• Rolls-Royce introduces four new craft techniques, inspired by the decorative arts
• Exploration of texture, material and depth influenced by art, haute couture, fine jewellery and architecture
• First-ever application of hand-sculpted 3D metal within a Rolls-Royce Gallery
• First showcase of layered 3D veneer that integrates brass elements
• Beadwork and leather sculpting applied to create realistic forms
• Innovations developed by the Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce
• Available to view at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, Mayfair, during London Craft Week 11-17 May

“Our Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople constantly looks to the history of decorative arts and asks how those techniques might be reinterpreted for the surfaces of a Rolls-Royce motor car and for today’s super-luxury clients. The concepts we present here are a playful expression of our craftspeople’s creative spirit. They show how hand and machine can work in concert, how a 17th-century still life or a Jacobean strapwork motif can become a modern sculptural form, and how Rolls-Royce is both a custodian and an accelerator of rare craft skills.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

“London Craft Week is an important calendar event for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, bringing together leading specialists in contemporary craft. Each year, it is always truly mesmerising to see the exquisite examples of Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke craftsmanship created for the event. We are really proud to participate once again in London Craft Week and to display these highly complex examples of craft and creativity at our dealership in Mayfair.”
Claus Andersen, Brand Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London

“Craftsmanship lies at the very heart of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, with creativity nurtured at every turn. As a brand synonymous with exacting levels of craftsmanship, London Craft Week is a defining moment in our annual calendar. For this year’s event, our highly talented craftspeople and designers from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have created two enchanting works of art – intricate Phantom Galleries with corresponding exterior jewellery pieces, inspired by the legacy of their crafts. This exhibition will be on display at our flagship showroom, in the heart of Mayfair, for the duration of the event in May.”
John Beckley, Regional Director, United Kingdom, Europe, and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople is dedicated to advancing the discipline of craft itself, developing techniques that expand the ways clients can express themselves through the surfaces of the motor car. Driven by this pursuit, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveils four new craft techniques inspired by historical craftsmanship: 3D leather hand-sculpting, 3D metal hand-sculpting, 3D veneers and beadwork application. To showcase the potential of these innovations, they are presented in two works built at the scale of a Phantom Gallery – concept pieces that translate the techniques into a finished form.


LEATHER AND THREAD IN THREE DIMENSIONS

The composition named 'Legacy Craft: Inspired by Still Life' draws inspiration from the nature morte paintings of the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age – a style developed to display the skill of the artist through the exploration of texture and the play of light across natural forms – and the embroidery traditions revived by the Arts and Crafts movement.

Across the length of the Gallery, Interior Trim Centre artisans composed a still-life arrangement of fruit and flowers, recalling 17th-century art in a three-dimensional form using a combination of materials, textures and contemporary craft techniques.

The Gallery debuts the first application of 3D leather sculpting and beadwork. The hydrangeas are constructed from 50 individual flowers, each hand-sculpted from leather and painted by hand. After studying the texture and quality of natural flowers, the artist painted each petal with a fine brush in tones of pink that gradually deepen toward the centre of each bloom. Floral twine is used to shape and secure the flowers to the Gallery surface. Their leaves are formed entirely from thread using a newly developed style – Sphinx Moth 3D embroidery – introducing a uniquely tactile dimension.

The pomegranates are embroidered using the alternate stitch technique, with 76 jewel-like beads individually hand-sewn to form the seeds that replicate the ruby translucence of the real fruit. More than 250 hours of handwork were required to complete the Gallery.

A broad colour palette is central to the Gallery’s impact; rich, deep tones have been chosen to maintain focus on the subject matter. Peony, Cocoa, and Chartreuse have been used for the flowers.

“Still life painting interests us because it freezes a moment in time. It is also one of the most technically demanding traditions in art. We saw an opportunity to take that discipline further with a sculptural piece that draws on every skill within the Interior Trim Centre and is worked at the smallest possible scale. For the textures and layering, we looked to late-19th-century haute couture. The embroidered gowns of that period taught us how to build a surface that feels rich, refined and unmistakably contemporary.”
Rebecca Davies, Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


SCULPTING METAL BY HAND

The artwork named 'Legacy Craft: Inspired by The Draught' is created by specialists from the Interior Surface Centre and brings together 3D metal hand-sculpting and layered 3D veneer with brass elements.

