Launched in June last year and unveiled to the world at the Monaco Yacht Show 2024, the Custom Line 50 is the flagship of the displacement fleet of the Ancona-based shipyard, which is part of the Ferretti Group. The Product Strategy Department, headed by engineer Piero Ferrari, together with the Ferretti Group Superyacht Yard Department, are responsible for the construction of this superyacht, which is 49.90 metres long and 9.60 metres wide.
The Custom Line 50 was designed by architect Filippo Salvetti for the exteriors and by Studio ACVP Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel for the design architecture and interiors. This is an experienced team of designers, as they are the same ones who designed two other Custom Line displacement yachts: the Custom Line Navetta 30 and the 38. And it is precisely this previous experience that provides the inspiration for the first question to Patricia Viel.
Based on the two previous Custom Line models, how did the design process for the Custom Line 50 develop?
Working with Custom Line has been a challenging experience: we worked to create strong “signature details” that would ensure affinity between the different yachts, but at the same time we also focused on details that would highlight their uniqueness, bringing out the identity of each individual project.
Are there any elements in common between these three yachts?
We design interiors that are “tailored to the sea” for a lifetime: physical characteristics, but also perceptual and subjective aspects play a key role in the naval design. The classic, marine design of the curved lines of the furniture, the customised furnishings, the shapes of the windows and interior door frames, the softness of the spaces’ perimeters, together with the refined use of solid wood, all details of the highest quality cabinet-making, refer to nautical tradition, reinterpreted in a contemporary key. In yacht design, our approach is based on paying close attention to the context, i.e. the sea and natural light, and we work to enhance the sailing experience. What we don’t try to do is design floating luxury apartments: a ship is a living solution where the context is the sea.
Is the Custom Line 50 the largest project the studio has worked on?
We have worked on many yacht design projects. In the past, we designed the interior of Sanlorenzo’s 460Exp superyacht, which, despite its different spirit, is similar in size and GT to the Custom Line 50.
How did the project come about and how did the collaboration with Filippo Salvetti develop?
The Owner’s Suite on the upper deck guided the project’s weight distribution, both in terms of interior design layout and setup, but it also represented a starting point for Filippo Salvetti’s exterior design. Therefore, right from the concept stage, when making aesthetic and compositional choices, it was necessary to take into account the shape of the hull, structural constraints and plant engineering aspects.
It was very important to maintain a close relationship with the exterior designer, so that we could work together from the very first sketches on a project that would blend the exterior and interior forms with maximum functionality of the spaces.
What was the briefing for the interior design?
As with the Custom Line Navetta 30 and Custom Line Navetta 38, the Custom Line 50 prototype hull number one is designed according to the Custom Line philosophy: every boat is a bespoke yacht that reflects the owner’s personality and way of life at sea, with a flexible layout to create multiple spaces and a flexible choice of materials and colours.
Our design is conceived with different interior layouts, working on the selection of freestanding furniture and fittings without modifying the internal shell. The Custom Line 50 was designed with a view to striking a balance between the conviviality of the guest areas and the owner’s privacy: the wheelhouse has been moved to the main deck, freeing up the upper deck to create a space entirely dedicated to the owner, with a lounge, suite and terrace towards the bow, completely sheltered from the view of guests on the upper deck.
The relocation of the owner’s cabin to the upper deck is a new feature of the yacht. How did this solution come about and how was the interior design conceived?
The Owner’s Suite is one of the highlights of this project. Located on the upper deck, it is designed as a large loft, where the bed with its freestanding half-height headboard seems to “float” softly in the space. In the owner’s suite, we specifically wanted to maintain and emphasise a sense of perspective, not only between the interior and exterior, but also between the sequence of interior spaces that make up the suite. For this reason, there are no solid, opaque partitions dividing the vestibule, the wardrobe area and the sleeping area.
The entire bow area in front of the bed opens up with large floor-to-ceiling windows onto the surrounding view, the sea and the light, and above all, more specifically onto the private terrace, which appears almost more like an interior space despite being outside. The private terrace is therefore separated from the interior of the cabin by a curved glass membrane at the bow, with a fixed central section and two side exits. This guarantees not only breathtaking views but also warm, soft natural lighting filtered by decorative curtains.
Another distinctive feature is the interconnection between the interior and exterior. How did you achieve this?
The main and recurring feature of the interior design is the full-height glazing which, combined with the mirror-like surfaces used to mask the structures and cover the opaque parts of the hull, creates spaces with extreme transparency and permeability with the surrounding environment, i.e. the sea.
In your presentation, you write that “The interior design of the Custom Line 50 is permeated by a sense of refinement and sophistication”… How did you express these two qualities?
The Custom Line 50 is aimed at a more “mature” audience with a lot of sailing experience. For this reason, the colour palette on large surfaces inevitably becomes more “neutral” and calm, evoking a classic look. The choice is for refined natural materials without added colour, such as walnut wood, limestone in neutral and light shades, and natural leather with tone-on-tone stitching.
Apart from the owner’s suite, what other features are innovative?
The Main Deck saloon is another extraordinary space, thanks to its transparency. The living area is a bright glass box with soft, rounded, completely transparent and dematerialised corners at the stern.
How were the materials chosen and which do you consider the most “special”?
We selected a very neutral colour palette, working with refined natural materials without adding colour: for example, we used natural leather, walnut wood and natural limestone. The choice of materials is also precise in terms of sensory perception: we preferred to select neutral and delicate colours. For example, Pietra d’Orcia, a Tuscan limestone with light, neutral, warm and intense shades, helps to create a feeling of peace on board, conveying a sensation of softness thanks also to its very sandy touch.
Natural leather is also a material with a very warm and soft touch: folded leather with a tennis racket weave is used to cover the handrails of the guest stairs to create a softer feel when climbing the internal staircase. The three-dimensional and sculptural treatment of the material surface is a signature feature of this project.
Were all the furnishings custom designed? And which is the most representative of the design concept?
All the furnishings were custom designed to blend in perfectly with the design mood. In the rooms located in the superstructure, i.e. in the salons on the decks above the main deck and upper deck, where large windows lighten the walls to let in as much light and sea as possible, the full storage volumes become light and freestanding.
On the contrary, in the rooms located inside the hull, i.e. in the guest cabins on the lower deck and in the owner’s suite at the bow of the main deck, many of the furnishings, storage spaces and technical elements are positioned along the hull, integrating and blending into the design of the hull and allowing a glimpse of the typical cross-section, precisely to make guests feel immersed in the belly of the ship, to make them feel part of this journey into the nautical world.
Last question: what is the element or detail that, so to speak, came straight out of your pencil?
The Owner’s Suite!
Emilio Martinelli
