PROFILE
Maritime Musings with
Sarah Colbon | BY HELÉNE RAMACKERS
C
o-founding Njord by Bergman Design House puts Sarah Colbon at the helm of interior architecture and design for the world’s most phenomenal superyachts. She took time out of her jam-packed schedule to chat exclusively to Upscale Living magazine about her love for her trade whilst creating a balance as a wife and working mom. Sarah, tell us a bit about yourself.
I’ve been immersed in the world of Superyachts for over 14 years now, rooted in my background of being brought up on the water on the south coast of England in Emsworth, in a small sailing village. Travelling the world gave me experiences running businesses in the fishing charters, tourist sailing charter yachts and so on in Australia, never as crew but only in the business marketing and PR sectors. Following a passion and a dream turned into a career journey in this small, family-like niche industry, working alongside owners and families, top shipyards, yacht management companies, brokerage and design sectors. This gave me the foundations and experience to see an opportunity to develop a new approach specifically in the design sector of the industry. Did you have an influence in your youth that shaped your career path? I grew up on the water in a small sailing village on the south coast of England. My father was an avid sailor, and we were always with family sailing on the weekends and truly the love of boats and yachting started from such a young age. All my career I had the dream to work in the top luxury sector of yachting and I started by meeting some wonderful people in the industry when I lived in Australia. After working on the yachting industry for a while, one day I got the call: would you be interested in assisting us with styling our charter yacht fleet for photoshoots. The rest is history.
Njord was born in 2020 with people spending more time in their travel ‘bubble’ because of the restrictions placed on them by the global pandemic, with superyachts being the perfect escape – away from crowds and on the open sea with oodles of fresh air. What impact did the pandemic have on the resurgence of people wanting to live on their superyachts? It was more than that. Previously, superyachts for an owner were a charter to get away with family and enjoy holiday and special times; when the pandemic hit, suddenly their yacht became their home. They needed to have the freedom but not be land-based and also somehow yachts became a secure hub for them and their families when all the uncertainty happened. This is truly when the busiest times were for us at Njord, as owners were spending more time onboard and noticing that there was a serious lack of storage, bad lighting, and the circulation of the yacht for living onboard made no sense. We had also just met our superyacht Galaxy clients during these times, working on Zoom most days-never being able to see the yacht or meet them or the crew in person was hard. Again, this new owner wanted to live onboard, and having purchased this very well-known Benetti charter yacht, it was a time for change for them and for the yacht, hence our re-design of her and the comfort they now have onboard. How do you manage to turn a yacht into a home? Whether it’s a sailing yacht or a motor yacht, they are vessels floating on the water, they can all be homes, it’s about knowing your client and their family lifestyles. You adapt the interior to reflect this, knowing how to work with the interior infrastructure of the vessel, the crew service, and the circulation of a home. The impressive superyacht Galaxy took only five months to refit as opposed to the usual
42 | UPSCALE LIVING MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022
18 months. How did you accomplish that? The Galaxy project was a refit broken down into phases. This allowed the client to live and enjoy their new yacht while Njord simultaneously worked their magic on the interior design. Phase one of the project took place in Spring 2021 and saw the addition of new rugs, artwork, exterior seating, cushions, and a general up-styling of the interior so the client could enjoy a summer season onboard whilst living in a space that felt more like home. The owner lived in the space and gave feedback to Njord first-hand on which areas they found most comfortable and which they used less, all of which helped to inform the second full refit phase. Every piece placed on board during phase one flowed into phase two, ensuring nothing was wasted. Once the concept was agreed, a full interior refit of the main guest areas took place alongside exterior styling, giving the yacht a new lease of life. With a goal to complete the project within five months, this would be the shortest time frame in which any superyacht has ever undergone a refit. Together with the trust and can-do attitude of the owners, the Monaco Marine shipyard and the formidable crew, Galaxy has done just that. Galaxy is no longer just another white Superyacht gracing the ocean along the French Riviera, she has been transformed into the private owners’ own floating universe, a home which encapsulates their lifestyle and a design that has never been done before on board a yacht of this kind. Galaxy is now a destination, a marvel that touches all your body’s senses and excites and embraces you with its energy during each step you take onboard, transporting her owners into another dimension. Were there challenges with Galaxy? There are always challenges with any project