Conceived as a piece of fine jewellery, it draws on four historical references: the draught – the technical drawing a craftsman uses to guide architectural work; scribing – the act of marking a surface to guide cutting and carving; strapwork – the interlaced, band-like motif of Elizabethan and Jacobean ornament; and ferramenta – the ironwork support grid used to retain stained glass.

The 3D veneer uses multiple layers of laser-cut wood to create a complex, faceted relief, finished with brass inserts that catch the light like haute joaillerie. The composition reads from left to right as a journey from initial design to finished sculpture, culminating in a three-dimensional, jewellery-like flower. On the left side of the Gallery, the patterns laser-etched onto smoked Eucalyptus wood represent the maker’s plan – the draught. The etched design then transitions into 3D marquetry, marking the journey from drawing to object. The piece then becomes increasingly sculptural. A delicate brass lattice, inspired by strapwork and the ferramenta of stained-glass windows, is applied over the veneer and completed with subtle laser engraving for additional texture.

The centre point is a jewel-like flower, formed from five layers of brass, each cut into petal shapes using an advanced waterjet. This detail alone required over 45 hours to complete. Before assembly, each petal is hand-engraved with over 50 lines – each just 0.2 mm wide – and shaped using specially modified tools, a technique developed in-house by Rolls-Royce craftspeople.

“Clients often come to us with two or three ideas they want to see brought together, and we create ways for those inspirations to speak to each other. This composition was a chance to sharpen that instinct by taking a flat draughtsman’s drawing and growing it into a three-dimensional sculpture. We brought together four historical references – the draught, scribing, strapwork and ferramenta – in materials and techniques entirely new to Rolls-Royce. What emerged is something that feels highly modern, built from techniques that are centuries old.” Laura Salter, Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


HAND AND MACHINE, IN ONE COMPOSITION

Both artworks have been developed around a single design philosophy: that hand and machine craftsmanship are most powerful when they work in concert. Laser cutting, waterjet shaping and digital pattern drafting are used to achieve geometries that no hand could repeat with the same accuracy. Hand-engraving, hand-painting, hand-embroidery and hand-sculpting are then applied to give the work its individual character.

The techniques introduced on these two Galleries have been developed as part of Rolls-Royce’s wider programme of bespoke craft research and exploration of new materials and techniques.

Both pieces will be presented to the public at London Craft Week, hosted at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, Berkeley Street, Mayfair, from 11 to 17 May 2026.

• Rolls-Royce reveals the most intricate woodwork in the marque’s history
• Introduces three Rolls-Royce firsts: 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering, and 24-carat gold leafing
• Artisans undertook special training as part of a one-year development process
• Extraordinary interior reserved for an exclusive Rolls-Royce Private Collection, soon to be revealed to celebrate Phantom’s centenary

“Our Bespoke Collective of designers, craftspeople and engineers are exceptional at what they do. To honour Phantom in its centenary year, they pioneered groundbreaking techniques in their mastery of wood, combining 3D ink layering, 3D marquetry and gilding within a single surface. These intricate processes push materials to the limits of their natural tolerance, transforming each panel into a stunning, tactile sculpture. Having seen first-hand the challenges and possibilities with wood techniques at Rolls-Royce, I can say with certainty that the Collective has unlocked remarkable new possibilities for Bespoke, a breakthrough made possible by their extraordinary dedication to the Phantom nameplate on its 100th anniversary.”
Phil Fabre de la Grange, Head of Bespoke, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars


In 2025, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks the centenary of Phantom – a name that has defined the pinnacle of luxury for 100 years. Across decades and continents, Phantom has remained the measure of what can be achieved when the rarest and most precious materials are placed in the hands of master craftspeople.

To mark this milestone, Rolls-Royce will soon unveil an exclusive Private Collection. For this landmark motor car, which honours the brand’s pinnacle product, designers, craftspeople and engineers pushed their artistry further than ever, developing three woodworking techniques never before seen on a Rolls-Royce: 3D marquetry, 3D ink layering and gold leafing.

Each composition tells a different story – first sketched by hand, then translated into digital form and recreated in wood – capturing places, moments and journeys that have shaped Phantom’s legend. These innovations give the woodwork an intricacy and richness that hint at the extraordinary methods and technologies behind their creation.


