Luxury on High

For the corporate jet-set, the interior design of private aircraft continues to get more outrageously fun. Don't forget the workout gear.

by Stefanie Berry Stark

All that money can fly: private jets, like this cushy Gulfstream, can cost up to $44 million.

Alligator-skin chairs. Gold-plated ashtrays. Stationary bikes. A couple of roomy showers and massage tables. These are just some of the accessories private-jet owners have recently requested when working with interior designers to plan the look of their aircraft.

It typically costs a minimum of $1.5 million to buy a small used jet and up to about $44 million for a new Gulfstream V, Global Express or Boeing BBJ. Owners who aquire a used aircraft then generally spend another $100,000 to $500,000 on refurbishment. But that's just an average. Some owners spend more. And with state-of-the-art technological advances and the latest design trends, what can be done aboard private and corporate jets is nothing short of amazing.

International Jet Interiors, a Ron konkoma, N.Y.–based aircraft modification and completion center (one of about 50 such centers in the United States), specializes in aircraft interiors and has worked on planes for movie stars, big-time CEOs and Fortune 500 companies. "Essentially, we design aluminum tubes," says Eric H. Roth, company founder and president. "But what's most exciting about this business, besides meeting individuals most people only read about, is taking something ugly and transforming it into a beautiful thing."

An aircraft galley in elm-burl wood, complete with personalized crystal barware.

Beautiful they are. We're talking gorgeous wood-veneer paneling, comfy leather seats and chenille sofas—complete with throw pillows and cozy blankets in case you get chilly at 30,000 feet. And if the jet is large enough, it often has a shower or two onboard.

Most of these flying spas have the comforts of home and office combined, and that's the idea. Everything in a private jet is custom-ordered, from the carpet to the chairs to the cabinetry. "We can do anything within the FAA guidelines," Roth says. Right now, his team of designers, upholsterers and craftsmen are working on a Boeing 727, which will house an office suite for the owner, complete with an alligator-upholstered chair. Another client owns three hunting dogs and wants custom-built cages for them on his aircraft. "We need to fabricate lightweight but strong FAA-approved cages to go in the aircraft, probably in place of where a chair or two would go," Roth says.

The level of detail required for the interior of each aircraft is extraordinary. Many technical specifications dictated by the FAA must be met. Every piece of furniture and all fabrics and materials must adhere to a set of rigid codes. "There are many types of burn tests," says Mary Beth Bisselle, a Bethesda, Md.–based interior designer who has designed more than 10 aircraft. "You have to order extra identical materials and burn them to perform these flammability tests," she says. "And then there is the issue of weight—the aircraft and its contents can't exceed set weight limitations."

But these restrictions don't keep luxuries from being included onboard. "We love to do jets," says Susan Orsini, president of New York City–based Orsini Design Associates. "They are a new challenge with their own set of circumstances." While many jet owners work with a completion center and their in-house designers, some prefer to work with private interior designers who have done residential projects for them. That's how Orsini got into the world of designing jets about 20 years ago (she also does corporate, commercial and residential design, as well as yachts). When it comes to jets, Orsini has done everything from custom pillows with monograms to a custom galley (with monogram-etched crystal barware) in a rich elm-burl wood.

What's standard these days on private and corporate jets? Roth mentions the latest in telecommunications. "You can communicate anywhere in the world via satellite," he says. "You can fax, phone, email—any time. Five years ago, all you had was a phone with limited channels and distance issues." When asked what's most important onboard these days, Orsini points to comfortable sleeping space and adequate storage, but not just for luggage. On private and corporate jets, storage is needed for things like DVDs, entertainment and stereo systems, fine china, crystal and even staff uniforms and linens.

Most of these luxury aircraft also sport sofas and chairs that convert into beds. Elaborate bathrooms can be expected, with faux marble (real would be too heavy) and 24-karat-gold–plated fixtures. Varnished chrome fixtures are increasingly showing up onboard, but gold still has a place. Roth has done 24-karat-gold plating on everything from cup holders to seating hardware to lighting fixtures. And Bay City, Mich., interior designer Kathy Staudacher did gold-plated ashtrays and seatbelt buckles on one aircraft. Staudacher also discussed doing seatbelt buckles in anodized aluminum (resplendent in turquoise, yellow or fuchsia), which would have resulted in a younger, hipper look.

Phyllis Burke Russell of Design Perceptions in Minneapolis once put a massage and manicure area in an aircraft for owners who had an onboard masseuse and manicurist. Another client wanted closets onboard that resembled the ones at home. "They wanted to leave their wardrobe onboard, including ski gear and warm-weather wear," she says. "When they'd land, the clothes would be sent out to be cleaned and pressed, and then would go back onboard into the closets." Russell also designed a plane's interior space that included a small area off the bathroom which housed a treadmill. Bisselle says the most unusual private aircraft she knows of has extensive medical facilities onboard—so well equipped with supplies that Bisselle calls it a "complete mini-hospital."

Bisselle says one of the biggest challenges that designers and completion centers face when doing custom jobs is maintaining production schedules. "Designing aircraft interiors is absolutely fascinating, given the attention to detail, the custom nature of the work and the lengths that some owners will go to get what they want," she says. "But keeping one of these private jets out of the sky for too long can be costly. An aircraft can cost its owner thousands of dollars each day if it's grounded."