Minima — Local services in Philadelphia

Minima is a design lover’s dream situated in the heart of Philadelphia. Having grown from one showroom into 3 is a testament to the commercial savvy and refined tastes of owners Eugenie Perret and Michael Schmick. Eugenie’s restrained elegance compliments Michael’s bold vision, which is what they bring to any design project. We are very fortunate to have met Eugenie and Michael many years ago when they brought their flair to re-design our formal living room, which has become a convivial but stylish place (thanks to Minima!) for friends to gather.

We recently had the pleasure of working with Minima again on our Family Room and their incredibly talented designer, Jill Book, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience! From the moment we walked into their re-designed showrooms filled with modern, luxury furniture, accessories, and lighting, we were dazzled by the elegant, curated spaces that showcased both creativity and functionality. Dotted with just enough accessories to attract the client but not enough to overwhelm lux brands like Minotti, Porro, Living Divani, and DeSalto, the showrooms are ideal resources for visualizing one's space. Also, a collaboration with Bang & Olufsen means that the discerning client can plan their audiovisual, lighting, window treatments, climate control, and much more through a single window.

From the start, Jill listened. She took the time to understand our vision, preferences, and specific needs for seating, storage, and entertaining. Her keen eye for detail, ability to balance aesthetics with practicality, and knowledge of the latest trends made the entire process seamless and enjoyable. She presented us with thoughtful ideas that aligned perfectly with our goals while suggesting innovative touches we hadn’t considered. Most importantly, she was able to redesign the space with sufficient seating, tables, and storage space for books, art, and other personal items, reassuring us about the result throughout the process.

Where Minima stands out from its peers is the seamless collaboration between design and general contracting. Jill and Mike Kelly have an established process so the handoff was incredibly smooth, with clear communication and detailed plans that ensured nothing was overlooked. Both parties worked together effortlessly, keeping everything on schedule and aligned with our vision. This level of coordination made the entire process stress-free and resulted in a beautifully executed final product. We couldn’t be happier with the teamwork and professionalism.

Suffice it to say that the results far exceeded our expectations. Jill brought our vision to life in a way that feels both timeless and uniquely tailored to us. We couldn’t recommend Minima and their team more highly. Thank you for helping us create a space we truly love - we can't wait...

We moved to a new place with less storage so needed a very large wall unit with plenty of shelves & storage. I did a bit of research and knew the piece was going to be expensive, but wanted something good looking and STURDY, which is not a simple goal. The systems at Minima (we chose the Pianca brand) were perfect and, due to the way they're manufactured, almost like custom-built because you can specify dimensions down to a few centimeters. We worked with Alexander who spent a lot of time, showed us a number of options and helped us design a piece that worked well for our space. He oversaw the delivery (which was complicated by the pandemic) and install so everything went very smoothly. When we had the unit installed it looked even prettier than the samples we'd seen in the showroom. The piece looks great! I would definitely...

This furniture shop was a huge help to me from start to finish and worth every penny. Alexander spent as much time as I needed in the showroom and helped me choose furniture and fabrics as well as wall paper and lighting. When the furniture arrived Alexander accompanied the delivery men as part of Minima's white glove service. I only live in my Philly apt part time and was out of town when the furniture arrived but that didn't matter as Alexander worked smoothly with the building's property manager and arranged everything. He had the furniture placed in my living room in the manner I requested while we talked on the phone and he sent me pictures. I love it all, the colors of the chairs and sofa and wall paper go together so well. The furniture, Minotti, is...