THE PINNACLE OF CRAFT: THE MOST INTRICATE DOORS IN ROLLS-ROYCE HISTORY

The interior door treatment created for the upcoming Private Collection to celebrate Phantom’s centenary is the most complex and detailed in Rolls-Royce history, with every journey etched into its surfaces – a tribute to Phantom’s 100-year legend. It took a full year to develop these pieces alone, pushing the medium of veneer to its sculptural limits, just as Phantom itself has pushed the definition of what a motor car can represent. The artwork visually blends geographical maps, winding routes, sweeping landscapes, floral elements and depictions of experimental models into a single, stunning composition.

The creation of the door pieces is achieved by individually crafting sections of the overall composition and then assembling them like an intricate mosaic. Rendered in Blackwood, selected for its unique grain pattern, the design uses textures, contrasts and reflectivity to celebrate the material, creating a rich visual effect with a monochromatic palette.

Oversized veneer sheets were specially commissioned for this project to accommodate the generous size of Phantom’s doors. Based on the natural grain pattern of the piece, each of the large veneer leaves is assigned to a specific section of the composition. The designer responsible gave particular consideration to how the grain catches the light at different angles, ensuring that new details and textures are revealed at every glance.

To ensure nothing detracts from the overall composition, Phantom’s metal speaker grilles are replaced by small openings milled directly into the wood. The expansive panel is then stained to ensure absolute colour uniformity.


LASER-ETCHED ELEMENTS

The design motifs, which include maps, landscapes, flowers and trees, are etched onto the wood at three different depths using a laser, each line of light and shadow carrying echoes of Phantom’s century of stories. Areas more deeply-etched into the wood appear to be darker, providing a contrast to the more reflective surface of the unetched veneer. This produces subtle shifts in colour and light, adding a sense of movement and texture beyond the linework.


REFINED DETAILS: 3D INK LAYERING

In contrast to the recessed, etched motifs, the marque’s artisans developed a 3D ink layering technology to add fine textures and intricate patterns directly onto the surface of the wood, building Phantom’s narrative in gradual strokes. Built from individual layers, these embellishments achieve an extraordinary level of precision and clarity.


SCULPTURAL ELEGANCE: 3D MARQUETRY

To add further texture to the artwork, the designer employed 3D marquetry. This introduces raised motifs, embellished with engraving and 3D ink layering, on top of the main wood surface, allowing Phantom’s history to rise in new dimensions and be felt as much as seen. This three-dimensional approach adds depth, detail, and a sense of tactile intrigue, inviting occupants to explore the motor car’s surfaces and textures with their hands.


PRECIOUS METALWORK: THE ART OF GOLD LEAFING

This unique woodwork introduces another Rolls-Royce first: gilding, also known as gold leafing, transforming Phantom’s most significant journeys into luminous threads of history. Drawing on centuries-old cabinet-making traditions, this process was adapted and perfected by Rolls-Royce to meet the marque’s extreme temperature and humidity testing parameters. Five artisans from the Interior Surface Centre undertook a specialist course at West Dean College, a celebrated centre of craftsmanship in West Sussex, to master the technique.

Once the wood sections were completed, artisans used 24-carat gold leaves to depict roads on the map section – each one a gold thread in Phantom’s story. Squares of gold leaf, typically just 0.1 micrometres (or 100 nanometres) thick, are hand-laid then sealed with a protective coating that achieves a hard-wearing, high-gloss finish. The ‘road’ is precision-cut and inlaid within the marquetry composition.

In its complexity, precision and visual effect, this remarkable wood treatment represents a completely new form of wood sculpting and a significant evolution in contemporary craft. It is only fitting that these exquisite innovations will first debut on a Private Collection celebrating Phantom, the pinnacle of Rolls-Royce.

• Rolls-Royce Motor Cars showcases contemporary Bespoke craft at this year’s London Craft Week
• Rolls-Royce artisans took inspiration from the flora and fauna of the British Isles to create an enchanting woodland scene
• Artwork will be on display at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, for the duration of the event, from 12 to 18 May 2025

“Uncompromising craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail have always defined Rolls-Royce. At the very heart of our brand lies a deep commitment to creativity and artisanal excellence. As a name synonymous with perfection, Rolls-Royce holds London Craft Week – a celebration of the finest craftsmanship – as a key moment in our annual calendar. For this year’s event, I am delighted to announce that our highly talented artisans and designers from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have created a stunning Bespoke artwork, inspired by the rich and fascinating variety of wildlife in the United Kingdom. This exquisite display of creativity and craftsmanship will be on display at our flagship showroom, in the heart of Mayfair, for the duration of the event in May.”
Boris Weletzky, Regional Director, United Kingdom, Europe, and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Artisans from the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood have created an exquisite artwork inspired by the rich and remarkable flora and fauna of the British Isles, to celebrate the eleventh year of London Craft Week.

