Not all private jets are created equally, no matter how much beige Succession has inured us to. The recent overhaul of the Gulfstream Design Centre in London is testament to that. A low-profile, unsigned showroom in the heart of high-net-worth Mayfair, it’s an immersive journey through the PJ experience, souped up to satisfy an uptick in first-time custom jet buyers over the past few years.
Taking its cues from existing concepts in New York and Beverly Hills, the 500sqm space has been meticulously appointed with plush aircraft carpeting, leather-inlay walls and reclining seats in myriad configurations. This saves prospective clients in the UK and Europe a trip to America — presumably these sort of customers spend enough time in the air already. ‘We sell time,’ says interior design director Trey Crow, ‘because it’s the one thing our customers can’t buy.’
Photography: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp
According to Crow, designing the bespoke interior of a private aircraft takes three months to a year. After initial consultations, clients view potential cabin layouts in large-scale 3D format, exploring flatbed arrangements, galley sizes, open bars and meeting ‘rooms’. They move on to a lounge with the incredible scent of a carpet retailer, where seats and sofas of varying widths showcase the range of fabrics, stitching, patterns, bolsters and cushion densities for the G-500 to 800 jets. These go well beyond beige, though with many planes shared between multiple users, buyers tend to keep things neutral — ‘aggressively neutral’, according to Crow. And they demonstrate the ‘art of the possible’: Loro Piano cashmere inserts, massage and heating capability, hidden trays and cupholders, metal plating, timber finish and acoustic fabric surrounds.
Photography: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp
A further suite of rooms is dedicated to china and bathroom specs with ‘quiet good taste’. These finer details are what can really push an aircraft beyond your typical first class cabin and, perhaps, coordinate with a yacht moored in the south of France. The lead designer brings intel (and a learned diplomacy) from a post at Rolls-Royce, and his swatches have a similar sumptuousness. Far from an afterthought, this stage is probably the most fun for client and designer alike. With the smallest jets starting at around $25 million, it’s where personality can shine and the imagination can soar.
Photography: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp
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