Exotic Furnishings by
Doro Design
Some serious craftwork began about seven years ago in a tucked away warehouse near Wynwood Miami. Using only natural and reclaimed materials, Doro Designs creates exotic furnishings that double as contemporary art and are centerpieces in a handful of Miami luxury residences, offices, hospitality venues and condominium buildings.
Owned, managed and curated by California native Timon Harris and Jonah Gouin, Doro Designs sources material from around the world and manages a network of expert, little-known craftsmen here in Miami and beyond to produce the custom finished products.
“That’s a really cool part of the story. I’ve got a network of hard-working, crafty, talented guys that I bring in to work with me and build these super custom pieces that need to be commercial grade,” explains Timon. “We work with sustainable exotic wood, metal, glass, acrylic, plexiglass, micro and regular cement, as well as new products.”
Credit: Barry Grossman
Doro Designs began by importing its pieces, but the team quickly learned there was a niche for custom-designed pieces. Well-known local folks like David Grutman of Groot Hospitality, and Jessica Goldman of Goldman Properties were some of the first to request custom DORO furnishings. From there, the firm has produced pieces for many luxury residences and celebrities alike. The process of creating fully custom, individual projects take about six to eight weeks to complete.
For the spectacular wood tables and other furniture pieces Doro Designs is producing, they know how to secure and process the ideal product from mills with more sustainable governments like Costa Rica, the United States and Canada where the wood is dryer and better for the high-quality product it’s producing.
“In Costa Rica, for example, there are about 40 different varieties of wood being harvested at different times of the year with government approval. These are fast-growing, girthy acacia species, particularly Guanacaste and a handful of others,” says Timon.
Credit: Doro Design
That said, they also source and custom fabricate products using very high-quality and more expensive American Walnut and Black Walnut species as well as others. Some of these finished pieces, typically sourced by designers like Susan LaFleur of One Line Design Studio and Francois Froussard, have made their way into commercial projects by architecture and design firms like Stantec including Midtown 2, Muze at Met in Downtown Miami, The Gates Hotel South Beach and Eve at the District in the Design District. New projects include custom work for the JLL Miami office in Brickell and for various architecture and design firm’s including Gensler and Kobi Karp. Then there’s always the single superlative for the client, owner that just falls in love with the quality of the craftsmanship and style of the product.
Credit: Doro Design
Doro Designs produces about 200 custom pieces per year in the form of communal tables, benches, side tables, lamps, chairs, desks and consoles, all of which make a statement. Timon confirms that the pieces come to life once they are installed in a beautiful space.
“They provide a sense of warmth that can be felt. That’s a part of the process that I really enjoy, seeing our client’s reactions,” he added.
Timon is approachable, real and focused on the client creative journey. His good nature and energy have allowed him to expand his business by building an impressive network of natural elements, providers and brand relationships, allowing him to sell his finished products across the US and beyond.
Credit: Barry Grossman