The enchanting woodland scene – a collaboration between makers from the Interior Surface Centre, the Exterior Surface Centre and the Interior Trim Centre – captures the beauty of nature at three moments in time (day, evening and night) as part of a triptych. A Kingfisher has been cleverly depicted in each scene, using different craft techniques to capture the character of the bird during the transition from daytime to nighttime.

SWAN LAKE

Rolls-Royce artisans from the Exterior Surface Centre spent over 100 hours skilfully recreating a tranquil lakeside scene, featuring wildlife, plants and invertebrates that thrive in the aquatic ecosystem. Two elegant swans gliding across the surface of the water, and a Kingfisher hovering above, have been painted using freehand brush techniques.

To create the wild reeds that surround the lake, aluminium was cut and painted in Iced Orange Metallic and St Tropez using multiple techniques including airbrushing, wet basecoat manipulation and dappling – a highly realistic effect enhanced by a crystal clear coat giving the impression of morning dew.

ENCHANTED WOODLAND

Craftspeople from the Interior Trim Centre spent over 400 hours recreating the magic of the woodland in the evening. The fascinating variety of wildlife is showcased through the application of different techniques on leather. Delicate flowers resembling daisies were painted onto the Scivaro Grey leather, whilst tactile, hardier flora species were created using a pioneering three-dimensional embroidery technique, whereby thread is layered upon itself to form a self-supporting structure.

Rolls-Royce artisans took further inspiration for the artwork from the animals commonly found in the forest. Hand painted onto leather, the animals portrayed include a graceful hare, featuring long prominent ears and powerful hind legs, and a squirrel with a beautiful bushy tail. To replicate the texture and volume of the tail, a technique called tufting was used in which different materials form pile structures on a backing fabric.

STEALTH AFTER DARK

Rolls-Royce’s specialists from the Interior Surface Centre spent over 500 hours carefully cutting, pressing and assembling beautifully tessellated veneer shapes to capture the magic of the woodland after dark.

In this third portion of the artwork, a fox is depicted padding stealthily into the sylvan scene through the use of intricate marquetry – the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns. In a Rolls-Royce first, the marque’s artisans trialled painted veneers, exquisitely representing the reddish hue of the fox’s fur and its white-tipped tail. Colour has been painstakingly applied to ensure the wood grain can still be admired.

The unique triptych captures the essence of woodland life at three moments in time and is a testament to the marque’s fluency in Bespoke. This captivating artwork will be exhibited in the window of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London, Berkeley Street, Mayfair, from 12 to 18 May 2025.

The Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in West Sussex is the only place in the world where Rolls-Royce motor cars – Spectre, Cullinan, Ghost (their Black Badge counterparts) Phantom, and Coachbuild masterpieces – are designed and built by hand. No two motor cars are entirely alike – every Rolls-Royce is hand-crafted to the client’s individual taste. It takes more than 600 hours to build a Rolls-Royce motor car. Complex commissions can take up to four years to develop and construct. These cherished and enduring motor cars will go on to form part of celebrated collections and frequently stay within the same family for generations. Indeed, around two-thirds of all Rolls‑Royce motor cars ever built are still on the road.

Within the Home of Rolls-Royce, world-class craftspeople bring a wealth of experience, skill, creativity and attention to detail to their work. These artisans, together with the marque’s Bespoke designers and engineers, form what is known as the Bespoke Collective. This talented and passionate group of people is constantly pushing boundaries in their quest for perfection, bringing clients’ dreams to life. They are guided by the famous maxim of the marque’s co-founder, Sir Henry Royce: ‘Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it.’ In doing so, they create something deeply personal, meaningful and emotionally resonant for each client.



