The Bruno Effect marketplace launches
A new design and collectibles marketplace, The Bruno Effect, founded by former 1stDibs international managing director Carmine Bruno, launches today.
The global marketplace will seek to connect interior designers and collectors with a curated selection of furniture and collectibles from leading antique, vintage and contemporary dealers.
Believing design marketplaces should foster open communication and relationships, former 1stDibs International managing director Carmine Bruno founded The Bruno Effect to enable designers and collectors to communicate directly with the most renowned dealers online, and take transactions offline. It launches with hundreds of renowned dealers in the US, UK and Europe and over 30,000 exceptional pieces of antiques, vintage and contemporary design.
The marketplace seeks to complement current offerings within the furniture and collectibles resale industry, which is expected to reach $16.6bn by 2025, rather than compete with them. Unlike other marketplaces, it forgoes the prevalent one-click transactional model which anonymises dealers and prevents designers and collectors from engaging with them and purchasing on their own terms. By being able to seamlessly connect with vetted dealers to learn about the items they’re sourcing, buyers can negotiate and purchase confidently off the platform.
“This marketplace is a long time in the making. Though we started building it 18 months ago, I’ve believed for many years that there’s a better way to connect interior designers and collectors to a global supply of the finest antique, vintage and contemporary design. The Bruno Effect brings this vision to life,” said Carmine Bruno. “The internet is an incredibly powerful sourcing tool, but Amazon-style marketplaces that regulate buyer-seller communication have created barriers when trying to buy a one-of-a-kind, high-value item. While they have sought to disrupt the industry, we are here to harmonise it, and we are thrilled to liberate the design community by giving them what they want: one place to source the best global high-end furniture and collectibles and connect directly with the dealers.”
The Bruno Effect is a family-owned business and has assembled a team of design industry veterans who collectively bring more than 60 years of experience. In celebration of the launch, it has partnered with American designer Schuyler Samperton and British interior designer Shalini Misra, who curated exclusive collections available from November 10.
Founding members of the marketplace include: Koopman Rare Art, Lennox Cato Antiques, Ronald Phillips and Robert Young Antiques in the UK; Twentieth, Moderne Gallery and Todd Merrill in the US; Galerie BSL and Galerie Marcilhac in France; Galerie Gaudium and Bloomberry in the Netherlands; Alain Hens and Goldwood Interiors in Belgium; Modernity in Sweden; Compasso in Italy; and O’Sullivan Antiques in Ireland. New dealers will be added through the company’s invite-only model.
Ahead of the launch, the company introduced Effect Magazine, a digital publication designed to amplify and inspire creative voices in design. The magazine has featured Kit Kemp, Matthew Williamson, Rachel Chudley, Todd Merrill, Michelle Ogundehin and more.
Interior designer Stephan Jones commented: “My studio is looking forward to the launch of The Bruno Effect. Online sourcing from curated vendors has become ever more important for my practice and my industry.”