It’s rare to see a private jet cabin with a genuinely beautiful interior, as captivating as the scenery passing below. These tubular spaces often have as much personality as a monochrome bachelor pad or executive’s office from the 1980s. But things are looking up.
In recent years, notable interior designers have begun tackling these highly regulated environments with a more expressive sensibility, an expertise finely tuned from creating luxury residences for discerning individuals.
Initially, Shalini Misra had a vintage car in mind when her eponymous design studio undertook the interior refurbishment of a 14-seat Bombardier Global Express XRS jet in collaboration with AeroVisto Group and MaceAero.
The client steered her in a new direction, encouraging bluesky thinking by requesting an interior with true character. “We addressed the jet as we would a residential interior, with wallpaper, a rug, and other details, so that it feels like a sumptuous room with great comfort,” Misra says of the project, which took six months to design and a further six to execute.
“It was like a jigsaw puzzle to assemble, with all the regulations, but we accomplished our aims, which were to incorporate fine artistic elements and techniques inspired by the client’s life; interests, such as Japan; and their appreciation for arts and crafts.”
Keen to reduce both the tedium and the stress of flying, Misra included decorative focal points throughout the four areas of the cabin, while choosing a soothing, natural palette of cream, tan, and blue. “Our client wanted the interior to feel mellow and calm without too many alien colors. Because jets can experience turbulence, it’s important to be able to feel a bit Zenned out.”
Calacatta Oro marble flooring (finely cut and attached to honeycomb backing to adhere to weight regulations) and glass-fronted storage showcasing crystal-cut glassware create a refined pantry, or crew area.
Meanwhile, in the main cabin, de Gournay’s scenic Early Views of India wallpaper, based on a set of hand-colored aquatints by 18th-century British explorers, brings the space to life. This seemingly simple intervention proved one of the trickiest, requiring 12 versions before they achieved the ideal composition and palette to complement the upholstery and custom-designed carpet by Jaipur Rugs.
One of the challenges for Misra, who is as jet-set as her clients, operating from offices in London, New York, Delhi, and Dubai, was streamlining her well-traveled client’s ideas. “We had to be tough and ruthless about the wish list. It’s very complicated with a small space; you really have to do it correctly.”
Two requests that made the final cut are refined quilting on the seatbacks — an obsession for the client, who meticulously documented leather stitchwork in cabins from past flights — and the exquisite glossy marquetry on tabletops and cabinetry. Handcrafted by Simon Orrell Designs, the marquetry features seven different timbers, such as burr walnut, figured sycamore, and maple, and depicts a floral motif. This is echoed by the cherry blossom embroidery in the blue leather-lined powder room at the rear of the jet, an intimate space inspired by Japan that Misra likens to a jewelry case.
“Contrast creates beauty,” she says. “The organic shapes in the floral embroidery, rug, marquetry, and wallpaper contrast well with the geometry of the quilting on the seats.”
For a designer renowned for creating luxurious homes, enriched by bespoke details, collectibles (sold via her e-commerce platform Curio), and artisanship, often showcasing Indian craft techniques, Misra’s design philosophy is remarkably Zen. “One of my mantras is addition through subtraction; you add so much value when you take things away. It’s very Japanese. If you consider their traditional houses with Shoji screens and tatami mats, it’s such a clever way of designing.”
