“I always think it’s a good thing when new people come into the field,” says British yacht designer Mark Berryman who is behind the new look of Boeing Business Jets. Berryman has been working for more than 25 years in the marine field, has lent a very different design approach to his first interior jet concepts, and it’s something everyone needs to see. As he rightly says, “Newcomers ask different questions, find different answers, and spread new ideas that can push the industry forward,” he has indeed managed to make a private jet look nothing like one and a lot like a luxury hotel. Berryman has lent his expertise to two spec layouts for the BBJ 737, one for personal use and one for corporate purposes.
“There was a little bit of trial and error, but BBJ was keen to let us have a go, and they were very open to our questions,” Berryman says. He continued, “Even with yachts, there’s still a learning process. The question became whether you could come up with clever ways to solve the problems.” The interiors of the private jet look refreshing in soft, warm colors and subtle Asian accents, taking away the otherwise sterile white uninviting vibe of an airplane. They manage to make it look homely but with a touch of luxe. The interior of the personal jet included an owner’s suite with a foyer, office, bedroom, and bathroom.
If the idea was to make it look nothing like an airplane, the designers have managed the feat well with spa-like interiors awaiting its owner to arrive and unwind. The designers have established a space where people will feel like they can relax and put their feet up successfully. The area is not only good-looking, but it is also efficient and offers opportunities to function as multifunctional spaces that are easy to convert. Though the vibe and warmth are the same in the corporate version of the Boeing Business Jet, there are subtle differences, such as an open layout combined with 12 workstations that turn into beds for long-haul flights.
These interiors are not only a way of breaking the ice with clients; they are an example of remaining unforgotten and creating a stellar first impression. Berryman is proud of the result and believes a successful signature look and sensibility can be applied across multiple platforms, whether a yacht or a jet, “Design is Design. If you asked me to do a telephone booth, I’d be as happy as doing a yacht.”