EXTERIOR SURFACE CENTRE

Every Rolls-Royce begins its journey in the Exterior Surface Centre, where the signature Rolls-Royce paint finish is created. Clients can choose from a palette of 44,000 exterior colours and if they prefer a hue that does not exist within that range, the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective can develop a new Bespoke colour that will then be reserved for the client’s exclusive use.

Rolls-Royce specialists have previously colour-matched clients’ favourite flowers, a beloved pet’s eyes, precious jewels and antique items to name only a few sources of inspiration. The Bespoke Collective has also developed unique iridescent finishes inspired by the aurora borealis, the farthest reaches of space, specific oceans and colours that capture the flora and fauna of destinations around the world, which have a personal meaning to the commissioning client. Specially developed Bespoke colours often influence how clients curate their other precious possessions: for example, some clients have requested that their yachts and private jets are colour-matched to their Rolls-Royce.

Depending on the complexity of the paint, the finish may require up to 20 individual layers of lacquer. To achieve the signature piano finish, a Rolls-Royce is hand-polished to brilliance over four hours. The selected paint colour can also be complemented with a crystal lacquer with iridescent shimmer, adding depth and lustre to the colour.

Clients can commission unique artworks on the bonnet or a coachline, hand-applied by a skilled team of artisans. A coachline is applied by hand using a fine brush made from natural materials. The coachline is precisely 3mm wide on Phantom, Cullinan and Ghost, and 4mm wide on Spectre due to its particular proportions. The exterior can be complemented with a unique coachline motif – a small artwork such as a flower, a family crest or a geometric pattern.



INTERIOR TRIM CENTRE: EXQUISITE CRAFT

Clients are able to commission not only leather, but fabric interiors as well, recalling the early years of Rolls-Royce, where passenger seats were upholstered with various precious textiles. Many of the processes used today blend cutting-edge precision machinery with the skilled hands and experienced eyes of Rolls-Royce craftspeople.

Leather

Each hide that arrives at Rolls-Royce is examined by hand and eye under high-intensity lighting to reveal imperfections. Areas deemed unsuitable for use are marked with chalk. The marked hide is placed under a cutting machine where an outline of each part required to construct the interior is laser projected onto the material and then cut. A special algorithm was developed to analyse the chalked areas and generate a pattern excluding the marked areas. Artisans manually adjust and further perfect the cutting pattern to maximise the use of leather, excluding the marked areas.

Each leather part is thinned or ‘skived’ to reduce its thickness from around 1.5 millimetres to 0.6 millimetres, enabling a smaller, neater seam. Leather parts are sewn by skilled craftspeople by hand using high-precision sewing machines, and are completed with contrast stitching or piping, depending on the client’s request. Finally, the leather parts are fitted to a component – a task which can only be done by hand, due to the curves and contours of these parts.

Perforated Leather

Clients can request that leather seats include Placed Perforation – artworks created through tiny perforations in the leather which vary in size to create the perception of depth, allowing detailed and seemingly three-dimensional graphics to be achieved. This innovative, contemporary craft technique was first developed for a Bespoke commission before being made more widely available with Cullinan Series II and Ghost Series II in 2024, when designers developed a pattern inspired by the shapes and shadows of the clouds over the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. It comprises up to 107,000 0.8- and 1.2-millimetre perforations.

Clients can also commission a Bespoke Placed Perforation motif, which is then reserved for their exclusive use.

Exploration of Textiles

In its Goodwood era, Rolls-Royce began exploring the use of textiles in 2015 during the development of Phantom Serenity, which used embroidered silk for the interior. Since then, a number of materials have been used, including rayon fabric made from bamboo, silk blends and even glass organza.

For Cullinan Series II and Ghost Series II, a fabric interior is now available as a prêt-à-porter offer. For these motor cars, Rolls-Royce specialists developed a rayon fabric made from bamboo named Duality Twill. It is embroidered with an artistic ‘Duality’ graphic, based on an abstract interpretation of the two interlinked R initials of the marque’s founders. A Duality Twill interior can incorporate up to 2.2 million stitches requiring 11 miles of thread, and is the product of 20 hours of construction. To ensure uniformity in the pattern, each piece is individually crafted before being cut using a specially developed laser that seals the material’s edge and mitigates individual threads becoming loose. Once all panels are carefully positioned and stitched together to create a seamless whole, they are used to upholster the seating. The base twill textile is available in three colours – Lilac, Chocolate and Black – and the thread is available in 51 different hues, allowing clients to tailor their design according to their personal preference, creating a bold contrasting effect or a subtle monochrome.

