When entrepreneur and design industry veteran Amauri Aguiar was conceptualising his new luxury interiors brand Verso, he knew that assembling a collection of heirloom quality modern and contemporary furniture, lighting, art, and design objects would be the easier of his two goals to achieve. Reinventing the operating model of the typical design showroom would be more challenging – but just as rewarding.
Instead of opening in another static storefront, co-located with the right group of competitors on the right New York street, Aguiar (formerly of Matter and Espasso) and his partner, architect Bryan Young, chose to launch the brand with a dynamic idea. The Verso ‘showroom’ will periodically exhibit its products with a series of limited engagements in destinations across the globe, starting in August 2022 in idyllic Bridgehampton, NY, with Los Angeles, Miami, and José Ignacio, Uruguay, scheduled to follow well into 2023. But don’t call it a pop-up.
Operating as a global, multichannel business based in cyberspace and a roving showroom is only possible because of Verso's proprietary technology, an essential part of Aguiar’s vision for the company. His software has already proven transformational internally, allowing Verso to serve a varied global clientele around the clock. For clients, it means transparency in the form of product information and real-time order updates via the website – which doesn’t sound like transformation, but sadly, for the furniture industry, it is.
While the inaugural Bridgehampton location may be temporary, it feels like home to Aguiar and Young. It’s an award-winning piece of residential architecture called the Six Square House, designed by Young's own New York City-based studio Young Projects. The 3,500 sq ft, two-bedroom, three-bath home is a contemporary take on the region’s traditional barn structures, smartly employing a grid of six tessellated volumes that together read as at once geometric and sculptural. It’s a compelling context for Verso’s one-of-a-kind, limited-edition pieces, which are shown beautifully throughout.
Fingerprint by Sagarika Sundaram
A brief tour begins in the living areas, where two feature works steal the show, Fingerprint, a massive wool installation by textile artist Sagarika Sundaram and a limited-edition piano by Italian designer Luca Nichetto for Steinway & Sons – the legendary NYC-based piano manufacturer. However, connoisseurs of classic Italian modern furniture will focus on the special re-editions of the 1970 ‘Marenco’ sofa by Mario Marenco and the 1979 ‘Strips’ sofa by Cini Boeri.
‘Marenco’ sofa by Mario Marenco
The centrepiece of the kitchen is a collection of ceramics by Brazilian artist Fernanda Pompermayer, cleverly displayed on the pantry shelves, making this typically overlooked space the highlight of the room. Outside, the patio spaces feature furniture by up-and-coming American artist Nick Missel and, by contrast, Italian legend Paola Lenti.
Two art installations are specific to this inaugural effort in Six Square House's gardens. An exhibition by Objects of Common Interest (Wallpaper* Designers of the Year 2022), previously shown at the Noguchi Museum in Queens, NY, dots the grounds, and a sculpture by Canadian lighting studio Lambert & Fils is a stunning beacon for early evening visitors.
Exhibition by Objects of Common Interest
Indeed, the entire home is replete with desirable objects, all the more attractive for their interesting backstories, says Aguiar. ‘For us, it’s not just about the aesthetics of our products. We value craftsmanship, ethical production, and responsible sourcing. We want to share those details. It’s also about the design intent and the stories that come out of the collaborations… That’s interesting. That’s what heirlooms are made of.’
INFORMATION
By appointment only, versoworks.cc
