Writer Barbara Karth is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Photographer Martin Fine is based in Northridge, California.

On a yacht there is no straight line,” says interior designer Thérèse Baron Gurney in explaining the many challenges she faced in refitting the Lazy Z, a 165-foot-long luxury motor yacht. In 2000, after the ship was purchased by a new owner, Gurney redesigned its interiors during a one-month dry dock in the Netherlands, then refreshed the décor five years later when the ship was docked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

When Gurney first saw the yacht, it was effusively decorated with large, heavily patterned furnishings. “Over-done, over-designed,” she recalls of the original Art Deco-influenced interiors. Renovating to reflect her client’s elegant, sophisticated style, she blended rich textures, subdued colors and modern lines. “We made everything soft, smooth and simple,” the designer says.

Guests enjoy three decks that offer capacious accommodations for relaxation and recreation. On the middle level, known as the main deck, are the entrance, main salon, dining room and master cabin. To the rear is an open deck for seating that also houses two boats, one outfitted for rescue. Above, the captain’s quarters and bridge are located to the fore. An upper salon and outdoor sun deck complete this level. Four guest cabins, each with its own head (a seafarer term for bathroom), are located on the lower deck along with a smaller nanny’s cabin and a gym. A galley and crew’s quarters are located to the fore on this level.

In overhauling these spaces, Gurney found it structurally impossible to replace the ornate staircase linking the three guest levels, so she established a unifying flow by sheathing it in finely grained, warm-toned bubinga, also known as African rosewood. Matching gates were constructed and sensitively incorporated into the staircase as a safety measure when children are aboard and, as a bonus, “a bit of protection for happy revelers,” laughs Gurney. The expanse of stair wall was upholstered in a linen basket weave, valued for its forgiving qualities.

In selecting the furnishings, Gurney drew from the classics of modern design. Jean-Michel Frank sofas in the main and upper salons are complemented by sleek contemporary pieces from Chicago-based Koch-Smith Furniture. Upholstery of woven mohair and soft cotton chenille supply both luxurious textures and commercial-grade durability in the main salon. Multiple mahogany benches, grouped to form a coffee table, offer flexibility, a constant consideration on a yacht.

Existing cabinets on this main deck, positioned along a wall, are topped with Burlington stone, a beautiful slate from England. They conceal storage for audio and video components and provide storage for securing movable items during the yacht’s twice yearly trans-Atlantic crossings. “Even glasses and dishes have their own fittings,” Gurney explains. And every task is taken with precision and detail: Brass is polished and difficult-to-reach surfaces are touched up with Q-tips. Napkins and towels are folded just so. Bed linens are laundered to perfection—a strict protocol and a time-honored tradition.

A yacht is about relaxation, a reprieve from demanding daily life, so Gurney created a floating, luxurious oasis. It is also about the out-of-doors, so the upper salon is where everyone spends most of their time, moving from the exterior deck to the bar and conversation, games or a movie on sofas now upholstered in soft, durable leather.

Gurney sees her work as a “surface treatment or icing on a cake, if you will.” Walls, she notes, have “an illusion of solidness.” On a yacht they merely cover the infrastructure of power and communication wiring and water pipes lining the hull.

Just hanging a picture becomes a thought-out process with so many strategic elements vulnerable to damage. Lighting consists of low voltage halogens that reduce the heat load.

Complicating the remodeling pro- cess was the coordination of materials and furnishings from Europe and the United States. Paneling, furniture and upholstery came from France to avoid trans-Atlantic shipping issues. Carpeting and fabrics from a few of Gurney’s favorite sources were imported from the U.S. via air freight. Craftsmen from the Netherlands installed the cabinetry; Frenchmen hung drapery and upholstered panels, and faux-finished various surfaces; and a German master craftsman fitted the stair railings and woodwork. Gurney was frequently working in meters, not yards, and converting costs from Dutch guilders and French francs to American dollars. 

Not every element was shipped in time. The yacht left dry dock before the dining table arrived from the U.S. The mahogany table, which expands to seat 12 diners, met the ship in the south of France and was installed the day before the owner and his guests came aboard. Typical of a sea-going vessel, it had to be secured with special fittings. Weight and seat width were also considered when Gurney selected the coordinating dining chairs.

To the fore of the dining room on the main deck is the master cabin, a sumptuous bedroom suite. Silk-like upholstery wraps the walls and ceiling. “Real silk is too fragile for a yacht,” says Gurney. “This rayon looks like silk but it is more durable.” Two heads, one equipped with a shower and the other with a tub, are concealed behind curved, sliding panels next to the staircase leading to a private observation deck. Both the stairs and trim on the panels are finished in exotic lacewood.

Despite all the challenges, the Lazy Z was a dream project for Gurney, who maintains a long-term relationship with the yacht’s owner, having designed various homes for him over the years. “This was one opportunity where I was able to think of absolutely every detail, down to the folded napkins,” says Gurney, who even designed the yacht’s logo. The interlocking L and Z not only adorn the hats and shirts of the crew, napkins and outdoor cushions, but the sides of the ship where it is cast into gleaming stainless steel.