The new Tui Lifestyle showroom at 136 Greene Street in Soho and (left to right) brokers Brenda Powers and Louise Sunshine, who are fans of the brand; designer Tui Pranich

Less than two months after the debut of their Soho showroom, the founders of Miami-based Tui Lifestyle, the two-year-old interior design start-up that promises turn-key luxury home furnishings in a span of 72 hours, are thinking about moving their corporate headquarters to New York City.
Tui, the brainchild of entrepreneur Jason Atkins and designer Tui Pranich, timed its 2008 launch with that of Jorge Perez’s Icon Brickell in Miami and has since made a name for itself in the South Florida region by marketing its affordable, yet high-end, furniture and accessories collections to developers who use them to furnish their model apartments and incentivize buyers.
Among the takers so far: Canyon Ranch Miami Beach, Trump Hollywood, Trump Towers in Sunny Isles Beach and Miami’s Viceroy condominium. But in Atkins’ own words, “Miami is nothing compared to New York.” … [more]

When Donald Trump built Trump Tower, his father, developer Fred Trump, suggested he use brick instead of glass, the real estate mogul told the Financial Times in a “Things My Mentor Taught Me” feature today. The elder Trump began mentoring the young Donald when he was young. “I would follow him around construction sites and see how he conducted business,” he said. But the relationship grew into a more formal business partnership. “His four-step formula for success was simple: get in, get it done, get it done right and get out,” Donald recalled. “I didn’t agree with everything he said. I wanted to develop in Manhattan, which he couldn’t understand. He was satisfied with Brooklyn and Queens… brick worked for him, but that wasn’t my vision,” Trump said. [Financial Times]

… [more]