beautiful, cared for, relaxed. There’s
huge detail in design, but it needs to be well edited, pared away. In classic
design, there’s a very fine line where furniture is comfortable without being
frumpy or stiff."
 Judy
Ross. (Click image to enlarge)
In casual interiors, there is another fine line between relaxed
and sloppy. "We had fun trying to make the boat feel like home with a few little
twists," Ross continues. "For example, in the salon we had a custom Stark carpet
all in cream with subtle, coral-like shapes in it; we also mixed Lurex into
about 10 percent of the wool to give it a glamorous sparkle. We covered the
ceilings in leather. Sofas were residential scale, filled with down and very
deep; you sunk into them. "Staterooms were all different; each one a complete vignette,
some more feminine, some more masculine. The master suite had fiber optics in
the ceiling in the shape of constellations and a Galilean chart painted to look
like parchment to conceal the TV. Another stateroom was all in peach with
taffeta coverlets. Yet another had Napoleonic headboards on the twin beds
painted in black and white with a big yellow and white striped rug," Ross
notes.
 No space for enormous teak chaises? No problem! Relax
on this updated sling by John Hutton for Sutherland in weathered teak
with brass fittings. (Click image to enlarge)
Capitalizing on the reason many people take to the sea—relaxation—many
designers are turning to themes that make yacht interiors as elegant and
comfortable as any home—with an occasional shake of Lurex in the mix just for
the fun of it.
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