• Boat Interior Builders Best Kept Secret?

    One of the things all custom boat builders require, and those who refurbish offshore performance boats desire, is an interior that is as special as their vision for the entire project. When you are creating a work of art with the design of a boat, and you assist with the custom paint that makes your boat special, you have your list of "Must Haves". One of those "Must Haves", make sure the interior is not the same as some other custom boat, and make sure the interior design is special and of the highest quality. As many know, this isn't always an easy thing to accomplish.


    Home Base

    Possibly one of the best kept secrets in the design and build of custom marine, (and vehicle), interiors is Appearance Products in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Craig and his team create some of the best designed and built interiors anywhere in the nation. As the go-to interior designer and builder of interiors for Skater Powerboats in Douglas, Michigan since 2001, Appearance Products has built numerous interiors for some of the most distinguished Skaters anywhere.




    Craig Checking the 3312 dubbed "Silver Bullet"



    Chances are that if you are reading this, you have seen several of the interiors they have created. Remember these?


    Deal With It


    Kemosabe

    Or maybe you were at last year's Miami Boat Show and recall the interior in the Skater 318 Special Edition there?




    318 Skater, 2018 Miami Boat Show

    In just a few days, two of the Skaters Appearance has done interiors for will appear at the Miami show. One is in the just finished Skater 368, and the other is in the 388 we dubbed "Wide Load", which was finished this summer.

    Skater will have these two boats in the water on Pier 4, Slips 478 and 480. Make sure to swing by and check them out. (Or buy one ).




    388 Top, 368 Bottom

    One of the more interesting stories around, how Craig and Appearance Products started doing Skater interiors.

    It seems, way back in 2001, Craig was out in his new Dodge Viper in the Saugatuck/Douglas area. Craig just happens to be a performance boat, (and car), enthusiast. And, if you have that performance bug, who in West Michigan hasn't heard of Skater Powerboats? So, Craig went looking for the Skater factory.


    Craig's Viper (Before its demise later in life)

    When Craig found it and pulled in, Peter heard the Viper and went outside to take a look. After some chatting, Craig got his tour of the Skater plant and they discussed a lot of things, including what Craig's company did. After Peter found out that Appearance was fairly close, being only a 45-minute drive away. Peter decided to jump in the truck and go right on the spot. But it was no ordinary visit, since Peter would be driving Craig’s new viper there! Together they loaded the company truck up with a set of blank seats and panels for a Skater interior, (just in case I guess).

    Well, however it occurred, apparently on the way there Peter would let Craig get way ahead, then blow by him going a hundred plus. (Evidently this happened more than once). So, Craig related to Peter from that beginning! And, after Pete, (It's always Pete to his friends), visited the Appearance shop, he liked it well enough to drop off the interior brought for Craig to work on. There were some conversations between the two of them about doing colored interiors versus just all white, and Appearance delivered their first multi colored interior to Skater. The rest is history, they've been working together every since.

    Another boat Appearance Products just did recently, and one which was expected to be at the Miami Boat Show, (and may yet participate in the Miami Boat Show Poker Run), is the latest Spectre (which was painted by T&D Custom Paint). The interior has many special, custom designed, characteristics and stitching details, with unique color combinations.





    Spectre 32

    And lastly, an interior which is just being finished up at the Appearance facility, is a beautifully redone 51 Outerlimits which runs in many events in West Michigan. The Black Alcantara with blue highlights looks outstanding. The Alcantara does not get hot in the sun, which allows unique designs to be utilized for a dramatic presentation. The pictures do not do the black justice, but it is stunning!




    Outerlimits 51

    Many custom built offshore performance boats have been upholstered originally, or reupholstered, by Appearance Products. Their attention to design and detail is well known throughout the Skater family, and to the balance of the West Michigan performance boating community. Some of the custom shops they have done work with include The Art Of Design, Mitcher T, Boat Customs, T & D Custom Paint, American Custom Marine, Performance Boat Center, plus others.

    If you're in Miami, at either the Boat Show or the Poker Run, make sure to check out their work if at all possible.

    Between the two boats in the show, and the Poker Run Spectre, and most likely several others participating in the Poker Run, you will be able to review interiors from one of their "Standard" vinyl interiors, to a mid-level, to an Alcantara interior masterpiece, (if you can catch up with the Spectre).

    Good Luck, and Enjoy!!


    https://www.appearanceproductsinc.net/upholstery