Thanks to Rosie's reminder, I've spent a happy hour looking over the VADS article again. It just reinforces how stunning Her original fitting out was. I knew her ten years after this, but she still looked futuristic. Seeing Her from the outside was spectacular, but climbing the gangway, with a photo next the life ring, and being ushered through to the Midships Lobby just blew my tiny mind. Sunken circular sofas in apple green leather just didn't exist in real life. It must all be a dream.
That bold use of colour and form continued as I explored the Ship. The colour coded squared spiral stairs (echoing the squared lettering of the Cunard logo). The colour themed rooms in reds and greens and blues. Leathers and velvets and tweeds. Laminates and veneers. Polished chrome and brushed aluminium. It was a riot for the senses.
Then there was the Queens Room. Serene in white and cream. Pale wood and light carpet. Eggshell chairs and egg crate ceiling. The trumpet columns mirrored in the bases of the furniture. And, of course, the "Turner trick". The splash of red from the sofas. Another nod, perhaps, to her exterior and the red on the inside of the wind scoop at the base of Her still white clad funnel.
It was there, throughout the Ship. An omniscient design aesthetic and an attention to detail that make her, still, probably the most beautiful place I've ever been.
