Former Martha Stewart exec opening San Juan store
Aaron Stewart first visited Puerto Rico four years ago on vacation, and is now envisioning it as a place to do business.
Aaron Stewart, a former high-ranking executive at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, is set to make his debut in retail with the upcoming opening of a home goods store in San Juan.
The 3,200 square-foot Aaron Stewart Home location in Puerta de Tierra will open in October, featuring a variety of home decorating elements — from affordable to very high-end — from a list of “who’s who” of designers including Matouk, John Robshaw, Kim Seybert and Kelly Wearstler.
“The store that I envision is one where anybody that walks in can afford something. I’ve been in the [design] industry for 15 years and have friends that design product lines that I like. About 80 percent to 90 percent of the products that I want to bring are currently not sold in Puerto Rico,” he said, adding he will open the store with the support of his partner Fernando Rodríguez-Pérez, who will apply 25 years of experience in sales to handle that aspect of the venture.
Although he is not related to Martha Stewart, Aaron Stewart was instrumental in substantially boosting the domestic diva’s bottom line while working for her in New York for the past three years. Prior to that, he spent seven years as creative director of Sferra Bros, Ltd. a $30 million company engaged in the sale, design and marketing of luxury home textiles.
“At Martha Stewart, I was surrounded by the most creative people. She has a way of cutting through and catching things that others don’t see,” he said, describing his time with the company, where he also worked early on in his career, from 2001 to 2003.
The future Aaron Stewart Home location will open in October, at the former Banco Popular location in Puerta de Tierra.
Now, he envisions a store in Puerto Rico where locals, tourists and residents from neighboring islands in the Caribbean can come for their bedding, bath, table linens, table top accessories, glassware, lighting, rugs, artwork and furniture.
“Everybody should have nice things in their house and we’re going to feature beautiful things that will range from the affordable to other more aspirational pieces that customers can look forward to buying some years down the road,” he said.
For his store in San Juan, Stewart will be working with local artisans to design “modern, chic” pieces of pottery, textiles and other materials.
Thanks for this much needed, English language product!
This is needed because most business people here have no mind of their own. Someone decides to start importing one thing and then the rest follow. There is zero variety! At my job in NYC, many of my superiors were also former high ranking employees of Martha Stewart Omniedia (boy, did they have stories!) and their “eye” is very attentive to detail and quality and they demand the very best. Also, this is not important, but I was at several events with Martha present and boy is she a force to be reckon with… that is both a bad and kind of good thing.
PS- PLEASE keep us updated on when and where it will open. I’ve very interested! Best luck to him!
GOOD NOTICE!!!