Bespoke Embroidery and Hand-painting

Clients are offered near-limitless opportunities to create complex works of art using their interior as a canvas. From their initials applied to the headrests to million-stitch embroideries, embroidery depicting the surface of the moon, Bespoke embossed graphics, hand-painted artworks using leather as a canvas and even three-dimensional embroidery, the possibilities are limited only by the client’s imagination.



INTERIOR SURFACE CENTRE

For many years, the Interior Surface Centre was known simply as the Woodshop. Its current designation reflects the major changes that this department has undergone in recent years. Wood remains its primary medium, but the specialist craftspeople are also skilled in working with carbon fibre, metal and a diverse range of lacquered, painted and embellished ‘hard’ surface finishes.

Veneers

The visible wood elements in a Rolls-Royce motor car are made using veneers – thin sheets of wood that are bonded to a substructure. All veneer parts used in any single motor car come from the same tree, with colours, patterns and grains that give the motor car its own unique ‘fingerprint’ that cannot be precisely replicated again. This also ensures all wood parts age consistently – an important consideration, as many Rolls-Royce motor cars are lovingly handed down through the generations.

Clients can select from around 30 different wood types, with different stains, overlays, and treatments offering a wide range of additional effects. Clients can also ask Rolls-Royce to source a different tree species, which may have a particular personal resonance to them, so long as the species is not restricted or endangered.

On arrival at the Home of Rolls-Royce, all veneers are transferred to the richly scented Humidor, where they are stored for a minimum of three days at a constant 23°C and 75% humidity. Humidity is essential to prevent the wood from cracking and to keep it flexible enough to take the complex forms for which Rolls-Royce wood components are renowned.

Almost every veneer part begins life in the Veneer Preparation area, where specialists align the grains and patterns to create a single, perfect line running through the motor car. Straight-grained woods like Royal Walnut (Juglans nigra) are matched in a chevron pattern at a precise 55° angle. Complex patterned woods such as Burr Walnut (Juglans regia) are laid so they form a book-matched mirror image, with the edges trimmed and sanded by hand for a precise fit. The matched veneer pieces are then bonded and pressed into larger sheets, from which all the parts for the motor car are precision-cut using a laser.

Each veneered part is made up of several layers, interleaved with bonded sheets and joined under heat and pressure to create a multi-layered surface with the strength and integrity to allow further work. The veneer is bonded in a heavy press to a carrier part, made of cast aluminium or composite material. All veneers are tested at high and low temperatures to ensure they will remain stable once installed in the finished motor car, regardless of the operating conditions.

The part then reaches Veneer Finessing, where skilled craftspeople eliminate any blemishes in the veneer. They do this by cutting tiny, precisely colour-matched slivers of the same veneer used in the part itself with a scalpel, then bond them in place of the blemish and seal them with a hot plate.

After Veneer Finessing, all parts are manually sanded using an orbital sander. Knowing how much of the wood surface to remove is a matter of experience and requires a good eye and a steady hand. Delicate features like apertures for instruments are hand-sanded with sandpaper.

Before progressing to the lacquering stage, each piece receives its final inspection. A highly experienced craftsperson applies a wash-over that temporarily imitates the final lacquered finish, enabling them to find any remaining imperfections on the surface. Everything is examined by eye: there is no technology involved. If any defects emerge, the part will be sent back to Veneer Finessing for further work.

In the final process, multiple layers of lacquer (each only 0.3mm thick) are applied to the veneered parts. Each layer is allowed to dry for around 20 minutes, although this will vary depending on temperature, atmospheric pressure and other factors. With all the layers applied, the part will show a slight ‘orange peel’ effect on the surface. To eliminate this, the part is sanded back and then polished to a deep, mirror shine. Open-pore finishes, where the grain and texture are exposed to create a tactile sensation, are finished with a specially developed matte sealant.

To expand the possibilities for individualisation even further, the Interior Surface Centre team is constantly working on the development of design veneers, which are hand-crafted using natural wood, often combined with other materials. These innovative veneers can incorporate and create unique designs, such as wave patterns achieved by using specialised pressing techniques, or by including metals, like copper. The current design veneer palette includes Obsidian Ayous, Linea Silver Birch and Dark Amber, with several more in development.

