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A decade ago the demarcation between Italian and American
yacht interiors went much deeper than high-gloss surfaces and sleek bull noses.
Now, the globalization of the affluent individual and new perceptions of good
taste and practicality are creating a hybrid international style, one that
Italian designers embrace with regional nuances. Among Italy’s new-wave independent design firms are Rome-based
Lazzarini Pickering Architetti, noted for its provocative Wally motor yachts and
Swan sailboats; Venice’s Nuvolari-Lenard Naval Design, which plays in both the
mini- and gigayacht arenas; and Fulvio De Simoni’s Ital Projects, focusing on
the upper end of the semi-custom segment.
 Photograph courtesy of Fulvio de Simoni/Ital Projects.(Click image to
enlarge)
Claudio Lazzarini and Carl Pickering are leading-edge
practitioners with projects from Paris to Bondi Beach. Emblematic of the new
global synergy, Australian-born Pickering says the inherent diversity between
himself and his Roman partner contributes to their innovation.
 The Pershing 115’s interiors showcase the cutting-edge thinking of Fulvio De Simoni, who blurs the
distinction between shapes to create elegance. Photograph courtesy of Fulvio de Simoni/Ital Projects. (Click image to enlarge)
"Our work is about pushing boundaries," says Pickering. "We look at what
we’ve done, then take a fresh approach." Their current professional interest is
to "reinterpret how one can live aboard a boat." Pickering believes design
solutions need to transcend notions of style for style’s sake to be in sync with
the individual realities of client preference and each boat’s unique
environment. "When we designed Roma for the Rolex Challenge, we understood
that it’s useless to try to make a cruising yacht fast, so we tried to make a
racing yacht luxurious." The firm advocates a holistic process that makes
styling the logical result of analyzing function and aesthetics. "WallyPower
sums up our approach. There’s no ‘interior’ or ‘exterior’—it’s really a series
of intersecting planes," says Pickering.
Lazzarini and Pickeringcreated a Zen-like
retreat on Benetti’s Sai Ram by blending Indian and
Asian influences with mod Italian furnishings. (Click images to enlarge)
"It’s an interesting moment in the boating industry. Five years
ago in-house designers were offering clients what they thought rich people
wanted, rather than good design," says Pickering, who is never at a loss for the
provocative. "[Builders] are now realizing they lost precious time—perhaps five
or ten years—resisting modernization of nautical design. "Italy has had to go back to doing what [it does] best, which
is good design; which is not gold taps and over-the-top marble and over-polished
wood. It’s about contemporary design and knowing how to live," asserts
Pickering. "It’s about understanding space and the details of designing not only
for what needs to be seen but also [for] what needs to remain hidden. That’s an
enormous change."
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