Everybody undervalues his or her own time. You always think you have enough of it and that you will be able to make up time. The reality is that, no, you can’t. There is no point in messing about because as your time gets shorter, you should invest in exactly what you want. Don’t nickel and dime it.

You have said that the value of money cannot be fully realized until you spend it, and that the true value can only be seen in the craftsmanship it supports.

Money in itself has no value whatsoever. You can’t see any benefit from it until you have actually spent it, and the only thing you can spend a surplus on is craftsmanship. For example, in the past, the wealth of the church could employ craftsmen and artists. That’s why we have the Sistine Chapel and great works of art, and it is exactly the same today, but the icons may be different.

How would you describe your design style?

I call it traditional and classical. The idea is classic proportions and a traditional style. When I started, it was referred to as a “club style” interior, with paneled bulkheads and antique effects. It was a quite masculine interior, but in fact softened around the edges. Most of the yachts I dealt with in the early days were sailing yachts, and they tend to be quite masculine environments. Coming from a traditional background and understanding furniture construction, this was a style I was comfortable with, and luckily most of my clients shared that feeling.