Living Large at Any Size --- You don't need to own a private jet or yacht to take inspiration from the interior designers who can squeeze 10,000 square feet of high-style into sleek boats, planes and trains. Here's how they make every inch count.

“There's one thing money can't buy, even if you have enough of it to afford a private jet.

 

Thinner seats. Think more Eames, less American Airlines.

 

Private aviation designer Aurora Saboir says every client comes to her with that request.

 

But aircraft seats are bulky because of global regulatory mandates: The metal frame and foam under the upholstery have to be able to withstand the impact of 16 times the force of gravity, the equivalent of a very serious plane crash.

 

When she can come up with a plan to make the chair appear even slightly slimmer, Saboir said, "I'm always very proud."

 

At a time when the ultrarich are prioritizing extreme privacy, flying private has never been in higher demand, and some bosses are working for months at a time from their yachts. Interior designers are being tasked with making these compact, highly engineered spaces feel as luxurious and livable as a mansion. Every inch must balance function, comfort and style while meeting strict safety regulations and engineering constraints. "By any residential standard, you would never make a luxury bedroom that was 8 feet by 10 feet," said Michael Peters, who designs interiors for the yacht company Hinckley. His projects demand it.

 

Some of the rooms that Peters, who works on boats that span up to 57 feet for Hinckley, designs have just enough space for the furniture and a small pathway to it. Also, "especially as you get into the forward sections, there aren't vertical walls. You picture this whole thing as trying to fit something inside the shape of an egg."

 

Some features, like safety equipment and weight limits, are non-negotiable. But in a small space, every detail is an opportunity for luxury. Saboir designs custom patterns of stitching, combining different colors of thread, for some of her clients. For others, she'll find bespoke trims for the surfaces. Designing a new aircraft can take three to four years, she said, while refurbishing an aftermarket jet takes about six months. She works mostly with large and ultra-long-range jets in the 400-square-foot range.

 

Adding personality to every part of a small space is a design philosophy that can be applied to any home or room. Ken Fulk, an interior designer and creative director whose residential clients sometimes hire him to work on their boats and planes, creates onboard touches like custom dopp kits, pajamas, cocktail menus and cheeky safety videos with his team. Both project types take an average of two to three years. One of Fulk's clients grew up in Hawaii during his teenage years and wanted his yacht's interiors to be an ode to the traditions of the island state. "We designed every fabric to tell a story [and incorporated] beautiful hand carvings," said Fulk.

 

Storage and weight are universal constraints for these projects. "On a plane, everything needs a place to live when you're taking off and landing," said Fulk. If there's a slab of stone a client wants to use, Fulk will work with the manufacturer to cut it into a thin slice so it doesn't add too much weight. If a cabin is too small for a luggage rack, he'll make a custom pad that lies across the bed where they can instead unpack their suitcases.

 

Wellness is also being fit into these small spaces. When one client wanted an indoor studio bike on board his private jet, Fulk figured out how it could lock into the middle of the aisle. The bike gets stored in the hangar, and when the person wants it, it comes on board along with its accoutrements like headsets and TVs.

 

Saboir is squeezing mini-spa experiences into cabins, from laser-facial masks and red-light therapy blankets to LED-light-therapy carpets. "Those six to eight hours are so important for them to sleep, relax and disconnect," she said.

 

The yacht designer Peters said that boats aren't so different from cars in that "if you strip out the seats and interior, you realize you're sitting in a mechanical device," he said. "Everything that services the space -- electrical, plumbing, air conditioning -- all has to take place within those walls, and it has to be hidden."

 

Clients tell Peters what they want and he draws it up. A project can take anywhere from 18 to 36 months. Often, he said, the client will then try to make the whole vessel bigger. "I've got a friend in the business who always says the more money a client has, the less they believe in physics."

 

Thomas Flohr, the founder and chairman of VistaJet, a global membership for private air travel, is used to surprising manufacturers with his ideas. Flohr, who founded the company in 2004 and designs the interiors of his 300-aircraft fleet, pushes back so he can maintain his clients' living standards.

 

This is not about "caviar and throwing champagne," he said, but rather things like having enough surface area to prepare meals, and the ability to store wine at the right temperature.

 

When Flohr started VistaJet, plastic trays of food, much like those on commercial flights, were the norm. Now, VistaJet clients are served chef-prepped meals or dishes sourced from their favorite restaurant, and the company's cabins have specialized storage for Christofle silver and Baccarat glasses.

 

"I said [clients are] paying $10,000 an hour. That's what [they] pay for a super-big suite at the Peninsula," he said. "Imagine [arriving] at the Peninsula and you get a plastic tray with your food on it."

 

Even big brands want to make luxury transport feel intimate and homey. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection brought in Tatiana Sheveleva, the owner of Chapi Design, to design the shared spaces of its "Luminara" megayacht, which can accommodate 452 guests.

 

Lighting plays a crucial role in making rooms with lower ceilings in boats feel spacious, and Sheveleva designed custom lights throughout the boat's restaurants, spa and common spaces like the living room. "The lights have to have shiny components, either glass or metal, so it's more reflective," she said. "The big chandeliers, what we typically expect, that's not going to work."

 

The director Baz Luhrmann has created immersive worlds on screen for films like "Moulin Rouge" and "Romeo + Juliet," and recently did the same for a train car. Along with his wife, the production designer Catherine Martin, Luhrmann designed the "Celia," a private carriage that passengers on Belmond's British Pullman train can rent for celebrations, complete with a bar, a projector and a theater.

 

To achieve a lush, 1930s-inspired atmosphere in approximately 495 square feet, Luhrmann and Martin designed a ceiling featuring glass etched with cloud detailing. "It's got a dream set quality to it," said Luhrmann.

 

Luhrmann learned that he couldn't get everything he wanted because "it moves and it's dangerous," Luhrmann said.

 

 "Even the glassware, it has to be very, very thick-based so it doesn't get thrown around."

 

He originally envisioned a burr walnut bar that could collapse into a DJ booth -- "for later on when everyone is smashed" -- but this proved impossible. Passengers will nonetheless be able to dance the night away. "The idea is that it turns into the world's most expensive party bus," Luhrmann said.

 

Fulk said that the quiet-luxury trend has both permeated residential real estate and resulted in yacht and jet interiors that sometimes feel sterile. "People are afraid of making a mistake. It's expensive," he said. But his philosophy is, "Why wouldn't you make it extraordinary and special?"

 

Clients want these small, mobile spaces to feel as well-appointed as their homes. "These things become extensions of their lives," said Fulk. "It's no longer simply about getting somewhere. The whole journey should be beautiful."” [1]

 

1. OFF DUTY --- Design & Decorating: Living Large at Any Size --- You don't need to own a private jet or yacht to take inspiration from the interior designers who can squeeze 10,000 square feet of high-style into sleek boats, planes and trains. Here's how they make every inch count. Florsheim, Lane.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 21 Feb 2026: D1.