Cy Davis has had a remarkable journey from her beginnings as an entertainer to her current journey as one of Florida’s most sought-after interior designers. Having put her stamp on some of Miami’s most popular hotels and restaurants, she’s now moved her Cy Davis Design business to the Jupiter an Palm Beach area, where she’s found a new audience who are loving what she does. She tells The Daily about her fascinating background, how she got into design, and why she’s thriving in her dream job.
I started my career doing hair and later became a cocktail waitress at The Limelight in New York City. By the mid-1980s, I found myself in the exciting early days of the “Gentleman’s Club” scene in South Florida and New York. It was such a fun and glamorous time. We weren’t called strippers; we were entertainers. We wore evening gowns and danced on little pedestals that tuxedoed attendants would carry to the tables. The rules were strict! Stockings or gloves were mandatory for half the night, and if you had a broken nail, you were sent home. It was crazy! Back then, if you were too short to be a model, you became a dancer. In Miami, we were topless on the beach; in New York, the first thing you got was a mink coat to wear to work. I split my time between Scores in New York and Pure Platinum in Fort Lauderdale, running with an incredible crowd! Rockstars, bookies, Wall Streeters, and professional athletes. There were parties, private jets, and nonstop energy. During that time, I soaked up everything around me- style, culture, and success. I learned from some of the most successful people in their industries.
Eventually, I married out of Scores and became a full-time mom, a role that’s still the most fulfilling I’ve ever had. I decorated my New York apartment entirely in Philippe Starck furniture. (I had lived at the iconic Royalton Hotel for several months with a boyfriend at one time, and I have been obsessed with Phillipe Starck ever since.) After my divorce, I returned to Miami and later remarried (husband number four!). Together, we built several beautiful homes, including a 10,000-square-foot waterfront mansion that I designed from the ground up My home was where my true passion for interior design really began to flourish.
My first business venture was opening Rapunzel Salon, specializing in hair extensions and weaves. Something I knew plenty about from my club days. The salon was a hit! It attracted celebrity clients like Eve and Venus and Serena Williams, and even landed us on several reality TV shows for our fun, flirty scene. After my fourth divorce, I sold the salon and, newly ousted from my Barbie dream mansion, and decided to start helping other people with their homes. Using my salon clientele as a starting point, I launched my interior design business. The learning curve was steep, and the math and business side were tough, but people loved my work, and that was what mattered most.
Through my friend Christina, I began working with restaurant and hospitality groups. My first restaurant project, Ariette, received both a James Beard Award and a Michelin Star the first year Florida began awarding them. I went on to design Scapegoat, a beloved industry bar south of Fifth on South Beach, which was voted Best Bar on the Beach by New Times. Next came collaborations with Think Hospitality, designing Limonada Bar & Restaurant at The Clinton Hotel, followed by the lobby and rooms at The Bououlan Hotel, The Pool Bar at the Plymouth Hotel, The South Beach Hotel, and Orange Blossom restaurant. Working closely with their marketing team, YouShine365, I helped design and produce major events — from Maxim parties and Swim Week at the Plymouth Hotel to New Year’s Eve at the W, and Art Basel events, as well. My private clientele naturally grew from the people who frequented these venues; a new wave of stylish, driven New Yorkers and Miami movers and shakers. I design their homes and their events, and they love to entertain.
Floral arranging is another of her many talents
Recently, I moved to Jupiter, where I’m currently working on projects in Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, Indiantown, Stuart, and Jupiter, while still spending time in Miami, which will always have my heart. The Palm Beach and Jupiter areas are filled with natural beauty, something I now crave and draw inspiration from. My aesthetic focuses on plants, natural elements, and seamless indoor-outdoor living. I believe in creating therapeutic green spaces where people can disconnect from devices and reconnect with the earth and themselves. My design superpower is creating spaces that truly reflect the people who live in them. I’m great at reading people; probably something I picked up back in my club days. You only have a few moments to connect, read energy, and make something happen. My clients often become dear friends, and I genuinely love and admire them all. According to my fourth husband , my real superpower is being able to walk into any room, rearrange what’s already there, and make it look instantly better, and honestly, he’s right. I do a lot of that, too!
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