Go beyond blue, white and lots of stripes.
Just because it travels on water that doesn’t mean all yachts and ships have to adhere to a purely nautical theme. This is one of the many design cues we learned when we had lunch aboard the Seabourn Encore, the newest addition to the fleet of ultra-luxury, award-winning small ship cruise line, Seabourn. Take style intel from revered designer Adam D. Tihany, the creative brains behind the ship’s alluring worldly interiors, as inspiration for your own sea vessel’s décor upgrade.
Get Ahead Of The Curve
A dominant theme at the Seabourn Encore is Tihany’s use of sinuous lines, from the circular layout of the rooms down to the rounded angles of the chosen furniture. Even the vaulted ceilings of The Restaurant, highlighted with stunning lighting composed of delicate mouth-blown glass balls, features rounded edges and arches.
Use Jewel Tones and Rich Finishes
The plush suites aboard the ship won’t be out of place in an upscale urban hotel, specifically when you look at the colours and materials employed. Each of the 300 suites have neutral-hued wallcoverings and carpets, but velvet and silk accents in rust and royal blue up the glamour factor. While sailing is essentially a laid-back activity, small touches like this—along with Tihany’s injection of metallic details elsewhere around the ship—create a cosmopolitan appeal.
Splash Out On The Bathroom
Bathrooms are often a compromise even in the most luxurious vessels but not at the Seabourn Encore. Surprisingly spacious and clad in marble, each of the suites—from the entry-level version to the biggest one measuring 1,000 sq ft—enjoy a spa-like bathroom complete with a bathtub as well as a commodious walk-in closet.
Simplify Wide Open Spaces
What’s a ship without an outdoor area? Taking in the sea breeze is best done while getting a tan so invest in creating a sleek, sophisticated outdoor space similar to the The Retreat, a private sanctuary on Deck 12, which is a new concept on the Seabourn fleet. Perpetuate the nautical feel in a pared-down manner with weather-proof materials in ecru and navy. Don’t forget to add greenery.
Create A Cosy Place For Lingering
After a day out in the sun and sea, it’s great to retreat to somewhere more intimate. The Seabourn Square, a sitting room and library where you can also enjoy a carefully concocted long black, and The Grill by Thomas Keller, an American-style chop house with 1960s-style interiors (and a playlist curated by Keller himself), are perfect examples. The low lighting, comfortable seating and mahogany accents—a material Tihany consistently used throughout ship—help create a cocooning atmosphere.
The inaugural season of the Seabourn Encore travels around Australasia before heading to the Mediterranean for the summer. Find out more here.