Modus Vivendi Studio is a bespoke, full-service interior design practice in the Capital Region of New York, designing homes that reveal each client's Modus Vivendi.
At Modus Vivendi Studio, the end result begins with understanding you, your family, and how you live. That's the foundation we build from, shaping interiors that reflect your life and bring out the best in it.
Cynthia Ward
Co-Founder & Principal Designer
Cynthia Ward is the Principal Designer and co-founder of Modus Vivendi Studio, an interior design practice serving New York's Capital Region. With twenty-five years in Capital Region real estate and fifteen years designing new-construction interiors, she brings a rare dual fluency: she understands how homes are built, how they're lived in, and how they hold their value.
Cynthia's approach was formed by decades of walking homes at every stage of construction, an education in how families actually move through their spaces, hour by hour. She designs around that movement first, drawing freely across styles and eras to serve it rather than any single aesthetic. Every fitting and finish is selected to work as one whole, shaped to the family's way of life.
Her highlighted portfolio spans seven complete residences across multiple new-construction developments, along with the gut renovation of a historic farmhouse that earned press coverage in the Times Union, and American Dream. Working from foundation to final styling on new construction has made her unusually strong at the decisions most designers never touch: floor plans, elevations, and finishes chosen before a wall exists.
Cynthia loves spending her free time with her family, golfing, and going to the beach. She lives in Wynantskill, NY, where she constantly hosts family and friends to gather and create memorable moments.
Forest Ward
Co-Founder & Studio Director
Forest grew up in his mother's houses and always knew there was something different about them. When she decided the design was its own calling, he built the studio around it.
He handles operations, communications, and the client experience from first inquiry through installation day. He is the first person you'll speak with.
Planning a project? We'd love to hear about it.