Duncan Aviation is excited to showcase a Gulfstream V that has received a fully customised interior refurbishment at its full-service MRO facility in Provo, Utah.

Details include two-tone leather seats with a fabric insert, port hole window surrounds, vinyl-wrapped sidewalls, carbon fibre table boxes and a stone look used throughout the aircraft that really makes it a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

“Working with a customer who is open to creative and fun designs is one of my favourite things to do,” says senior lead designer Molly Pfeiffer. “Each individual detail of this aircraft had a unique aspect that came together to produce something absolutely beautiful.

“The colours and finishes were inspired by the [Grumman] Albatross we refurbished years ago. The owner loved how the wood tone and green looked together.”

Carlo Borromeo, owner of design studio BorromeodeSilva, has previously worked with the owner and understands their design preferences. He worked with Pfeiffer to ensure the new interior would suit and was aviation-approved.

Pfeiffer compares the look of the seats in the aircraft to a handsome, custom-tailored suit. They are highlighted by two-tone light and dark green leather on the arms and seat surrounds yet the herringbone fabric insert is really what catches the eye. The Duncan Aviation team added pull lines that ran vertically along the fabric to add depth and dimension to the seats and make the inserts pop.

Every aspect of the seats was hand cut by Duncan’s upholstery shop, and the headrests are larger than normal. “The larger headrest fits the head better and gives a more predominate appearance,” says upholstery team leader Brandon Crosby. “A lot of the time with smaller headrests, it hits the head at an odd spot. When the larger headrests are up, there is more surface cushion for the head to relax on.”

The seats originally had doors on the front that the owner was no longer using. Crosby and his team closed them to create solid armrests with clean lines and removed the extra gaps. The drinkrails and table boxes were completely modified to achieve a sleeker, more modernised cabin. At input, the tops of the drinkrails were at different heights, and the lower sidewalls were just a leather bump-out. The team redesigned them, making them the same elevation and creating two-level drinkrails. They also added metal plating to flank both sides of the table, mirroring the table card boxes, which have a strip of plating running along either side.

To incorporate some of the design aspects of the owner’s yacht into the aircraft, the team modified the windows to resemble portholes and installed Luxury Vinyl Tile flooring in the entryway and lav that resembles the teak wood often used in yachts.

Interior completions team leader Clay Witte played a pivotal part and helped coordinate with other shops. They had to move the sidewalls up because of the elevation change in the drinkrails and, because of how thick the porthole windows were, they fabricated their own window shade hardware.

Borromeo wanted a stone look and, because of weight restrictions, Pfeiffer suggested using a hydrographic film that mimics the appearance of stone without adding weight. The drinkrails, credenza top and countertops were all hydrodipped, as were the table boxes, tabletops and grab rails, using a carbon fibre film. The upper sidewalls were vinyl-wrapped and appear to have a straight grain, light oak veneer.

The owner was looking for a way to improve the sound quality in the aft area. Soundproofing blankets were added as well as thicker carpet pad to absorb extra sound. The team modified the curtain design with a thick-pleated structure to help with functionality and also create a more pleasing aesthetic when the curtains were open or closed. The owner wanted to prioritise the conference table area since he used that area the most to rest, so Duncan created two sound-blocking curtains to surround the area.

“It was a challenge to maintain the design aesthetic, ensure correct function and dampen the sound while also maintaining a darker environment,” says Crosby. “We had to keep the curtains tight to the PSUs and had to maintain a 1/8” gap between the curtain and the carpet. It’s a true custom fit that not only dampens the sound, but also keeps out light.”

The Duncan Aviation team also refurbished the entire flight deck. The seats consist of the same dark green leather that was used in the cabin, and they painted the frames to match the light green leather. The sidewalls were covered in dark green leather, and a loop carpet that matched the silk carpet in the cabin was installed. All of the metal was plated with an Almond Gold finish that was also used in the rest of the interior.

The divan features a white boucle fabric and the carpet is made of silk, where the yarns lay in different directions when walked on, creating a marbling effect.

The aircraft also received Prizm lighting upgrades that allow passengers to change the colour and temperatures to get warmer and cooler lighting. An Alto Cadence sound upgrade and Collins CMS Venue were also installed. The CMS features new touchscreen monitors in the armrest. The project was capped off with the installation of the recently certified Starlink high-speed, in-flight internet connectivity system.

Pfeiffer says that the attention to detail and high levels of quality artisanship on all aspects of the project really made this a piece of flying art: “At the end of the day, my design is nothing without the craftsmanship of our teams being able to bring it to life. It's not your standard aircraft; it has so many unique details woven throughout the interior, and everyone here was so patient and really executed those details perfectly. I couldn't have been happier with how the final product turned out. It was even better than I envisioned.”