3 minute read
GENESIS
LIFE STYLING
Wardrobe styling agency Cuniform steps out of the closet to offer full-service interior design.
By Rachel Gallaher Photographed by Ben Lindbloom
The COVID-19 pandemic may have put most people’s plans on hold, but for Colton Dixon Winger, co-founder and CEO of Seattle’s Cuniform wardrobe and interiors styling agency, the global shutdown accelerated the timeline for a plan to expand his business. That’s not to say that Cuniform didn’t feel the sting of the pandemic—the bulk of its services involve spending hours on end in clients’ closets—but when faced with the choice to evolve or shut down, a pivot was necessary. Winger started by introducing an e-commerce site offering high-end secondhand clothing and accessories, and at the end of 2020, he launched Cuniform Interiors—a home styling and fullscale interior design studio—an idea that had been simmering since 2019.
“The original plan was to start offering interiors services in the fall of 2021,” Winger says, “but we were at a point where we needed to supplement revenue one way or another, and it was something I had wanted to do for quite a while.”
Before launching Cuniform Interiors, Winger had helped several of his wardrobe clients style spaces in their homes. These first underthe-radar projects evolved out of regular clothes-focused styling visits, during which a client would ask Winger’s opinion about a room or a piece of furniture.
“I’ve always been interested in architecture and designing spaces,” he says. “I love seeing how a change in [clothing] style can affect the way someone moves through their everyday life, and interiors seemed like the next step in that.”
In June 2020, Cuniform opened a showroom in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, just as lockdown-weary homeowners were yearning to redesign and renovate their spaces.
In August 2021, Winger brought on Bethanie Jones as Cuniform’s head of design. Jones has a background in architecture and art— she spent five years at DLR Group working on justice and civic, K-12, and workplace projects—and advocates for the environment through thoughtful sourcing and by supporting local businesses and makers who consider their environmental impact.
“It’s really important to us that we’re doing responsible work and not just jumping on the greenwashing bandwagon,” she says. “We try to be careful, aware, and transparent with our clients about where things come from, how they are made, and what that means in a larger environmental sense.”
Jones and Winger are advocates of sourcing what they call “pre-loved” furniture—secondhand and vintage items that often last longer and are made from higher-quality materials than mass-manufactured products. Incorporating repurposed pieces into their projects helps eliminate waste by preventing items from ending up in the landfill and by not adding to the demand for fast furniture, which is often manufactured using methods that harm the environment. They also offer interior styling services—think of it as a residential refresh that doesn’t include costly construction bills.
“I like the challenge of working with what people already have,” Winger says. “Similar to working with someone’s wardrobe, their home is so personal, and each project offers a completely different perspective.”
Cuniform has completed residential projects in California, New York, and Seattle, and has also ventured into commercial building design, with two hair salons and a photography and creative studio slated for completion later this year. “It’s special to work with all client types,” Jones adds. “We don’t cater to a specific type of client; we meet everyone where they are in that moment in their lives.” h
THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE: The owner of this renovated midcentury house in Seattle hired Cuniform to outfit the interiors. Almost all of the furniture and décor is recycled, including the 300-pound bamboo dining table and the L-shaped Milo Baughman sofa in the living room.
