4 Business Jet Interiors That Luxury to New Heights
Despite the dominance of grays, beiges, and off-whites in private-jet cabins, there’s a new sense of liberation in the air. Bright, stylish, and bespoke interiors are gaining altitude, thanks to designers long eager to break from the corporate status quo.
Natalie Rodríguez’s “Solrise” (pictured above) is her vision for a BBJ 787-8, a Boeing Dreamliner variant used by heads of state and V.V.I.P.s. For the 2,458-square-foot interior, the San Antonio–based designer envisioned more of a five-star hotel than a flying boardroom, complete with lounges, dining areas, a primary suite, and a lavish bar. Olive and juniper accents, dark Emperador marble, and antiqued metalwork offset neutral fabrics and muted veneers, evoking a theatrical sense of sunrise. “We used cove and wash lighting in the ceiling’s circular motifs, as well as under-seat illumination, to create a layered, almost cinematic feel,” Rodríguez says.
Other designers are bringing expressive style to smaller business jets. As part of Flexjet’s Red Label series, the new “Volare” interior aboard a Gulfstream G650 draws inspiration from the iconic Riva yacht. According to Flexjet chair Kenn Ricci, the series also includes a Bentley-themed interior and will eventually feature cabins influenced by LVMH brands—part of an $800 million private-equity deal Ricci recently inked with the luxury giant. “Customers and prospects, they love these interiors because they’re fun,” says Ricci, who also designed Flexjet’s new $50 million headquarters. He adds that competitors are beginning to offer more artistically customized cabins as well.
Jet owners—from celebrities like Paris Hilton to entrepreneurs—are embracing interiors that reflect their personalities. Miami Beach–based Ibrahim and Ryann Al-Rashid’s bold Praetor 600 cabin bucks the old adage that conservative interiors bolster resale value. In fact, since taking delivery, they’ve already received several offers to buy the super midsize.
Ricci believes the pipeline of creativity will only expand. In a recent design contest, Flexjet received more than 150 entries, including the winner, “Carolina,” focusing on a natural landscape, and another interior inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture. “Any four or five of [the top finalists] could’ve been the winner,” he says. “There’s no shortage of good ideas out there.”
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Gulfstream G450 “Volare”
Image Credit: Courtesy of Flexjet The Gulfstream’s “Volare” interior (Italian for “to fly”) was born from Flexjet’s close relationship with Riva Yachts. The stylized design evokes the glamour of 1960s-era Rivas with the use of mahogany and holly for the wood panels, hand-stitched leather piping, and metallic trim. But aircraft weight limits required techniques that hadn’t been used in private aviation. Flexjet sourced a machine that could shave mahogany into ultrathin veneers, then steamed the wood into shape and finished it with 17 coats of varnish to mirror the high-gloss luster of a classic Riva Aquarama.
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Gulfstream G650 “Houndstooth”
Image Credit: Courtesy of Flexjet An oversize-houndstooth motif on the tail and engine intakes of this Gulfstream—inspired by the owner’s home decor—sets the tone for this interior. Designer Sarah Mespelt Larrañaga echoed the bold pattern in the cabin’s carpet, giving the space a whimsical Alice in Wonderland vibe. Intricate seat stitching extends the theme throughout, adding depth and continuity. The exterior was the project’s greatest challenge, according to Larrañaga; the tail art required multiple iterations before being hand-painted to get the desired look.
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Embraer Praetor 600
Image Credit: Courtesy of Embraer With materials like Icicle Shimmer Fusion, Aeronappa Hawthorn, and TAJ Cowhide Blue Jewel, Ibrahim and Ryann Al-Rashid’s super midsize jet is anything but traditional. Working closely with Embraer’s design team, the Miami couple sifted through hundreds of color and fabric options before settling on a contemporary aesthetic that didn’t date or bedazzle the cabin. The piéce de rèsistance is a navy-blue Cambria wool and silk carpet, with rose-gold stitching, meant to depict the Amazon rainforest morphing into a circuit board—the symbolic fusion of nature and technology. “We’d already gone through 30 different rug concepts, but they all seemed a little loud,” Ryann says. “This one had a beautiful pattern that was also really impactful.”
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Gulfstream G650 “Carolina”
Image Credit: Courtesy of Flexjet This pastoral interior pays tribute to the 150-year-old Avenue of Oaks in Mount Pleasant, S.C., and was conceived by the father-and-son duo of Youngmin and Woojae Sohn—a professional designer and an Embry-Riddle student. “The oaks on the rear bulkhead were entirely hand-drawn to show the detail,” says Woojae, who hopes to become a U.S. Air Force pilot. Tree branches extend across the ceiling, the carpet suggests a flowing river, and the table is an abstract topographical map in this imaginative ode to the outdoors. Dappled lighting, a tufted lounge, and muted-gold fabric at the rear of the executive seats complete the concept. The calming design is slated for production as part of Flexjet’s Red Label fleet.
