MAY/JUNE 2012
Dream Boat: A DISD Student's Internship With A Yacht Design Firm
Karen O'Brien fell into the brokerage business while in high school, which wasn't a bad thing since she needed a way to support herself. It also didn’t hurt that she was pretty good at it. But after several years she started feeling a lack of creativity in her life. She moved from the East Coast to San Diego, did some research and applied to Design Institute of San Diego. Karen always had an interest in interior design and was eager to pursue this major career change. "I like the fundamentals of design: the idea that you can take something that can be used in an everyday way and turn it into something else." But her drive had a singular focus: yachts. "I've always been interested in yachts. As a broker, I was fortunate enough to have a lot of clients who had them and they are fun." Given this interest, Karen jumped on the opportunity to intern with Carol Pardue of Transcending Design on Shelter Island in Point Loma. Carol specializes in high end residential, aircraft and yacht design. "It just so happened that Carol knows our school very well and likes our curriculum and the students."
Karen is currently learning about the logistical aspects - ordering samples, doing work lists and managing the resource library - and she is finding enormous value in understanding these basic elements of running an interior design business. "Given that I'm an older student, I'm interested in learning as much as I can, as fast as I can. Learning how the business works is good." On the design side of things, Karen has been able to help field measure. "We are currently working on three projects, all motor yachts. We take as much as possible from a plan, if there is one, but a lot of times there's not or they're off so you have to actually create one." Though some of these boats can be rather large, extra attention has to be paid to creative space planning. "I like the challenge of tight spaces. Every little detail has to be thought of."
Karen says the biggest obstacle is materials. The marine air can be harsh and things don't hold up well. There's a lot to learn but Karen felt remarkably prepared because of her textiles class at DISD. "I feel really comfortable when it comes to the textiles. I can relate to what they mean by hydroscopic for water absorbency and repellency and things like that." Window treatments can be a little different too. "You're very limited on what you can use because of the fabric and depending on if it's a porthole or if it's larger windows you can use blinds or a valance." Beyond learning about finish materials and their unique application on seafaring vessels, Karen has seen the difficulties of installation. "A lot of things have to be fabricated on the boat. Many custom items can't get on or off the boat so you have to build them inside!"
When asked what aspects of her internship she feels most on top of, Karen's answer was long: "I'm really up on [Carol's] resource library so I feel really comfortable with that. I feel comfortable with the bookkeeping I've been helping with. I feel well prepared in AutoCAD. I really have the textiles down. I feel really good with finish materials and their applications: woods and countertops. So I guess those are all the most important parts!" Karen's in her last year of school and perfectly positioned to set out on her own adventure. Though she's soaking up every ounce of experience from her current position she eventually wants to strike out on her own. "I've worked independently most of my career and would like to do the same with designing yachts." Oh, and there's one more piece to Karen's career goals: travel. "I would like to go to where the business is and travel around the world." With her sights set on 300- to 350-foot super mega yachts, the size of Karen's future projects may just match the size of her current dreams. And with the wind in her sails, she seems to be right on course.
Photos courtesy of Transcending Designs