A high-end, contemporary European decor concept based in Ecuador has popped up in Houston with permanent plans to enter the city's furniture and interior design market in a prime Inner Loop location by the end of the year.
Led by Adrian Dueñas, U.S. brand manager, and business partner Marcelo Saenz, the new homeIDENTITY has emerged. It's where now you can get a taste of — and purchase and order — the company's furniture, textiles, wallcoverings, accessories and original artwork in a temporary pop-up showroom at 4411 Montrose Blvd.
Construction on an all-glass, two-story, 4,000-square-feet permanent store at 2016 W. Alabama St. is to begin in a month, with completion estimated at mid-November.
“We’ve always had the idea in mind to enter the U.S. market. I finally told our friends we were coming to Houston.”
The pop-up showroom, comfortably fashioned with vignettes of different home living areas, is open through the end of July, with floor displays changing weekly. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and by appointment only on Sundays at 713-623-1177. HomeIDENTITY recently celebrated its Houston presence with a launch party treating party-goers to a sneak peek of the pop-up store..
“Our vendors are really excited for our concept in the United States,” Dueñas says of the 12-year-old homeIDENTITY family. “We’ve always had the idea in mind to enter the U.S. market. I finally told our friends we were coming to Houston.”
Not New York City, not Los Angeles, not Miami to the surprise — and approval —of all partners, but Houston. After many visits to see friends and to really grasp the market, Houston was the unanimous destination, Dueñas says.
Specializing in Kartell, the new store — and the pop-up shop — highlight everything the company has to offer, from chairs and tables to home accents. In fact, the permanent location is to house a “shop within a shop” dedicated solely to Kartell. A large part of homeIDENTITY'S mission is to customize home environments with on-site visitations and shape customers' living spaces based on individual tastes and lifestyles.
Also look for brands exclusive to homeIDENTITY, such as Vibia designer lighting for indoors and out, NaniMarquina Rugs & Design and Tres Tintas handmade wallcoverings from Spain, as well as Elitis wallcoverings from France in texture-rich selections from wood-inspired to silk to cork to shimmering metallic for glam. The company has more partnerships with Europe firms, including with artAZ gallery in Greece for cutting-edge, one-of-a-kind artwork.
And homeIDENTITY is bringing its own line of furniture to Houston, as well, made in Ecuador by master craftsmen.
“We have designers from all over the world,” Dueñas says, “and we hope to work with Texas designers, too. “We have selected the best to show in harmony in the friendliest way to help people picture how that table can work with that lamp and other combinations.
“This is an invitation to everyone to visit us.”
Detail of a NaniMarquina rug, this one in felt.
