A small, eponymous design studio for yachts started in 1986 has evolved to add private jets and residences as specialties. It’s further evolved from two people to 160 employees, all of whom have ownership stakes. Unchanged, Winch Design starts with a blank slate and, with its global clients, tailors every corner and every décor choice.
Andrew Winch established the company with his wife Jane initially as Andrew Winch Designs. This followed six years working for the late Jon Bannenberg and schooling prior to that as a sculptor. His work for Bannenberg and as an independent yacht designer weren’t accidental. Winch grew up sailing and even crossed the Atlantic.
It’s futher no surprise, then, that his studio’s first commission was a 36-foot (11-meter) Swan sailboat. The design details for the exterior and interior opened the door to additional projects. They led to much larger projects, too. For instance, Winch designed the interiors of Cyclos III, a 138-foot (42-meter) Royal Huisman sailing superyacht from 1990. Five years later saw the delivery of the studio’s first motoryacht, the 162-foot (49-meter) White Rabbit from Feadship.
As the projects grew in size and scope, so, too, did the studio. Andrew Winch Designs became Winch Design in 2015, coinciding with its 30th anniversary. Although Andrew Winch personally still led the company, a team of designers met with clients and pushed the boundaries. Simultaneously, the team was taking on more and more fine home interiors, along with interiors of private jets. Notably, Winch Design is responsible for the interior of the first private Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
More recently, two significant milestones have passed. The studio became entirely employee-owned in 2021. It was the next step in a years-long effort to develop the next generation of designers. Secondly, Winch Design moved to larger headquarters in 2024. During the prior decades of growth, the designers were actually spread throughout eight different buildings. Finding one central location for all the disciplines to be together was crucial, the management team believed, to strengthen collaboration. Among those disciplines, Winch Design has a focus on embracing eco-friendly materials, as Jim Dixon, head of yachts and aviation for Winch Design, shared in a Megayacht News Radio podcast.
In announcing its anniversary, the studio released a statement. “The team looks forward to continuing its pursuit of innovation, craftsmanship, and creativity—delivering spaces that are as timeless as they are extraordinary,” it says.
Winch Design winchdesign.com
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