In the middle of what could turn out to be a great migration, the demand for luxurious turnkey homes in South Florida is at an all-time high. Artefacto (@artefactomiami) CEO Paulo Bacchi talks about how his high-end furniture company has experienced record demand for fully furnished, move-in-ready homes in the past few months.

This sprawling staged residence in Arte Surfside features pieces from Artefacto’s latest collection, created by Brazilian designer Patricia Anastassiadis.

The villa features nearly 7,000 square feet of interior space and two kitchens.

THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IS WHITE HOT IN SOUTH FLORIDA. HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOUR BUSINESS? South Florida’s real estate market has truly never been hotter. While home staging is nothing new to the industry, our team has never experienced a demand for fully furnished, turnkey homes as we have in recent months—it’s amazing. It is largely due to the growing number of buyers from New York and California, who are heading south to avoid cold weather and high taxes.

HOW MANY HOMES HAVE YOU STAGED IN THE LAST 90 DAYS OR SO? Believe it or not, over 30 homes staged by Artefacto were purchased in the past 90 days alone, many of which were listed for upward of $10 million.

WHAT ARE IMPORTANT TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN STAGING A HOME? Location is everything; opt for pieces that enhance the surrounding environment. If the residence has beautiful water views, for example, we typically fuse styles and textures that complement the overall setting, like furnishings and accessories that embrace neutral color palettes or boast organic elements and exotic woods.

The villa showcases some of the brand’s boldest pieces, including the Orfei sofa, Jud coffee table, Lena dining table, Carrie dining chairs and one of the centerpieces of the latest collection, the Arp chaise.

DO MOST OF THE BUYERS PURCHASE THE HOME COMPLETELY FURNISHED? Yes. In fact, over 90% of buyers purchase the home completely furnished with Artefacto pieces.

ANY NOTABLE SALES YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION? We recently worked with Todd Michael Glaser and Kobi Karp on an incredible waterfront home in Miami Beach. The residence was only on the market for a week before it was sold for $18.5 million. In fact, we didn’t even have the chance to get it photographed! Nelson Gonzalez had the listing. We also worked closely with Jay Parker and the Douglas Elliman team on the sale of an exquisite duplex villa at Arte by Antonio Citterio in Surfside. The home was one of the first to be fully outfitted with Artefacto’s latest collection by Patricia Anastassiadis, so it’s a project that was near and dear to my heart.

ANY NEW TRENDS YOU ARE SEEING IN THE INTERIOR DESIGN INDUSTRY? With so many people looking to spend more time outdoors during the pandemic, we’re seeing increased interest in patio furnishings. In the same vein, many are looking to upgrade their work-from-home space (or ‘Zoom room,’ as we like to call it) with luxe desks and side tables.

The veranda features more of the newest collection.

WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR ARTEFACTO? Artefacto is gearing up to unveil an incredible new flagship in Coral Gables this summer. The expansive, 45,000-square-foot space will feature a modernist exterior by DOMO Architecture + Design that captures eyes in all directions. With lush green walls, street-level window displays and unexpected elements at every turn, the new showroom will off er a one-of-a-kind experience that is completely unique to the home furnishings sector. We cannot wait for the South Florida community to experience it firsthand.