When Nathan Hutchins was tapped to restore and redesign Marala, a historic superyacht first launched in the 1930s, the client’s design brief was simple: to respect the history of the ship. Though deceptively simple, with a past like that of Marala’s, it was a big ask. After her original commissioner passed away prior to the vessel’s launch, the ship was bought by Charles Richard Fairey, an aviation tycoon, and embarked on her maiden voyage in 1931. In the years following, Marala was briefly used by the Royal Navy in World War II, was passed through the hands of multiple high-profile owners—including royalty, at one point—and was frequently visited by notable guests like Amelia Earhart, Salvador Dalí, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Princess Alexandra of Kent, and Frank Sinatra. “There aren’t many classic yachts of this era that have such a rich heritage…which is why it was worthy of such an extensive restoration,” says Hutchins, who co-founded Muza Lab, a London-based design firm specializing in hotels, superyachts, luxury developments, and private residential projects.
While the goal was clear, the details were up for interpretation. “It was a really lovely route to explore—the brief being a lot less specific than usual—it allowed us a lot of creative freedom from a design point of view,” says Hutchins. To kick things off, Muza Lab visited the National Maritime Museum to take a peek at the ship’s blueprints and better understand the original design, which was crafted by Dr. Charles Nicholson, a prominent shipbuilder of the era. “It was genuinely interesting to see the design in a way that was so authentic to its era,” Hutchins says. “There were also typewritten specs outlining the original interior fit and finish, including everything from the original fabrics and carpets used in the cabins to joinery drawings of some of the original pieces of furniture that were onboard.”
