Benetti 170

And while art deco in its various guises is virtually de rigueur for a yacht interior these days, Izzo managed to bring to it his own personal signature and a fresh outlook. Guided by the owner and his wife, who visited the Benetti yard in Livorno twice per month during the build process, Izzo spent several months researching art deco styles before settling on a more modernist interpretation.

"The owner wanted a maritime feel to the interior and was inspired by the grandeur of the transatlantic liners from the 1930s," Izzo explains, "but you can’t simply transfer a ship interior to a yacht. The scale is all wrong."

Instead, he used materials and methods typical of the period—stainless steel and leather detailing, shagreen and engraved glass—to re-create the ambiance without slavishly reproducing stylistic details. (Click image to enlarge)

Two interior features in particular recall both the elegance and the size of the old steam liners. The main staircase, which is lined with engraved mirrors and encircles an elevator connecting the tank level with the sun deck, would not look out of place aboard a much larger yacht. And the wheelhouse is based on the functional layout common to commercial ships, with a walkway in front of the helm and instrument console. Bespoke table lamps and sconces were enlarged to give a feeling of grandeur, while bold concave and convex forms in the cherry paneling and cabinetry add an air of solidity to these areas.

As Latinou’s interior design progressed, Izzo continued his research into the Art Deco period while studiously avoiding derivative solutions. The result is what could be described as "Benetti art deco"—a new take on a style that can easily appear hackneyed.

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