Because they wanted to do most of the online fulfillment in-house, Kron and Brito needed to look not only for space where they could showcase furniture in their second store, but also for warehouse and office space to help launch their e-commerce business.

They settled on the Design District, an up-and-coming area filled with high-design home décor showrooms, and adjacent to a booming area of mid-town Miami, with new condominium developments going up as fast as they’re being sold and classic houses from the 1920s through the 50s being rediscovered and renovated.

Kron and Brito worked with a local architect to create a space for Genius Jones that’s very clean and modern but also very kid- and mom-friendly, said Kron.

“There are a lot of low surfaces with toys to play with,” he said. “We encourage kids to touch and play with things in the store…it makes it a fun place to be in.”

Kron does all the buying for the store, and he looks for unique products. “We want to surprise people with great stuff,” he said. “I look for great design with a modern aesthetic, but it’s important that the stuff works. We don’t want to be a museum of modern design. There are some products that look great, but we don’t feel that they meet the standard.”

The new Genius Jones features 20-foot ceilings, all white walls, a minimalist feel, and the company’s signature swimming-pool-blue painted concrete floors.

“We’re not afraid to have a point of view,” said Kron. “We’re not afraid to lose a customer who walks in and doesn’t get it. So much retail has been homogenized. To build passion, you have to have a point of view.”

But as they do in their product selection, Kron and Brito have looked at the practical side of the store’s design as well, ensuring there are plenty of comfortable spaces for their pregnant customers to sit down, and providing a Netto changing table in the store’s restroom.

The merchandise mix features linens by dwell baby, Serena & Lily and Catamini; accessories by Offi, Agatha Ruiz del la Prada, Artencia lamps and Flensted; toys from Auto Moblox, Melissa & Doug, Fibi and Haba; apparel from Kingsley, Makie, Salvor, Trunk, Paul Frank and Calypso; Brazilian and Cuban lullaby CDs; Geuther high chairs and Peg Perego carseats.

Kron and Brito mix these products with vintage pieces and one-of-a-kind items, like a set of 1970s molded plastic chairs from Germany; lines with a local flair, such as Friends With You, a plush collection designed by a group of local Miami artists; and items that are not necessarily marketed to the juvenile market, but that work well in a kids’ environment.

“It’s very eclectic,” said Kron. “That’s where we really stand out…we find a lot of unusual things.”

Kron and Brito’s selection of staff is a bit non-traditional as well. “We stay away from people who have a typical retail background,” said Kron. “(Our employees) don’t have to sell very hard — the customers are already sold when they walk in the door. Our job is to educate.”

His staff includes two painters, a drummer and a woman who operates a record label in her spare time. “We all have backgrounds in creative things,” he said. “…We relate well to our core customers.”

Kron knows that while that core customer base is what he calls “design freaks,” the store has a much wider appeal. Some customers visit the store specifically for lines like David Netto or Bugaboo, he said; some are looking for a $20 birthday present, and others think of Genius Jones as a clothing store.

“It’s really interesting to see — every customer has a different perception,” he said. “We connect with a lot of different people on different levels.”

The online store promises to bring that connection to a whole host of people worldwide. Kron has a background in Web commerce, and has been developing the e-commerce arm of Genius Jones for some time. Currently, the store has a site that delivers product images and information, but this month, Kron hopes to have full e-commerce capabilities up and running, with registry features right behind.

He’s invested in a software system that’s the backbone of the venture, allowing him to track orders and feature realtime inventory.

“We’re going to be a serious competitor online, and be able to translate the same shopping experience you have in the store to online,” said Kron. “Whatever we do online, we want to be the best — you have to be the best to be taken seriously.”

But the mainstay of their business remains the brick-and-mortar store. “We really see customers, and see what really works,” said Brito. “…The customers really dictate what’s working and what’s not. It gives us a leg up on not just having beautiful products.”

Kron said he and Brito are “definitely” interested in opening additional stores, though they have no plans yet.

“What we’re doing represents the cutting edge of the market,” said Kron. “And we’re going to stay out there on the cutting edge."

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