The Future Perfect Strengthens Its Presence in Miami With New Gallery at Villa Paula and a Bold Showing at Design Miami/ 2025
- camilarosiaz
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
The Future Perfect expands its footprint in Miami with a dual milestone: opening its first gallery in the city at the historic Villa Paula and presenting an ambitious selection of new works at Design Miami/ 2025. Together, these moves signal a deepened commitment to exploring how contemporary design interacts with history, architecture and place.
The new Miami outpost occupies Villa Paula, a 2,000-square-foot landmark in Little Haiti whose layered past includes diplomatic beginnings, cultural gatherings and enduring local folklore. Built in 1926 by the Cuban government and designed by Havana architect Cayetano Freira, the villa originally served as both a consulate and the home of Consul Domingo Milord and his wife, opera singer Paula Milord. Its Neoclassical façade, tall columns and original Cuban tilework remain intact, offering a rare architectural snapshot of early 20th-century Miami.
Over the years, Villa Paula became known as a social hub for artists and intellectuals, a history that aligns with The Future Perfect’s immersive, environment-driven approach to exhibiting design. The gallery preserves the building’s original doors, windows and floors, using the structure’s branching rooms to create a sequence of intimate spaces. Each room functions as a curated vignette, emphasizing experience rather than display.
To inaugurate the space, the gallery presents works by Lindsey Adelman, Ian Collings, Piet Hein Eek, Vikram Goyal, Volker Haug, Jason Koharik, Faye Toogood, Arthur Vallin, Chris Wolston, Christian Woo, Floris Wubben and Jane Yang D’Haene. Additional pieces come from Arflex, Bianco Light & Space, Bocci, Boon Editions, Collection Particulaire, De La Espada, Dimoremilano, In Common With and Roll & Hill.
At Design Miami/ 2025, The Future Perfect extends its curatorial direction with a presentation centered on process, experimentation and material expression. New works include Karl Zahn’s sculptural light fixtures, Ian Collings’ first illuminated sculpture with the gallery and Jane D’Haene’s inaugural dining table, created with her husband under their new D’Haene Studio imprint. The booth also marks the Design Miami/ debuts of Yukikio Nagai and LGS Studio. Floris Wubben unveils pieces that examine the mechanics of making, while Autumn Casey introduces a sculptural floor lamp inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. The presentation further includes a jewelry collaboration between LizWorks and Charles Schulz, featuring diamond pieces that reinterpret the Snoopy character through a sculptural lens.
Miami’s design landscape—shaped by Art Deco architecture, modernist landmarks and its role as host to Design Miami/ and Art Basel—continues to influence global design dialogue. Positioned between North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, the city’s cultural hybridity informs its distinct design language. By opening at Villa Paula and presenting a forward-looking showcase at Design Miami/ 2025, The Future Perfect becomes an active contributor to this evolving narrative.