How Furniture Buying Works in the Design District
The Miami Design District is best known for fashion houses, but it is also Miami's densest cluster of furniture showrooms, many of them on NE 2nd Avenue between NE 37th and NE 41st Streets. In one morning you can sit on sofas from Cassina, B&B Italia, Minotti, Molteni&C and Poliform, then walk to a lighting showroom and an Italian kitchen. Every showroom below lists public hours in the district's directory, so you can walk in.
Before you go, know which kind of store you are in, because it changes how you buy.
Floor stock or made to order
At the big European showrooms, ask whether the piece you like is in stock or made to order, and which sizes, fabrics, leathers and finishes it comes in. If it is made to order, get the estimated delivery date in writing. A few stores sell from the floor: Monica James & Co. (131 NE 40th St) keeps in-stock pieces, and Design Within Reach (4141 NE 2nd Ave, Suite 102) has its furniture on hand to try.
Design help is often free
Several showrooms will plan a room with you. Blu Dot (4112 NE 1st Ave) offers complimentary design services and builds moodboards around your budget, style and timeline. Jonathan Adler (44 NE 41st St) offers complimentary interior design services. Poliform lists turnkey design services, and Bulthaup has in-house kitchen designers. If you are working with your own interior designer, bring them or their contact details; they can ask the showroom about trade terms, which the stores don't publish.
Go on a weekday
This is the most important planning note. Most furniture showrooms close on Sunday, several close all weekend, and many keep shorter Saturday hours. Holly Hunt, LIAIGRE, Monica James, Poltrona Frau and Bulthaup are weekday-only. On a Sunday, your choices are Blu Dot, Design Within Reach, Jonathan Adler, Maiden Home and Baccarat.
The Italian Houses on NE 2nd Avenue
Start at the south end and walk north. Armani/Casa (3820 NE 2nd Ave) is Giorgio Armani's home collection. Across the street, Minotti (3801 NE 2nd Ave) shows the Italian maker's hand-crafted indoor and outdoor collections, designed by Rodolfo Dordoni. Cassina (3901 NE 2nd Ave), founded in 1927, pairs contemporary pieces with icons of the Modern Movement; it is the stop for anyone furnishing around a design classic.
The 4100 block is the densest stretch. Molteni&C (4100 NE 2nd Ave, Suite 103-203) has a 7,300-square-foot flagship; Vincent Van Duysen is the brand's creative director. In the same building, Poliform (Suites 101 & 102) goes beyond sofas and beds into wardrobes, storage and kitchens, which makes it useful if you are doing a whole apartment. Poltrona Frau (Suite 104) makes furnishings for homes, offices and public spaces and is open weekdays only, 11am to 5pm.
Across the avenue, B&B Italia (4141 NE 2nd Ave, Suite 115), founded in 1966, opened its first Miami showroom here, about 900 square meters. For Fendi Casa, go to Luxury Living Showroom (50 NE 39th St), which also carries Bentley Home, Trussardi Casa and Baccarat La Maison.
Tip: Bring photos of your room and its measurements, including doorways and elevator dimensions if you live in a high-rise. A sofa that looks right on a showroom floor can be too big for a living room.
Designer Studios and Easier Starting Points
For a designer's eye
Holly Hunt (3833 NE 2nd Ave) designs, produces and shows custom-made furniture, lighting, rugs, textiles and leathers, for indoors and out. It keeps weekday hours, 9am to 5pm. LIAIGRE (137 NW 40th St), on the west side of Miami Avenue, shows the house's furniture, lighting, textiles and leathers. Monica James & Co. has been in the district for 27 years and mixes contemporary furniture with textiles, rugs, wallpaper and lines such as Kelly Wearstler, George Smith and Best & Lloyd.
Easier starting points
If you are early in the search, start where you can sit, measure and take notes without an appointment. Design Within Reach sets its collection out in eight themed rooms, including one for outdoor furniture. Blu Dot is a relaxed place to start. Maiden Home (3740 NE 2nd Ave), a New York design house selling sculptural furniture, stays open until 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Jonathan Adler's district shop is the largest Jonathan Adler boutique in the world, with decor, bedding, lighting and furniture.
Lighting, Crystal and Rugs
Luminaire (201 NE 39th St) has been in business since 1974 and calls its showroom an interactive design research center; it is worth a stop for ideas before you commit elsewhere. Artemide (4141 NE 2nd Ave, Unit 105) is devoted entirely to lighting and is open by appointment only, weekdays 10am to 5pm, so call ahead. For chandeliers and crystal, Baccarat Boutique (140 NE 39th St, Suite 210) keeps retail hours, including Sundays.
For rugs, three stores in this guide can help. Holly Hunt makes custom rugs, Monica James carries them, and Jonathan Adler has a design-your-own program for custom rugs, pillows and throws. Bring a fabric swatch or a photo of your floor so you can judge color in the store's light.
Outdoor Furniture and Kitchens
Outdoor
Miami's terraces and pool decks make outdoor furniture its own category here. Harbour (3925 N Miami Ave), the Australian outdoor brand, has its first Miami showroom in the district, which it describes as a pop-up, so check that it is still open before making a special trip. Blu Dot shows its outdoor collection on its back patio, Design Within Reach has an outdoor room, and Minotti and Holly Hunt both make outdoor lines. Ask about fabrics and finishes made for sun and salt air, and how the pieces should be stored or covered in hurricane season.
Kitchens and closets
The district is also where Miami shops for European kitchens. Boffi | DePadova (80 NE 40th St) shows kitchens and room settings from Boffi, DePadova, MA/U Studio and ADL. Bulthaup (3805 NE Miami Ct) makes custom kitchens and living spaces and offers in-house design services. CESAR Kitchens (4141 NE 2nd Ave, Suite 104) opened a 4,000-square-foot flagship in February 2025. Ornare (4040 NE 2nd Ave, Suite 103), from Brazil, makes custom kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms, home theaters and offices. Kitchens are a renovation project, so bring floor plans and appliance choices to the first meeting. For more kitchen and outdoor showrooms in Coral Gables, see our Miracle Mile guide.
Parking, Lunch and What to Ask
The district has four garages: Palm Court Garage (140 NE 39th St), Museum Garage (90 NE 41st St), Paradise Plaza Garage (151 NE 41st St) and City View Garage (3800 NE 1st Ave). The district lists garage rates of $3 for up to four hours, $6 for four to six hours and $25 for the day, and valet at 10 stations for $5, $10 and $40. A furniture day usually runs longer than you plan, so pay for six hours.
Break for lunch at Michael's Genuine (130 NE 40th St), a Bib Gourmand with a shaded courtyard, or Mandolin Aegean Bistro (4312 NE 2nd Ave), a Bib Gourmand serving Greek and Turkish mezze. To add fashion, art and dinner, follow our Design District luxury walk.
Questions to ask before you pay
Is this piece in stock or made to order, and what is the estimated delivery date? What does delivery cost, and does it include carrying it upstairs and removing packaging? What is the deposit, and can the order be changed or canceled after it is placed? Can I take fabric or finish samples home? Is the floor sample for sale? Write down the model name and every option you chose, and ask for the same details on your receipt.
