Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
Explained here .....
Why do newer boats have IKEA interiors?
- Thread starter Baggywrinkle
- Start date
Frogmogman
Well-known member
The unavailability of teak and the questionable morality of continuing to cut down mature trees is well known, and is part of the change in the style of yacht interiors, but it is also a question of style and individual taste.
I guess Contessa Yachts could be accused of being amongst those who started the rot, with the 33’s American ash interior. At the time I found it a really refreshing departure from tradition. I still prefer an interior that is light, bright and modern to some dark cave.
Yet again, I find the comparison of bespoke semi custom yachts with AWBs, somewhat trite. Of course the craftsmanship bears no comparison, but then Groupe Beneteau and the like seem to produce boats that people actually want to buy and can afford, whilst the yards knocking out the high end stuff struggle to stay in business.
Wansworth
Well-known member
The modern ikea interior harks back to the plywood boats of the 1950/60s but these days with modern glues and paint finishes they are so much better and not to be despised.Its all to do with interior design and use of colour in cushions and contrasting fabrics
justanothersailboat
Active member
Wood that isn't teak is still widely available - and plantation teak is starting to become more available now, it's not as fantastic as the old growth stuff, but it is still attractive wood. So, the problems of old-growth teak are no real obstacle to classic wood style in general. However, every reasonably well off person whose career is fairly social that I've met in the last decade or so (media, politics, economics, management etc), seems to feel obliged to conspicuously declare their hatred of "old brown furniture" at some point, and we weren't even talking about that! It's like a tribe membership signal at this point. (I just smile and neglect to mention that I collect the stuff, since I like it and my career doesn't require that kind of social performance). Production boats are aimed at that tribe and reject brown wood for this reason - there is no money in bucking moneyed-popular taste.
rotrax
Well-known member
Island Packet use sustainable fast growing 'Lyptus' hardwood for their interiors now. As the mame suggests, 'Lyptus' is a hybrid eucalyptus, which is common and fast growing by comparison to teak. We are often complimented on our interior joinery, despite the fist owner allowing it to fade quite badly. Good quality Lyptus timber is not cheap, but it is sustainable and is farmed in quantity.
Wansworth
Well-known member
Interesting,Eucliptus here in Galiciais 100% grown to feed the papermill and it is a tree despised by many Galicians as it creates a dead forest floor and sucks up gallons of water ,still apparently it’s a moneyspinner as plans are afoot to build another massive factory.Therewas some interest in using the wood for furniture but that didn’t go anywhere
Snowgoose-1
Well-known member
You may well have to "sell" the idea of sailing to one's partner in life. The sailing boat makers know this and interiors are targeted towards females . Females are even more practical than the blokes in many areas.
The traditional stuff can come later if required.
The traditional stuff can come later if required.
Wansworth
Well-known member
Hence,running hot water,showers,scatter cushions……flushing toilets
Snowgoose-1
Well-known member
I noticed that Oyster yachts don't even have teak toe rails any more. Just a glass molding . Some folks are just not into the "traditional" mode. And who is to say they are wrong ?
Neeves
Well-known member
Catamarans don't even bother with toe rails, whether molded, wood or an aluminium alloy. Why do you need a toe rail when reaching at an average of 10 knots - and sailing flat.
Jonathan
Frogmogman
Well-known member
The toe rails on my Sun Odyssey 349 are synthetic with a wood grain finish. Visually, I can’t tell the difference, yet they are gloriously maintenance free.
Frogmogman
Well-known member
Of course, many of the early Swans (36 & 43 for example) had lovely 2 tone interiors; pale panels (in Koto iirc) framed in dark wood (mahogany maybe ?). I always found the look very attractive, though the pale wood is more prone to staining and often on these boats will have been painted over.
RunAgroundHard
Well-known member
Looks like a 70’s Portacabin interior. Not my cup of tea.
However, it just shows the futility of trying to define a style benchmark, like teak, for example.
I like modern IKEA interiors, also some of the darker toned interiors but there can be too much of something such that it becomes bland. I don’t particularly like designs replicating Herreshoff’s contrasting white and teak look, but there are a lot of nice Herreshoff original designs that are balanced.
Interesting video on why teak is fading from interior design.
A by the way, consumption of resources is reaching a critical point, and MIT have predicted that a limit to growth point is underway and even Ikea interiors will be a thing of the past, along with everything else by 2040.
I guess the market always decides what we want at the end of the day, to a degree of course.
rotrax
Well-known member
Wansworth
Well-known member
Has tendency to twist I see to recall
Graham376
Well-known member
We had a retail furniture business for quite a few years and it was very obvious most customers judged, teak, mahogany, oak. etc. by it's colour, not by the grain. So many different stains and finishes available, there's really no need to use hardwood in dry situations.
tico
Well-known member
@Frogmogman...... From Midhurst by any chance?
Frogmogman
Well-known member
No. From just outside Paris, Saint Germain en Laye to be precise.
I named my boat Benbow mainly because it was a nickname my Mum had for my Dad, but also because it was the name of the pub in Treasure Island, and because John Benbow devoted his career to making life a misery for the French (but unlike Nelson, most French folk these days have never heard of him).
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johnalison
Well-known member
I don’t dislike the modern look, but I find plain surfaces less restful on the eyes. Similarly with modern houses, there is nowhere for one’s eyes to rest on, though this is not helped by my tendency to double vision. I find patterns such as carpets or wallpaper easier on the eyes, and on my boat even wood grain, though stripes can be challenging. Basically, the modern interior on a boat would suit me fine for a couple of weeks but for a longer cruise I need somewhere more congenial. Although I can see the pleasure of sitting in a pilot house, I don’t really accept the idea that bright is ‘good’ and anything less so ‘bad’. My HR is timbered inside but I haven’t heard anyone coming aboard describing it as anything but pleasant.
HenrikH
Active member
I like the classic english pub interior, but for sailing performance I prefer not to drag it along: J-boats
