Form and function

Brazil-based custom furniture maker picks Houston for first Texas store

Brazil-based Marel Design Mobili is coming to Houston. The purveyor of custom furnishings will open its first Texas showroom in April at 3600 Kirby Drive.

Known for designs that are stylish, sleek, sexy, and exquisitely made, Marel Design Mobili has been creating custom furnishings and spaces since the 1960s. The outfit specializes in a variety of living solutions, including kitchen cabinets, drawers and appliance housings, bedroom and living room wall mounts and cabinetry, bathroom storage units and closets, and office design components. Its clientele include home and office customers, architects, decorators, designers, and builders.

Marel is known for its exacting attention to detail working with countless customization possibilities.

The brand specializes in laccato, or lacquered surfaces, and offers a range of functional cabinetry and custom furnishings in a variety of painted finishes for natural wood veneers, metals, and glass available in more than 2,000 color options.

Given Houston’s reputation as a city that embraces stunning interior design blended with sleek functionality, Marel Design Mobili believes the Bayou City is a natural home for the brand.

“We see Houston as a city where discerning homeowners and businesses appreciate the type of bold design that aligns with Marel’s portfolio,” Marel Houston owner Wilson Bortolucci Filho said in a statement. “Houston’s economic clout and its distinction for valuing the best in interior design make it a perfect home for what Marel does best.”

The new, 2,200-square-foot showroom is a one-stop shop for those seeking luxury designs, whether they are renovating their homes, redesigning a room, or creating something entirely new. Designed to be a collaborative space where clients can discuss projects with a dedicated staff, Marel offers a high-touch experience that takes every detail of custom design into consideration. Following precise measurements, a 3D design is created for each project. The pieces are fabricated in Marel’s Brazil manufacturing center. They are shipped to Houston within a two-month window on average, then installed by a specialized team offering after-sale support.

The Upper Kirby location joins Marel Design Mobili locations in Miami and Orlando, Florida. The brand expects Houston to be a launch point for future Texas expansion.

Photo courtesy Marel Design Mobili

A family room designed by Marel Design Mobili, which opens in Houston in April

RETAIL WATCH

Bed Bath & Beyond returns to Houston via Container Store merger

The Container Store/Facebook

The Container Store is merging with Bed Bath & Beyond.

Bed Bath & Beyond is making a comeback — well, sort of. The Container Store is merging 98 of its nationwide stores with the once-mighty home goods chain, including the its Houston-area locations location in Uptown, Champions, and Friendswood.

On April 6, Bed Bath & Beyond entered into a merger agreement to purchase The Container Store for $150 million. A release says combining the two concepts’ goods will “better serve how customers live today.”

In recent years, both brands have been struggling as part of the “retail apocalypse” of big box stores. In December 2024, Coppell-based Container Store filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy without shedding any stores.

Bed Bath & Beyond, meanwhile, collapsed in summer 2023. After filing for Chapter 11, it liquidated all of its U.S. stores. It shuttered three Houston-area stores in 2020, followed by all of its remaining locations in 2023.

As part of the merger, The Container Store will be streamlining its offerings, cutting around 30 percent of its stock. Stores will be offering clearance prices on the items starting Friday, April 24. The Container Store will also be opening an hour early on April 25-26, giving early birds an extra 5 percent discount.

“This is a reset with purpose,” said Jen Pape, Senior Vice President of Stores at The Container Store, in a release. “We are actively reshaping our stores to make room for what’s next. By streamlining select categories today, we’re creating the space and flexibility needed to introduce Bed Bath & Beyond products and deliver a more complete home experience for our customers.”

The merger affects 12 Texas stores, including:

Arlington — 4000 Arlington Highlands Blvd #101
Austin — 9629 Research Blvd
Dallas — 13710 Dallas Pkwy
Dallas — 7700 W NW Hwy #500
Fairview — 151 East Stacy Rd
Fort Worth — 4601 West Fwy #500
Friendswood — 18760 Gulf Fwy
Houston — 5466 FM 1960 W
Houston — 2511 Post Oak Blvd
Plano — 8460 Parkwood Blvd
San Antonio — 333 NW Loop 410
Southlake — 1200 Main St

shopping mergers organization home goods retail