Step Aboard a Soigné Yacht Achille Salvagni Devised with Unexpected Design Details and One-of-a-Kind Furnishings

Designer Achille Salvagni is first and foremost an architect. Whether he’s crafting finely tailored residences, pristine galleries filled with his custom furnishings, or beautifully rendered yacht interiors, form and structure drive his vision. “I cannot approach any project if I don’t shape the space accordingly. The layout, the focal points, and the view are elements that make my work resonate,” he says.

The process to construct a custom yacht is a long and intensive one—often taking years and allowing no flexibility to make structural changes along the way. Working with exterior designer Francesco Paszkowski on a 154-foot Cantiere delle Marche superyacht for a pair of London art collectors, Salvagni was pleasantly surprised at how easily the team outlined the vision for the vessel, which includes five en suite bedrooms, a gym, and a sundeck complete with a cinematic movie screen. “She collects Asian and contemporary art, and the idea was to create a very neutral canvas evocative of Eastern flair but without decorating in a reverential way.”

Yet, even with such a defined program, the concept took an aesthetic turn during the design process. The couple was so enamored with the envelope they decided to forgo installing art, instead keeping the boat as sparse as possible to allow the interiors to shine. That directive entailed paneling rooms in koto, a Japanese wood with a buttery color and very little pattern. Floors are composed of wenge hand-bleached to a pale mustard. Swaths of parchment add embellishment. “I don’t like broad changes of material; I prefer to be consistent and create some little accents,” he says.

One of the interior’s most visually arresting moments is a ribbon-like stair that snakes through the three levels. “When I start to brainstorm about the philosophy of a project, I grab a lot of objects and materials that evoke that philosophy,” says Salvagni, who found inspiration in an assortment of Japanese ceramic samples, translating the matte, sandy texture of raku into the stair’s powder-coated aluminum handrail.

The sinuous shape echoes the rounded edges found in every area. In the dining area of the main deck salon, a circular ceiling detail suggests the ripples created by droplets in calm water. In a lounge area, a similar installation surmounts a curvaceous sofa set atop a bamboo-silk rug that in changing light nods to the myriad watery hues visible during rough seas. A like-minded softness infuses the outdoors, where inviting, low-lying sofas seem to float above the teak deck on their recessed base. “I created these elements to connect like a puzzle in a very fluid way,” says the designer, who treated the frames with the same varnish as the hull, so they integrate seamlessly.

With its unifying palette of earth tones, the overall effect is restrained without being austere, tranquil yet welcoming. “This soft minimalism allows me to play with the clean, calm surfaces; it’s never too obsessed with defining itself as a statement,” says Salvagni, whose bespoke furnishings accent every space. “There must be a balance, and for me this balance is made with the absence of corners, the calmness of the palette—never too aggressive, never too loud—but at the same time with a layering of story.” Here, that story is one of creative expression whispered across beautiful blue ocean.

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Spring Issue under the headline “Smooth Sailing.” Subscribe to the magazine.