Dutch design wunderkind Marcel Wanders has seeped into the design-savvy consciousness here in Miami via his décor for the Mondrian, a high-rise luxury condo on South Beach. His furniture line, Moooi, is now available off the rack, perfect for new condo owners who want a dramatic, nonconformist living environment. Abode, located in Miami’s new mecca for furniture — across the street from the spanking new West Elm store, and a stone’s throw from the Design District showrooms — is the first stand-alone Moooi store in the United States. No U. S. store carries the entire collection, so Miamians have first crack.

Wanders, originally a member of the Droog design collective that formed in the Netherlands in the 1990s, emphasizes a mix of ethnic and antique. His designs are witty and whimsical, their irrepressible charm overriding a sometimes inconsistent output. He is now center stage on the international design scene, and his collaborations with manufacturers such as B&B Italia and Bisazza are all over the map. Wanders claims that he “uses everything he’s used since the day he was born,” and the uninhibited aesthetic of the Moooi line shows the hand of the inner child everywhere. The theoretical rigor that characterized modernism has been put on the back burner, so that the wild child can flourish.

To illustrate this, Wanders touts his Boutique System as an “assault on the modular sofa.” The Boutique System is designed to alleviate the suffering Wanders perceives accompanies the purchase of a sofa. It is also a strategy to side-step the cookie-cutter approach to home décor. Wanders believes that every room should be unique. He encourages clients to customize, to mix and match. The Naked Sofa attempts to be all things to all people: The client first configures its structure, then selects legs, and slip covers are added to the buyer’s specifications. The catalog is full of poetic anecdotes, sharing Wanders’ personal experiences and fantasies for each object, injecting a human element into the mix. Named The Samurai Sofa, Indigo Garden Sofa, Diary, Narcissus, Manga, Snow White and the Seven Giants, and Daddy, the line is positively literary. Comic books and fairy tales are freely quoted along with the classics. Stephen Lasker, proprietor of Abode, describes the Moooi line as “conversational pieces that are also extremely functional.” Flexibility — and fun — in the home is the reigning modus operandi here. Ask Lasker about the Balls table, by designer Bertjan Pot, which transforms the ubiquitous, super-functional ugly duckling folding table into something delightful, sacrificing none of its perfect utility.

Among the pieces on view at Abode presently is the Paper group, fabricated in lightweight papier maché by Studio Job. A buffet, armoire, free-standing lamp and hanging chandelier have a ghostly presence, all in smooth white paper. Their somewhat large proportions freely adapt the monumentality of traditional designs, while maintaining the light, economical presence usually found in the prototype phase of the design process. The Smoke group, created by designer Maarten Baas for Moooi, is also on view. Appearing like the charred remains of an antique store fire, the blackened wood pieces have a gothic, horror house allure as well as delivering a unique tactile experience. Baas introduced his line in dramatic fashion in 2004 by burning icons of modernist furniture in the Moss showroom in New York, including Gerrit Rietveld’s 1934 Zig Zag chair and others by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Antoni Gaudi.

Like Philippe Starck before him, Wanders can’t resist updating sensual, baroque motifs, counterbalancing them with spare modernist lines. His Light Shade Shades are a perfect example of this: a traditional chandelier sheathed in reflective mylar-like material that amplifies the light within. His ambition appears to be to keep it fresh and glamorous, while remaining affordable. Lighting has been a successful Wanders’ category, epitomizing his ability to deliver accessible products to the consumer. His lighting designs can be seen in Macy’s on South Beach and at Dadeland Mall.

Abode, under Lasker’s direction, fills a niche here in Miami as the go-to location for one of the most winning stars on the international design scene. Lasker says he will answer the call for unique, quality bedding at the store, available soon. Presently, Wanders’ printed rug lines are available, in a range of sizes and colors, showcasing his lacy interpretations of classic upholstery motifs.

Wanders embraces the importance of marketing to the success of his Moooi line, and he seems at ease with the performative role of globetrotting designer. Wanders will attend the formal Moooi opening scheduled for May 2 to introduce his furniture line to the Miami audience. The Moooi Miami Showroom is located at 3438 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Call 305-573-4445.

Comments? E-mail letters@miamisunpost.com