The visual feast that is Design.Miami

There is a comically chaotic traffic jam in Miami as locals weave around the gallerists, collectors, artists, designers and the casually curious patrons from around the globe heading to Art Basel and the 20 satellite fairs that overtake the city this week. Miami Art Week has become saturated and overwhelming. Going in without a plan is risky.

Since I wouldn’t recommend winging it, allow me to offer some direction instead: One fair in particular can be credited with giving the scene its interior design boost — Design.Miami. Now in its 21st year, the fair presents an expertly curated visual feast of collectible design galleries, taking the functional pieces we rely on every day — furnishings — and elevating them to the level of art, infusing them with a deeper emotional value. They’ve solidified their place as the true vanguard of contemporary design.

The Future Perfect booth at Design Miami

Always on the cutting edge, Design.Miami exhibits pieces that get designers excited about designing. Attending is the best way to keep your finger on the pulse of the new colors, shapes, textures and processes that will eventually become trends and trickle down to consumer goods. For example, this year there is a material emphasis on mirrors, glass and metallics reflected throughout the fair, and loose wave-like shapes and abstract sputniks that look like paint splatters, spores and starbursts.

What follows is a round up of highlights from the fair from some of our favorite galleries including Todd Merrill Studio, The Future Perfect, Lasvit, Moderne , Superhouse and more: