The Crafting of Coquelicot

As our latest canal boat returns to the tranquil waters of the Champagne region for a new season of luxury river cruises, we meet the French artists and creative spirits that have shaped the interior design of Coquelicot, A Belmond Boat. Welcome to our new floating villa – where each fine fabric, delicate piece of tinted glass and handmade poppy-inspired ornament has been curated to take you and your guests on a slow voyage beyond compare.

United by their love of exquisite craftmanship and studied renovation, Emil Humbert and Christophe Poyet are the creative masterminds behind the meticulous interior design of Coquelicot, A Belmond Boat. The two architects dive into the inspiration behind the delicate palette of our intimate cabins and modern bathrooms – a striking combination of soft pink and sea green hues – and tell the secrets of the Champagne region, revealed throughout the textures, furnishings and finishes of our luxury river boat.

An alumnus of the Academy of Fine Arts, Amélie Chassary initiates captivating conservations through her paintings, revealing photography with a penchant for Nature Morte. For the Crafting of Coquelicot series, the French creative reveals how she captures alluring Spring landscapes with a pointillist technique, resulting in breathtaking paintings that ornate the refined interiors of our floating villa in Champagne. The perfect capture of France’s beauty, Amélie’s art accompanies guests in the private cabin of our luxury river boat as the world slowly passes by.

Patience is of the essence when it comes to Marie Daâge’s handmade porcelain sets. A guardian of “the haute couture de la table”, the French artisan follows a slow-made philosophy where her creations are at the centre of Coquelicot’s fine dining experience. Bringing variety around the table, Marie opens a dialogue with Valérie Radou’s culinary creations, a slow dance whose choreography is carefully executed – from the beginning to the end of the dinner onboard Les Bateaux Belmond’s luxury river cruise.

Valérie Radou’s prestigious career in Michelin-star restaurants and palaces and her profound love for French cuisine are two key ingredients to the creative menus she serves onboard Coquelicot. Chef en Résidence for the Maison Ruinart since 2018, she excels in finding locally sourced ingredients, offering a fine dining experience beyond compare inspired by the luxury river cruise's itinerary throughout the rich Champagne region.

From the intimacy of Atelier Loire in Chartres, discover the stories behind Coquelicot’s sky dome. In the Crafting of Coquelicot, Bruno Loire reveals the ancient techniques of stained glass that his family has been transmitting from one generation to the other. From the hand-drawn curves to the delicate glass cutting and colour texturisation, Atelier Loire builds the bridge between the ancient and the modern, bringing the ancient art of verrerie to our modern times. The result? A prodigious skylight through which the glowing Summer sun illuminates Coquelicot’s interiors throughout the luxury river cruise in France.

Born in Buenos Aires, Patricia de la Torre was raised in an Argentinian family of artists, navigating a life between restored hand paintings, architecture and unique curios. After exploring Brazil and the French Antilles, the interior decorator opened her studio in Paris where she’s been collaborating with like-minded skilled artisans for more than thirty years. Today, she opens the doors of Atelier de la Torre to reveal the secrets of the textured flower shapes that ornate the walls of our luxury river boat in Champagne.

Explore Coquelicot, A Belmond Boat