HOME: Inside a Newport Yacht

Choosing light fixtures and buying furniture are rites of passage when it comes to moving into a new home, but what if that home is a yacht? For a pair of empty-nesters who purchased a Vicem 65 Classic, this meant returning to Maloney Interiors. “This is a long-time client of mine,” says Ally Maloney, founder and principal designer. “Our first project together was refitting his previous boat, a Vicem 58 back in 2015. When he decided to build the Vicem 65, he told me about his plans and we got to work coordinating design efforts with the team from Vicem Yachts.”

Maloney explains that soft-good selections were made with her clients at her office on Thames Street in Newport. During the construction phase, the designer traveled to Istanbul to meet with Vicem’s team and make additional selections. When the boat arrived stateside in Florida, it was outfitted with everything from dinnerware and drinkware to accessories and decor. Because this was a new build, most of the items were fabricated by Vicem Yachts in Turkey. A few accents, such as pillows, were made in Rhode Island at Maloney’s workroom, and much of the artwork aboard the boat is from Sheldon Fine Art, also in Newport.

So what goes into furnishing a yacht? Maloney explains that this is dependent on the type of boat and its use. For example, large yachts are climate controlled 24/7 and staffed with crew who maintain the vessel and its furnishings. “In this case you’re not really limited with what can be placed aboard the boat, and furniture, artwork, rugs, lighting, fabric, etc. can be sourced the same as you would for a home,” says Maloney. On smaller boats that aren’t always climate controlled, or that have more exposed areas, performance fabrics, materials, and finishes that hold up well to the sun and elements are needed.

Any technical queries from the client were fielded to Vicem, but aesthetic requests, such as color, tone, mood, and feel of the boat’s interior, were handled by Maloney. “Selections included a transitional – not too modern, not too classic – design with a blue color palette; that’s the owner’s favorite color,” says the designer.

The owners live in Massachusetts, keep the boat in Newport, and use it seasonally to enjoy the City by the Sea and take weeklong trips to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. “I believe that many of my clients most enjoy using their boats as a space for relaxation, to get away, to casually or privately entertain family and friends. It’s a fun way to travel to favorite destinations and just get away from it all.”