A Million Dollar Yacht Makeover In A Day.

Warm and welcoming earthy tones and textures fill the main living area of the cabin.


It’s hard to believe the design of a luxurious, custom 78-foot yacht could be done in a day. But for interior designer Frances Herrera, a one-day luxury makeover is her trademark. Starting out as an interior designer in New York thirteen years go, Herrera focused on residential interior design. It wasn’t until she moved to Florida two and a half years ago when she began to dip herself into the design of yachts.
Looking to reinvent and brand herself during the time of the recession, Herrera knew she had to create a unique and alternative way of interior design that fit the current market. Herrera explained that, “there was a need in the industry for this service where clients had invested in quality furniture and had a designer, so they didn’t need a blank slate, but they did want to give their home a new look.” This is when Herrera’s DayZine transformation was born.
Warm and welcoming earthy tones and textures fill the main living area of the cabin.
Using her skills of working in small spaces to create a more functional design for daily life and entertaining, “I started offering these one day makeovers, highlighting personalized budget-friendly designs, and they got really popular,” says Herrera. She knew she had something truly special in the works.
The indoor dining area features entertaining essentials so that when the clients are at sea overnight, they can have meals in the same comfort as they would in their home.
The indoor dining area features entertaining essentials so that when the clients are at sea overnight, they can have meals in the same comfort as they would in their home.
Herrera’s service named DayZine is an interior design makeover tailored to people who are budget cautious and don’t want to start from scratch, but still want to give their home a new, fresh look. With only the use of accessories and taking an average of six hours, Herrera explains DayZine as, “a highly personalized approach where everything is curated and selected specifically to enhance the design lifestyle of the owner and how they entertain.” The client gets all of the special attention of working with an interior designer, at a fraction of the cost.
With four sleeping cabins, a master bedroom consists of linens specifically tailored to fit the bed.
With four sleeping cabins, a master bedroom consists of linens specifically tailored to fit the bed.
One of Herrera’s DayZine transformations, a four-bedroom Squadron 78 Fairline yacht was a new purchase for one of Herrera’s clients. They wanted to take the contemporary vessel and warm it up with the use of accessories, while creating a functional space to spend with family. Being very attentive to patterns and materials, Herrera mixed in neutral tones like taupe, to not overwhelm the tight spaces that a yacht holds. Emphasizing her use of warm shades, Herrera chose elements that “felt natural and very earthy and organic, with embellishments that gave reference to nature.” A table runner has a beautiful tropical leaf pattern, vases are filled with flowers, and natural polished stones blend throughout the cabin, contributing to the natural rich elegance of the yacht’s interior.
The VIP master suite includes solid patterned and textured luxury linens that are both washable and custom tailored.
The VIP master suite includes solid patterned and textured luxury linens that are both washable and custom tailored.
On the outer deck, fabrics and objects were individually chosen to survive the unpredictable weather that comes with living on a yacht. Tall storage, glass objects, and vertical items are “all a big no-no in yachts,” says Herrera. When using a yacht, things tend to shift, so being cautious of items that may bounce around or fall and break on your bare toes is a huge factor to consider in the design. Herrera points out that lightweight and water resistant objects are both a design constraint when it comes to yachts. Sunbrella fabric fills the main deck for water, sun, and mildew resistant, easy to clean pillows. The tableware consists of durable melamine dishware, such as bamboo wood-looking chargers to avoid shattering, along with high quality acrylic glassware that will resist a fall to the floor by the bump of a wave, while staying sophisticated in style.
From lightweight tableware to wrinkle resistant napkins, Herrera paid careful attention to detail in the table setting so that it looks beautiful without overcrowding.
From lightweight tableware to wrinkle resistant napkins, Herrera paid careful attention to detail in the table setting so that it looks beautiful without overcrowding.
Every detail from the linens to the napkins was planned out by Herrera weeks before the DayZine transformation took place. For the extravagant presentation a yacht makes, it’s easy to assume hundreds of thousands of dollars went in to producing this high-class “toy”. Herrera’s DayZine projects have a starting budget of around $5,000 per room put towards accessories like decorative objects, window treatments, and reupholstery. With an affordable design and one-day production, this 78-foot yacht was ready to sail away with a new look by sunset.

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