Yabu Pushelberg
Yabu Pushelberg is a renowned American-Canadian interior design studio whose Sailing series for Fantini, inspired by nautical bollards, was selected for the ADI Design Index 2022 and the Compasso d'Oro 2024 Award.
Design Icons Turn to the Sea
Yabu Pushelberg, the internationally celebrated interior design studio founded by George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, has extended its influence into the nautical world through product design. While primarily known for luxury hospitality, retail, and residential projects, their collaboration with Italian fittings manufacturer Fantini demonstrates how yacht aesthetics inspire their broader work. The studio's Sailing series for Fantini transforms nautical iconography into elegant bathroom details.
Sailing: From Lake Orta to Compasso d'Oro
The Sailing project originated after a visit by Yabu Pushelberg to Lake Orta in Italy. Inspired by the forms and volumes of bollards—essential elements for mooring boats—the designers translated these technical, functional objects into elegant decorative details for the bathroom. The series combines the studio's light, contemporary stylistic signature with Fantini's creative research, adding a new nautical dimension to the company's catalog. The result was recognized for its design excellence: Sailing was selected by the ADI Permanent Design Observatory for the ADI Design Index 2022, qualifying it for the prestigious Compasso d'Oro 2024 Award.
Significance in Yacht Design
While Yabu Pushelberg has not to date been documented designing complete yacht interiors, their Sailing series demonstrates the studio's ability to distill maritime essence into refined objects. The selection for Italy's most important design award confirms that their nautical-inspired work meets the highest standards of production and design quality. For the yachting industry, it represents a cross-pollination between world-class interior design and the equipment that equips luxury vessels.