These veneers are made by layering and pressing natural veneer sheets into a solid block of wood at high pressure, before cutting it into thin layers, each 0.5mm thick, which are then used to create the Rolls-Royce interior parts.

Carbon Fibre

For Black Badge motor cars, Rolls-Royce has developed technical carbon finishes that add to the bold identity of this family of motor cars. Thin leaves woven from resin-coated carbon fibre and contrasting metal-coated thread laid in a diamond pattern are applied by hand to the components in perfect alignment, creating a three-dimensional effect. To secure this veneer, each component is cured for one hour under pressure at 100°C. This is then sand-blasted to create a keyed surface for six layers of lacquer, which is hand-sanded and polished before being incorporated into the motor car.

Bespoke

The Interior Surface Centre has brought many significant Bespoke commissions to life using specialised and traditional techniques including marquetry (the art of creating a picture using wood inlay), parquetry (which creates geometrical patterns), sandblasting, staining, painting, and infusion with precious materials. Requests include parquetry that depicts rose petals falling to the ground (a commission wherein 1,603 individual wood pieces were used), marquetry comprising over 320 lasered and hand-placed pieces, complex painting that mimics the patterns of cracked ice, elaborate mother-of-pear inlay, steel and gold plating inlays, paying homage to Italian Riviera, emerald embellishment to the fascia and even an exact replication of a client’s child’s footprint applied to the dashboard.



CELESTIAL INTERPLAY: THE STARLIGHT HEADLINER

The Starlight Headliner is a spellbinding Bespoke feature, iconic and exclusive to Rolls-Royce. The ‘stars’ are optical fibres, each inserted by hand into an individually hand-placed perforation. Between 800 and 1,600 ‘stars’ are fitted, depending on the design and model of motor car. Fibre optic strands are delicately placed at varying depths and at different angles. This allows light to escape in multiple directions and at different intensities, faithfully replicating the night sky.

The constellation of each Starlight Headliner is created by hand. Clients can commission a personalised design with specific constellations to mark significant occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries: by carefully placing each ‘star’, Bespoke specialists can replicate the night sky over a specific location at a precise moment. Some clients have requested maps, monograms and other designs. The Starlight Headliner can be completed with a Shooting Star or a twinkling effect.

Typically, a Starlight Headliner takes nine hours to create, but a personalised pattern can take more than 17 hours to hand-craft.



GALLERY CLEAN ROOM

Phantom offers an unprecedented opportunity to exhibit works of art within the motor car itself – a space called the Gallery. Unique to Phantom, it represents an uninterrupted glass enclosure that spans the full width of the motor car’s fascia. To install these artworks, the Gallery Clean Room has been built, ensuring a sterile environment in which pieces are safely and meticulously assembled and fitted.

Only two associates are permitted to enter at any one time. To avoid contamination, cosmetics, hair products and deodorant are not permitted; medical-grade, lint-free surgical clothing must also be worn at all times. Non-powdered latex gloves have been sourced specifically to ensure moisture generated from perspiration is completely contained within the glove. All Galleries undergo an ultra-violet light examination before final assembly.

While many Gallery commissions remain confidential, Rolls-Royce has created and installed a multitude of unique works of art that showcase the boundless potential of the Gallery and the unique skill of the Bespoke Collective. These include: handwoven and hand-painted silk compositions; marquetry masterpieces made from thousands of individually set pieces of veneer; complex leather embroideries comprising over 90,000 individual stitches; artworks inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy, capturing the movement of silk under water, in solid milled aluminium; a three-dimensional orchid design made from silk; hand-painted artwork created by a Rolls-Royce artisan reinterpreting the dragon form; and solid aluminium compositions with finely-grained ceramic finish, and many more.



EPILOGUE

Rolls-Royce’s unwavering commitment to craft is reflected in the marque’s ongoing investment in highly skilled artisans, innovative designers and engineers, exquisite materials and advanced manufacturing tools and facilities. Furthermore, the marque has secured planning permission for a significant extension to the Home at Goodwood, West Sussex, with the express aim of creating more space for Bespoke craft and technologies to grow.

In bringing its clients’ increasingly complex and diverse Bespoke visions and dreams to life, the marque secures its status as a true House of Luxury that will resonate with the world’s most distinguished super-luxury clientele for generations to come.