Now Up for Sale, the M/Y Lady Candy is a Masterpiece of Design
The 56-meter superyacht Lady Candy was designed and built by the Italian shipbuilder Benetti with styling from Captain Paul Brackley’s Central Yacht Design Studio. With her four decks connected by a central lift, the exterior lines have a contemporary and elegant feel.
The expert owner is from Asia and is a great enthusiast of the sea and diving. He played an active role in the yacht’s design. The architects and designers worked closely together to develop a design object beyond the merely ‘fashionable’. Currently listed for sale, this impressive vessel is a work of art.
The owner had a powerful impact on the interior layout of M/Y Lady Candy which was custom designed by Pamela Babey and the BAMO team from San Francisco.
It must be like home. That was the client’s directive. It sounded simple enough, but this was something different: a yacht. And not just any yacht, a superyacht
Pamela Babey, Founding Principal of the interior design firm BAMO
Although the Lady Candy was BAMO’s first yacht, the clients were not new. Babey and her team had worked with the clients for years, designing several homes in Hong Kong. I knew what he meant when he said, ‘like home’. He means ‘like my home’. The home referred to was the start of their collaboration, a private residence on The Peak in Hong Kong.
Babey understood that Lady Candy should feel casual and comfortable while exuding the clients’ sophisticated style, whether docked in Hong Kong Bay or touring the world. In this way, they modelled Lady Candy after the house on The Peak, where comfortable family environments balance entertaining rooms.
The perfect client is passionate, engaged, professional, and challenges me. These clients are all these things. They also have great taste, have travelled the world, and are pleasant company.
Pamela Babey, Founding Principal of the interior design firm BAMO
M/Y Lady Candy combines interior spaces worthy of a 56-meter vessel with remarkable performance, including a maximum speed of nearly 17 knots and comfort, which translates into stability, and almost zero vibrations and noise.
M/Y Lady Candy’s Curated Interiors
The owner explicitly requested that the interiors be given priority over the exteriors, creating an enormous main saloon that covered 88 m2 of the main deck. He also had his and his daughter’s cabins moved to the upper deck to maximize privacy.
The interiors had to be kept simple and welcoming. Briar root wood predominates and is combined with soft colours like lilac and jade, reflecting an ‘international’ aesthetic that unites the East and West.
Bringing Grounded Luxury onto the Water
The interiors of Lady Candy reflect a relaxed shift in attitude from room to room, with subtle changes in ambience through the addition of spirited colours, whimsical carpets, and bright accents. Each deck has its own identity and mood, giving the romantic impression of a ‘great house’ reinvented on a yacht. The furniture is a classic-modern mix with a touch of the old world.
Key furniture elements were custom-designed to give a unique character to each room design. Preferring lamplight for warmth, Pamela and the team added lamps and decorative sconces throughout the interiors. They carefully considered the placement of ceiling lights. Wall washers highlight artwork and warm the walls; while positioning downlights to accent tabletops and objects, adding sparkle.
Refined Material Influences
Layered luxury, one of the aspects of BAMO’s design approach, was not lost on the finishes and hardware. The team explored luxurious veneers, including whitened elm burl throughout the main deck, owners’ suite, and VIP quarters.
Whitened oak provides a nautical and practical touch in the guest cabins and casual areas, and bleached teak integrates throughout. Inspired by the elegance of the Louis Vuitton luggage, woodwork features custom hardware, levers and roll bars by Turnstyle in nickel with dove grey textured leather. These light, bright finishes provide an excellent backdrop to the custom furnishings, featuring matched veneers of English Sycamore and Pommele Sapeli, with inlays of shagreen and mother of pearl, punctuated with gem-like hardware handmade by jewellery designers and artisans. The designers honoured Italy’s unique talents and textiles as a homage to the yacht’s creation in Livorno, Italy. Rubelli fabrics are featured throughout, while Fortuny textiles adorn the guest cabins and VIP suite. Loro Piana cashmere and Foglizzo’s special hides and furs also make appearances. But it’s not all Italian; de Gourney’s hand-painted wall covering is a key feature in the owner’s cabin.
The Importance of the Upper Deck
The upper deck of ‘Lady Candy’ houses VIP suites and is devoted to the owner and his daughter (after whom the boat is named) and other special guests.
The main suite is to the bow and enjoys a marvellous water view thanks to the 180° circular window. The suite includes a dressing room, vanity, sofa, bathroom with double sinks, shower, and a bathtub. The owner’s apartment is astern and consists of a panoramic saloon, private office, lounge area, and large bathroom with two toilets separated by a shower. Forward to the cabin is the private VIP terrace.
This impressive vessel offers a host of luxury features, including a cinema and open plan main and dining saloon.