Ship Shape-Ups
A Dania Beach marina shop transforms boat interiors into maritime marvels.

Southern Living - Florida Living: People & Places
September 2007

A hundred boats from all over the world converge on a small marina near Fort Lauderdale every year, but they are not there to fish or to unload cargo. They come seeking redemption. Whether in the course of an afternoon or during an 18-month stay, they find new life within their fiberglass hulls.

IK Yacht Design provides these decorating do-overs for anything from a small houseboat to a 175-foot behemoth.

The Dania Beach-based company, celebrating its 20th plus year, features a 10,000-square foot showroom with furniture, artwork, appliances, flat-screen TV sets, and fabrics.

"Boaters like to get the complete service," says Zak Kadosh, owner and founder. "It's like a one-stop-shop: You can stop by and get anything done to the interior."

A captain in a hurry can call ahead, pull up to the drive-through dock
out back, and order a quick makeover. A few hours later, new furniture and wall covering transform a cabin from drab to fab.

A big spender can go further. For example, a yacht from New York destined for wedding and party rentals experienced a complete overhaul, including a new electrical system and heating / air-conditioning system. Cost for the 18-month transformation:
$3million.

Nonstop Redecoration

Clients cruise in from far reaches of the globe. You'll find 8 to 10 boats at the shop at any one time. The work continues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each year the company handles 100 to 120 boats.

The on-site facilities include an upholstery workshop and carpentry shop.

The setting matches Zak's passions. "I love boats," he says. "I grew up around boats in Israel." As early as age 5, he would sit next to his father Yosef, who worked as a carpenter and a designer.

Zak designs furniture too. He contracts with factories in china and Italy to build his designs. And while he'd love to spend more time tinkering in the carpentry shop, his duties pull him far away. He visits the major design shows in Italy, Hong Kong, France, Germany,

Thailand, and Spain, as well as trade show around the United States. He plans to check out Vietnam as well.

Floating Showroom

In 2005, Zak bought an 85-foot yacht to serve as a traveling showroom, scheduled to launch this year. Instead of setting up the usual booth, the company can display its work on Miss IK in a life-size environment.

The three-level yacht will feature luxurious living quarters, a lounge, two crew quarter, a library and more. One add-on involves a projector that uses a screen made of water and steam.

More common options for boat owners include sofas and compact recliners, expandable dining tables, sculpted coffee tables, kitchen appliances, and flooring choices. Many of the chairs and tables provide hidden space to maximize storage.

A popular item is the flat-screen TV set. Clients often add several. The company even provides custom cabinetry and lift mechanisms to display or hide the set with just one touch.

A more drastic change involves combining or dividing rooms for a better configuration. After gutting the space down to the fiberglass, workers created an entirely new look from scratch.

Helping Zak keep up with different looks, clients and boats is a team of 20 employees, including his wife, Desiree, and his sister, Orna Grimmett.

For these designers, it's not about the size of the boat. It's what's inside that counts.


Article written by: Wade Kwon