Cy Winship

Who:  Cy Winship, furniture upholsterer, interior designer, and regular contributor to HGTV’s Decorating Cents with Joan Steffend.

The Story: Winship, a Colorado native, Army brat, and Fulbright Scholar, made his way to the Twin Cities after being trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. But in the eighties, he got the urge to start “ripping apart furniture.” Since then, he’s left the stage and has built a reputation for his attention to fine detail in upholstery. His ability to source just the right fabric—be it vintage or “blow your mind” textiles from London—has earned him a cult following of sorts. Clients who have hired him to reinvent pieces of furniture have gone on to hire him to redecorate their entire home.

Inspiration: “I’ve always loved design and color,” he says, adding that he relies on his knowledge of design and art history to guide his work. He respects the “bones and structure” of a project and lets the design direct “what’s appropriate for a modern update,” whether it be a Louis XV chair, 1950s sofa, or a three-story house. He laughs and says upholstery work is a “great outlet for a perfectionist.” (His sense of humor is as keen as his sense of style.) Winship considers each piece of furniture a mini design job—“What do the materials say they want to be?”

His Goal: “To guide people to do the best with their personalities within their own home.”

Up Next: He’s just wrapped his portion of a series for Decorating Cents called “101 Ideas for Under $100,” which was taped in the new lofts at International Market Square, to air later this spring.

To learn more, visit hgtv.com and search for Cy Winship or call him at 612-379-4070.