Versailles meets Interstellar… via Bali? We caught up with design studio Reymond Langton on the origins of the stunning interiors on board the world’s most exclusive charter yacht.
"His brief was only a few words…" designer Pascale Reymond recalls from the initial conversation with the owner of superyacht KISMET," … he said, ‘I had this wonderful dinner in Versailles with President Macron. I loved it. Can I have a space on my yacht like this? And I want a room, which is white and chilled, open to the elements and the deck. And an office that is dark with a red sofa. And a floating Buddha for the wellness suite.’ … but obviously, these ideas were not connected."
"It was a passion, he wanted it, and we had to put it together, and make it flow very tastefully, and in a very clever way. And for us, we also wanted to include a little angle that he didn't ask for.”
Pascale and the team knew that the grandeur of Versailles would be a challenge. "If you get it wrong, the design can look heavy and a bit tacky. We edited back the number of finishes, as Versailles can be a bit chaotic in spaces with lower ceilings.”
Taking the essence of Versailles, the team created a Champagne reception hall of exquisite, bevelled mirrors – antiqued so that reflections were not too overwhelming for assembled guests – and a saloon cocooned with contemporary soft-furnishings.
Above, a ceiling features hand-painted wallpaper by de Gournay showing cherubs and the god Neptune. Below, sculpted carpets provide interest for inquisitive feet, and the adjacent travertine floor is scored to suggest parquet patterns. Everything is considered and nothing is left to chance.
As we leave Versailles and approach the dining area, two large, limestone fireplaces flank the divide. The scheme takes a twist, becoming more space-age, and you find yourself transported to what feels like a luxurious New York penthouse. On the two wings of the vast dining room, double height video-walls are visible through voids to the floor above. Futuristic bronze structures serve as the bar while bespoke, six-metre-high Venetian crystal chandeliers light up the staircase hallways, connecting three decks of the yacht.
"The owner wanted to create a sense of travelling through space and time from historic Versailles to modern Bali, with futuristic influences from the movie Interstellar. The solution is grand and cinematic but also fun and ultra-luxurious. I think if Louis XIV was here today, he’d love it," says Pascale.
The design of a yacht is about perspective. "There are large volumes on KISMET, so we want to be able to see them, experience them. KISMET is not just about style," Pascale says. "She is is a very practical yacht. Everything to do with living on board has been considered, even the crew areas.”
Descending a low-lit staircase from the hall of mirrors, the theme changes in the lower-deck foyer with hammered and stitched leather walls. It opens to the gym, yoga studio, juice bar and Balinese-inspired spa, with its therapeutic tub, massage table, sauna, hammam, cryotherapy chamber and heated loungers.
The owner’s daughter, a designer in her own right, added feminine touches to the beauty salon and guest cabins, one of which converts to a massage room. These spaces have a Zen Oriental feel, with warm tones, stunning finishes and large windows in the hull. This is a feat of Lürssen engineering that means there is no trade-off for guests staying on the lower deck.
The guest cabins are themed after famous couture houses and feature floor-to-ceiling windows and luxurious bathrooms with unique stone finishes. Pascale describes haute couture as "fashionable yes, but more than that, it’s timeless”, and that’s her plan for these spaces – that they will age well and become future classics.
The wall fabrics were created for each room by Céline Alexander in Paris, suppliers to Chanel, Dior and the Grandes Maisons of couture. One cabin even has the audacious application of Lalique birds on the walls and ceiling.
Moving forwards, you’ll enter the "Tron" corridor that cuts through the heart of the engine room with its chrome and neon finishes. It’s like walking through a time portal to another realm as it leads from the Zen Orient to the opulent cinema with its teal and gold art deco styling and underwater viewing gallery.
The pool deck has a disco-lounge bar that opens onto the pool area. It’s white with pale wood and textured fabrics synonymous with Nikki Beach. At night the space is transformed. Coloured lights strobe in hidden channels and once the carpet is removed, a pressure-reactive video-dancefloor is revealed for party nights.
Pascale says, "It’s all about storytelling through design. It doesn’t matter where KISMET is in the world, guests will always have an incredible journey on board.”
Connecting all interior levels and themes is a high-contrast, graphic staircase. The materials are exquisite – ziricote wood veneers, encased in bronze, flank vertical strips of Fromental wall fabric that start dark green at the lower-deck cinema level and gradually get paler as you climb through each floor up to the bridge deck. These curved wall panels contain over 1,500 tiny lights that rise in strips like organ pipes in a church.
The upper deck has an entertainment area with a spectacular red and black carbon Bogányi piano that features the swooping lines of a sports car. It’s a relaxed space that opens to the aft deck.
Forward of here is the owners’ suite with private spaces off a lobby corridor; the bedroom has a fireplace and a bold, futuristic skylight. Completing the suite is a personal pantry, boudoir, beauty room, private bathrooms and his and hers dressing rooms. There is a specific place for everything; handbags, sunglasses, shoes and even a bespoke watch-winder.
Transitioning upwards from the ginger-honey-hues of the master suite, via a private staircase, we find the owner’s black and steel office with its standout, red sofa bed, private pantry and panoramic views.
"The Owners’ suite is very personal," Pascale says, "it’s their home within a home.”
Just as a magazine article can’t completely capture the vast and detailed interiors on board, a one-week charter may not be enough to discover every piece of this incredible yacht. When combined with her extensive water sports, wellness and culinary offerings, KISMET is a charter yacht that will keep you coming back for more.
KISMET is available for charter, exclusively with Cecil Wright.
Built by the renowned Lürssen shipyard, with striking exterior lines by Nuvolari Lenard and an opulent interior by Reymond Langton Design, KISMET redefines luxury yachting. Accommodating up to 12 guests in eight lavish cabins, she offers world-class entertainment, fine dining, and an extensive collection of water toys and tenders. A sanctuary for wellness, she features a Balinese-inspired spa with a hammam, sauna, cryotherapy chamber and a private treatment suite. A dedicated gym, yoga studio and juice bar, along with spectacular opening sea terraces and underwater cinema, deliver a mesmerising onboard experience. KISMET is the pinnacle of luxury yacht charter.
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