This legendary villa was built for the Cuban government. Now it’s The Future Perfect’s new Miami gallery

Tucked inconspicuously, with quiet splendour amid lush vegetation in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, we find Villa Paula, the latest outpost of the contemporary design gallery The Future Perfect.

‘We love Miami – its beautiful culture drew us to the city, and we found this incredible space, which made the decision to open in Miami a no-brainer,’ says Future Perfect founder David Alhadeff.

The villa was originally built by architect Cayetano Freira for the Cuban government in 1926 to serve as a consulate and private residence for the Consul Domingo Milord and his wife, Paula Milord, the villa’s namesake. Paula, a renowned opera singer, would entertain social gatherings of artists, musicians and intellectuals, imprinting century deep stories of diplomacy and artistic exchange on the landmark property.

This energy and creative legacy are carried through by Alhadeff and embodied by The Future Perfect’s unique locations, which include a New York townhouse, renovated by Sir David Chipperfield; a Los Angeles manse, the former home of Hollywood legend Samuel Goldwyn; and a minimal San Francisco gallery.

‘Our brand is connected to these architectural locations. I love lore, I love history. If the history is the narrative of the architecture, then that’s great. We represent unique and incredible works, so we want to be in spaces that are equally incredible,’ says Alhadeff.

The interiors in Villa Paula’s main building were left nearly intact – a picture in time. As you step out of the sweltering heat and into the comforting warmth of its preserved stained-glass windows, vibrant tile work, white stately columns, and expansive wood doors, you are reminded of old Havana via Miami. The architectural elements, brought in by boat from Cuba, still carry their delicate imperfections with an eerie yet beautiful story of grandeur.

Keeping with the villa’s narrative, The Future Perfect has meticulously curated the space to feel as if each piece had always belonged there. You find Ian Colling’s stone side tables elegantly dispersed throughout the long central corridor as if excavated from the brown tiled earth.

The adjacent rooms are jewel box vignettes with works by renowned designers Lindsey Adelman, Piet Hein Eek, Vikram Goyal, Jason Koharik, Faye Toogood, Christophe Delcourt, Chris Wolston, Volker Haug and Eric Roinestad, to name a few. Chen Chen & Kai Williams’ Geo Transition mirror could have easily absorbed the fragments of broken floor tiles torn loose by hurricane winds.

There are also a handful of pieces by local and Latin American artists – Florida-based Autumn Casey’s illuminated sculptures, Venezuelan-born Reinaldo Sanguino’s functional ceramics. En route to a separate outdoor pavilion stands a sculpture of the nymph Dafne, by Antonio Aricò, poised in time as if she also arrived in that boat 100 years ago with tales to tell.

The programming will evolve to reflect the gallery’s locale, emphasizes Alhadeff. ‘For our Miami rotation right now, we have one or two pieces for each artist, a taste of what we do,’ he says. ‘Each location has informed us programmatically. Miami is a gateway to Latin America and will inform us of those artists too. We’ll develop a relationship and from there it will inform us – and that’s exciting!’

The villa will be activated during Art Basel Design/Miami through special events and the unveiling of a new gallery extension. The horse’s stable has been converted into a dark and seductive metal-clad space – where you might find yourself at 4 am after the after-party. Another a red-curtained room will open to the public in the coming weeks. ‘The space is such a jaw-dropper,’ Alhadeff says.

It’s all in service of a sense of discovery uniting The Future Perfect’s US satellites: that ‘unexpected feeling when you walk in,’ Alhadeff adds.