In the rarefied world of yacht design, a handful of artisans command million-dollar fees for creating exquisite, one-of-a-kind seafaring living spaces. One such craftsman is John Munford, a self-effacing, soft-spoken Englishman whose classic interiors give yachts a pedigree that is, to say the least, highly desired. In some circles, a yacht by Munford is prized as highly as a rare work of art. From his studio in Southampton, Munford recently spoke with Worth features editor Douglas McWhirter about the symbiotic relationship between wealth and craftsmanship, the intrinsic appeal of mahogany and how life is far too short to deny yourself exactly what you want.
There is a well-known relationship between a yacht’s design pedigree and its sale value. How do well-known yacht interior designers add value?
Greatly, of course [laughs]. If you go for a pedigree arrangement all around—pedigree shipyard, pedigree designer and pedigree naval architect—then, yes, it does have an intrinsic value, which gives its own provenance to the yacht, particularly with motor yachts. It takes about three years to build a yacht. If it has the right provenance, it will increase in value in that period of time, and will hold its value.
What is the value of a highly personalized interior versus one which is of a more classic or period style?
A highly personalized interior has value for that particular owner at that time. Why not have what you want? I don’t think you should necessarily compromise because you think it might affect its resale value. One of the reasons for my success is that the yachts I design hold and increase their resale value because the classical style is more enduring.
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