Peder Eidsgaard can't stop thinking about design. The Norwegian superyacht designer, known for designs such as "Irisha" and "Madsummer" or the Lürssen project Ziggyfinds his creative outlet not only in his job. Every summer, the family moves to their holiday home on the south coast of Norway. There they wake up to the salty sea air, go on boat trips and swim in the sea. It was in this environment that his sons Sebastian, aged eleven, and Nicolai, aged nine, began to build small wooden boats and huts. What started as an activity between brothers developed into a family tradition. Today, Peder, his wife Ewa and the two boys design, build and paint the works together. The designs are sometimes planned, but often evolve during construction.
Recycling project from the DIY store
The family only uses scrap wood from the local DIY store. "My work is a perfect outlet for my creative endeavours, but my brain is always obsessed with aesthetics and constructive drawings," explains Eidsgaard. The creative restlessness sometimes drives his family crazy, but finds a productive balance in the summer projects. The wooden boats are robustly built and not easily broken. That's why the children like to share them with friends who come to visit. The surface remains deliberately rough and distinctive.
Memories for the winter
The models are not intended to be precious or valuable. Their purpose lies in the time spent together and the memories they create. During the cold winter months, Eidsgaard thinks back to the long summer days. He remembers sitting on hot slate tiles, his sons' bleached, tousled hair and their beaming faces with little freckles. "I'm counting the days until next summer," says the designer. The miniature boats document a family tradition that combines craftsmanship, creativity and time spent together.
This is how Peder Eidsgaard vom Magazine to the studio
Eidsgaard was born in Norway and grew up there as an Englishman. At the age of twelve, he read about London superyacht designers in a magazine. From then on, his career aspirations were clear. In 2005, he founded Studio Harrison Eidsgaard, which established itself on the scene with exceptional yacht designs. Summer holidays on the south coast of Norway offer him a contrast to professional design work. He does not create yachts worth millions there, but simple wooden models from DIY store remnants. The projects show that design does not always have to mean perfection, but can also give pleasure in a raw, striking form.
This article first appeared in BOOTE EXCLUSIV 1/2021 and has been updated for this online version.
Martin Hager
Editor in Chief YACHT
