“Original bespoke luxury” is the aim behind a new concept interior cabin design commissioned from the leading London-based designer Naomi Astley Clarke.
Working to a commission from an unnamed client active in private aviation, Clarke was asked to design a concept interior that was an extension of the home. Her starting point was to diversify away from the classic cabins of the past.
“Since the classic jet interior of a private jet – polished walnut and cream leather – has changed little since the 1980s, I set out to explore colour, materiality, comfort and artisanal detail,” Clarke told Corporate Jet Investor. “The aim was to create an extension of the home that is as unique as an individual home.”
Clarke enjoyed a free hand – with no constraint on the type of materials used – although with an eye on weight needed for an aircraft cabin. Lightweight materials are used but finished with heavy appearances. This included the use of faux marbling specialist painting.
“I wanted to combine luxury, comfort, glamour and joy abound in this dramatic and completely unique space,” said Clarke. The cabin design features “calming amethysts” together with striped-faux marble inlay tables. Highlighted are neutrals and greens with ebonised timber and antique brass.
The aircraft cabin design is a first for the Naomi Astley Clarke studio, which specialises in the renovation and refurbishment of residential and commercial properties. (Clarke concedes she does not feel particularly at home in the air but draws satisfaction that her latest design helps to marry “homely luxury with functional light-weight materials”).
A key mission was to move on from polished walnut and cream leather, said Clarke, adding that there is, of course, nothing wrong with those classic ingredients. “If clients want a neutral palate, if it makes them feel comfortable, it is important to be respectful of that,” she said. “But it can mean missing out on a range of exciting design possibilities. My designs aim to make clients draw breath and really hit the wow factor.”
A particular highlight of the G700 project for her is the kitchen galley element of the design package. “We aimed for a design that was not at all showy but one that combined calmness with chic and elegance – a design that was truly uplifting.”
After her first foray into aircraft interior design, Clarke admits surprise at the high projected cost – about $40m – of designing a relatively small space. Typical budgets for projects undertaken by the Naomi Astley Clarke studio range from about $10m to about $50m.
Listed in the Andrew Martin Top 100 design studios in 2022, Clarke aims to mix fine British craftsmanship with design flair from around the world. A designer for 25 years, Clarke, who has flown aboard a private jet, numbers a range high net worth individuals in her client portfolio. She is a member of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) and a BIID registered interior designer. Read more about Clarke’s design projects here.
Meanwhile, Gulfstream’s G700 design features a large galley, crew compartment and up to five living or office areas. The aircraft enables ultra-long-range flights between almost all commercial city pairs and can operate non-stop from Doha to New York, in 13 and a half hours and from Doha to Seoul in less than eight hours.
The G700 which flew from Savannah, Georgia to Paris (to attend the 2023 Paris Air Show) established a new city pair record of Mach 0.90 and with a time of 7 hours 19 minutes. Qatar Executive has ordered 10 of the $79m G700s, with the first joining its fleet later this year.
Top and above: The G700 concept design aims to combine “combine luxury, comfort, glamour and joy” in a unique space.
Below: Naomi Astley Clarke’s galley design and the Gulfstream G700.
