Eric Roth, jet interior designer
The New Yorker grew up watching and helping his father do upholstery work on automobiles and small aeroplanes. Now he gets calls from film stars and sheikhs to design their private jets. Through his company, International Jet Interiors, he has satisfied some unique requests over the years, but there is one that particularly stands out. “It was for a Hollywood film and TV producer for a Gulfstream. Aside from separate areas for security personnel and a private bedroom, our client requested a ‘flying theatre’ where he could screen and edit his films in flight, as well as entertain celebrity guests and studio executives,” says Roth. “We incorporated touchscreen panels that control everything from lighting and entertainment equipment to the motorised window shades so passengers can comfortably watch movies on the 42in flat-panel screen with surround-sound acoustics while flying at 42,000ft.”
Other extravagant examples of his work include Donald Trump’s Boeing 757, complete with marble bathroom and 24-carat seatbelt buckles (“I still have the napkin it was originally sketched out on,” says Roth); a luxurious interior for a royal family with two different colour-schemed carpets, one for when the parents were travelling and the other just for the children. Plus a yoga retreat onboard a Falcon and kennels for an owner’s hunting dogs. However, he had to say no to the onboard Jacuzzi.
David Taylor, artist for hire
Requests to Taylor (not his real name) for paintings and sculptures have included giant-sized replicas of Rembrandts for a movie and Star Wars vehicle models for George Lucas. But while these were undoubtedly legitimate jobs, recently he received a call that rang alarm bells. “A US agent claiming to represent a European billionaire wanted me to paint an exact copy of a Picasso,” he says. “We got quite far down the road in terms of which painting it was, how big they wanted it [2m tall], how much they would pay, but the obvious problem was this billionaire didn’t own the copyright to the painting.”
He had to turn the offer down: “I didn’t know what they intended to do with it. For all I know they could have been some gang trying to pass it off as a real Picasso. I told them I wouldn’t go to prison for their painting.”
Susan McGregor, protector of rare valuables
From dinosaur bones to amputation instruments, RoboVault in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has housed many exotic items owned by the rich and famous. Built in 2009, the storage facility is category five-rated, which means it can withstand hurricanes and is virtually impenetrable.
Overseeing all items that come through its doors is the personable McGregor. “We have several well-known clients who bring us their famous paintings, fine wines and fast cars to look after. Some of them will rotate their vehicles, changing the colour of their Ferrari from one week to the next,” she explains. Clients rent the pallet the car rests on for $525 (£334) per month, while the rental price for the art depends on space and the value of the piece. “Our clients are often real characters and very passionate collectors, including a retired anaesthetist who brought in his collection of antique amputation tools.”
Another stored a collection of dinosaur bones from Mongolia temporarily, which the government was returning to their country of origin. “We’ve also currently got a car from the 1920s and an antique Tiffany glass. One client recently called us because he was selling his yacht in a hurry and needed somewhere to quickly store 450 bottles of wine and fine art that were onboard. Every day is exciting to see what will come in next,” she says.
Brian Smith, soldier turned mansion keeper
Smith (not his real name) spent many years as a soldier before being offered a job looking after a billionaire’s vast property in Kent. “I was approached by one of his representatives through a mutual contact to see if I’d be interested in living in the eight-bedroom house all year round on my own, keeping an eye on everything from security to the gardener, and running the odd errand,” he says. The owner is only there for two or three weeks of the year, and Smith is paid a handsome salary and drives a flash car for his troubles.
Theo Kalomirakis, home entertainment designer
For the past 20 years, Kalomirakis has been approached by world leaders and movie stars, to design and create elaborate and extravagant residential theatre spaces. We are not talking about simply a big screen and some comfy seats. “The last property I worked on incorporated jazz clubs, restaurants, cafes, bars – it was like a mini city,” he says. “It cost millions and took me five years to complete.” Other unusual designs include a property with a Caribbean-style environment incorporating ice-cream parlours, a Hard Rock Cafe and private clubs, and another with a 1930s art-deco cityscape, including the main square in Vienna with guesthouses on the upper floor, and restaurants with pizza ovens on the ground floor. “Most clients have a theme in mind and I give a shape and direction to their fantasy. Every project can take between three and 12 years, as they often keep finding more things to add.”
Keith Williams, luxury landscape designer
Imagine being paid to travel the world for inspiration to create fun landscapes. That is Williams’s job spec. “I was in the Bahamas recently for a client who had a house on a hill overlooking the ocean. He was a keen diver, so we designed a huge aquarium in the garden that was connected to the ocean, so he could go out and dive for octopus, snapper and stingrays and bring them back to his tank to admire.” Williams has gone to great lengths to please clients, including travelling to Paris for a day to view a particular site, helicoptering in rare trees and designing mini golf courses for sports stars. “I like to mix up modern and classical designs wherever possible,” he says.
