Okeanos Group works with interior designers as a specialist sub-trade on custom aquarium scope. The firm has collaborated with interior designers and design firms continuously since 2002 across residential and commercial projects in NYC, the tri-state area, and internationally. For interior designers, Okeanos handles the full aquarium scope — design, fabrication, installation, and ongoing maintenance — leaving the broader interior design vision to the lead designer.
Why interior designers work with Okeanos
A custom luxury aquarium is a specialized scope that doesn't fit naturally into a typical interior design project. Tank fabrication requires marine-grade glass or acrylic work, life-support engineering requires plumbing and electrical specifications outside normal residential scope, livestock requires biological expertise, and ongoing maintenance is a recurring service contract that extends beyond the project's design phase. Interior designers who try to specify and coordinate aquarium scope themselves typically encounter project risk that's disproportionate to the scope's share of the overall budget.
Okeanos handles the aquarium as a turnkey scope. The interior designer specifies the placement, dimensional envelope, and aesthetic intent, and Okeanos delivers the design, fabrication, installation, and maintenance. The interior designer's deliverable to the client is unaffected.
The trade program
Okeanos's trade program is structured for interior designers, architects, and design firms working with high-end residential and commercial clients. The program includes:
- Confidential trade pricing on all scope
- Direct access to the firm's design team for project consultation
- 3D rendering and integration documentation in formats compatible with standard interior design software
- Sample boards and materials for client presentations
- Site visits and consultations during the design phase
- White-glove installation that coordinates with the broader project schedule
The firm does not market directly to the interior designer's client during the project's design and construction phases. The client relationship is held by the interior designer.
What Okeanos delivers to the design team
For each project, Okeanos provides the interior designer with the documentation needed to integrate the aquarium into the broader design:
- 3D renderings of the proposed aquarium in context
- Structural load specifications for the architect and structural engineer
- Electrical and plumbing scope for the MEP engineer
- HVAC adjacency considerations
- Cabinetry and millwork integration documentation
- Material samples (glass thickness, acrylic options, cabinetry finishes)
- Maintenance access requirements
This documentation allows the interior designer to plan the surrounding millwork, lighting, and finish work without having to learn aquarium-specific engineering.
Project types interior designers commission
The firm's interior-designer-led projects typically fall into several categories:
- Great room and family room reef aquariums as architectural features
- Library and study aquariums (often freshwater planted tanks)
- Wine cellar and tasting room aquariums
- Master bedroom and master bath aquariums (specialized acoustic considerations)
- Home theater aquariums
- Children's room aquariums (specialized safety considerations)
- Commercial reception and lobby aquariums for the designer's commercial projects
Coordination on the project schedule
Aquarium installation typically happens late in the construction sequence, after the finish work that surrounds the tank is complete. Okeanos coordinates with the interior designer's project schedule to ensure the installation window doesn't conflict with other trades. The biological establishment phase (post-installation, six to eight weeks before livestock) is the typical project completion window when the home is otherwise ready for client move-in.
Working with the firm: how to engage
Interior designers interested in working with Okeanos can request a trade consultation through the firm's contact page or by calling 212-244-9555. The first conversation establishes the project's scope, timeline, and budget envelope, after which Okeanos produces a preliminary proposal for the designer to share with the client.
Frequently asked questions
What's the typical lead time for a custom aquarium on an interior design project? Six to eighteen months from initial scope conversation to installed and biologically established. This typically aligns with the broader construction schedule on luxury residential projects.
Do you handle livestock selection and ongoing care? Yes. Livestock selection, sourcing, acclimation, placement, and ongoing care are part of the standard scope. The interior designer and client do not need to involve themselves in livestock decisions beyond establishing the broad aesthetic direction.
Can you produce renderings before we're formally engaged? The firm produces preliminary renderings as part of the proposal process. More detailed renderings (final integration documentation) are produced after formal engagement.
Do you work with interior designers outside the tri-state area? Yes. The firm has installed projects internationally and works with interior designers in major markets globally. The trade program is the same regardless of geography; travel and installation logistics are scoped per-project.