Rolls-Royce ultimate luxury interior: Silk, cherrywood and mother-of-pearl
Rolls-Royce has created Serenity, a one-of-a-kind Phantom with a made-to-order interior, hand-crafted to be the "ultimate luxury."
We've seen some pretty jaw-dropping interiors -- the Bugatti 16C Galibier is one notable example -- but Rolls-Royce might just have taken the trophy with a bespoke Phantom Series II that the luxury car manufacturer is calling Serenity.
On display at the Geneva auto show from March 5-15, 2015, Serenity, Rolls-Royce claims, is the "new standard in authentic, bespoke luxury motoring."
The exterior of the car -- painted in a one-off, shimmering mother-of-pearl added three-stages and hand-polished for 12 hours -- opens to reveal a pale green interior the designers say was inspired by the opulence of royalty.
"This tranquillity made us think of the Oriental tradition where Emperors would take to their private gardens to reflect in solitude under the blossom trees," said textile artist Cherica Haye, who together with Michelle Lusby worked with Rolls Royce to design the one-off commission. "The blossom motif is one that is cherished in Far Eastern culture and has been beautifully applied to royal robe design over the centuries. We felt it was the perfect representation of tranquillity and serenity for a beautiful modern interior from Rolls-Royce."
Serenity's interior is lined with silk, hand-dyed a colour called "Smoke Green," hand-spun, hand-woven, then painstakingly hand-embroidered and painted with cherry blossoms that fan out over the interior.
Each panel took up to 600 hours of work, from the dyeing process through to the final stitches.
"From renaissance times to the modern day, eminent people have surrounded themselves with rare fabrics such as silk to signify their power and position in society, whether at home or on the move," said Rolls-Royce Director of Design Giles Taylor.
"The desire for the finest, most opulent fabrics endures amongst the cognoscenti around the world, including many Rolls-Royce owners. The thought that fabrics such as silk have been discounted from use because of their delicacy only spurred us on to go further than any other car maker is capable of doing. The result is Serenity."
The seats are upholstered in white leather, while smoked cherrywood, carefully inlaid with mother of pearl blossoms, makes up the panelling, embellished with bamboo accents, with white leather upholstering the front seats, luggage compartment and driver's compartment. Finishing touches include the clock, with a mother of pearl face and ruby chips for hour markers, and two matching parasols stored in loops in the lid of the boot.
If you're lucky enough to be in Geneva, you'll be able to see Serenity for yourself first-hand; if not, you can check out some more images on the Rolls-Royce website.
