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The Sensory Journey – Grand Opening of RIVA Miami Flagship in the Design District

Soft light filters across wood and natural surfaces as the new RIVA Spain flagship opens in Miami’s Design District. More than a showroom, it is a narrative of origins—family and forest—translated into an elegant, tactile experience that brings Mediterranean soul to an international stage.

RIVA Spain’s debut flagship arrives with the conviction of a long-held dream made tangible. “This is a dream come true” shares CEO Borja Iglesias, who has spent the past seven years in the city. Built as the most extraordinary wood flooring store in the world, the project embodies both ambition and artistry. The brand’s headquarters and core team are rooted here, and the opening signals a new chapter: not only direct dialogue with clients but a deeper, more generous exchange with the design community. Rather than a transactional space, the showroom positions itself as a place to learn, share knowledge, and build lasting relationships around the material truth of wood.

"Surrounded by the warmth of hardwood floors and the calm of stone, we design with humility—so homes breathe easier, projects last longer, and craft remains a promise kept from forest to floor"

The story begins where RIVA began—family and forest. As fourth-generation custodians, Borja and his brother Jacobo steward an 80-year craft lineage through their own factory in Spain, where artisanal expertise and technological innovation converge. This foundation honors not only the source of every surface—nature—but also the hands and processes that transform raw timber into enduring design. A monumental block of European white oak, brought from Western Europe, anchors the narrative, reminding visitors that every plank originates as a living organism shaped by time and climate. “We treat our raw materials like ingredients” Borja notes, a cue that frames the entire concept: materials selected, balanced, and elevated with the care of a chef composing a dish. This culinary metaphor unfolds in the Market—a striking installation that replaces produce with the “ingredients” of RIVA’s world: soil, leaves, bark, and even the forest’s sugars. Here, the chain from forest to floor becomes visible and tactile, a curated ecology that contextualizes each product. The idea resonates further in the showroom’s gastronomic moments—like the olive “explosion”—and in the collaboration with Michelin-starred Galician chefs Pepe Solla and Begoña Rodrigo, whose menus echo RIVA’s values: product, essence, and natural simplicity.

Beyond atmosphere, the product taxonomy is clear and rigorous. The four signature “totems” present the breadth of the collection: engineered hardwood floors in Select (clean) and Character (knotted) grades; ceramic surfaces calibrated to the wood palette for seamless indoor–outdoor continuity; pattern work, including herringbone and the Arte collection in four tones; and solid-timber cladding in American walnut and European oak. Color is treated as the project’s primary decision—“the coloring dictates any type of project,” explains showroom director Juan Reina—supported by grading, depth, and finish as secondary refinements.

"We believe luxury is connection: to origin, to community, to the subtle textures of everyday life. When design is honest and generous, spaces feel lived-in before the first step is taken"

Customization is elevated to an art form. At the Design Lab, clients and designers refine tones, textures, and finishes, personalizing selections with nuanced control. Large-format samples hidden within elegantly detailed cabinetry invite side-by-side comparison, while the arrangement of three gondolas—light coastal hues, quiet neutrals, and rich darks—guides the eye from clarity to character. The experience encourages slow looking, touch, and dialogue, shifting the cadence of specifying from hurried choice to considered decision. Place is honored through memory and metaphor. “Riva in Galician means coast” Borja reminds us, and in Miami that coastline finds form in the Wave Lounge—an ode to Galicia’s rugged inlets and rhythmical swell. A preserved 300-year-old olive tree, transported from Spain, becomes the space’s living emblem: timeless, serene, and, through preservation, miraculously maintenance-free. The gesture signals RIVA’s respect for longevity and the thoughtful stewardship of natural specimens.

Community anchors the project’s purpose. “This is a space to feel inspired… to work as a community,” says COO Jacobo Iglesias. The showroom invites architects, designers and homeowners to linger, share a drink, assemble mood boards, and explore materiality in real time. This spirit extends to industry collaboration: AIA Miami’s Colleen Stovall underscores alignment around sustainability and cultural openness, noting RIVA’s active engagement with the city’s creative ecosystem and the organization’s mission.

The evening itself mirrored the brand’s ethos. Influencer and actor Raquel Meroño—fresh from a renovation featuring RIVA’s European White Oak—spoke to the ease of expert, personalized guidance and the freedom to tune color to mood. Michelin-starred chef Pepe Solla drew a direct line between living wood and living cuisine—both elevated by restraint, essence, and origin—while Michelin-starred chef Begoña Rodrigo’s paella and fideuà offered a bright, generous introduction to Spanish gastronomy in Miami, reinforcing the notion that great design, like great food, builds bridges.

What emerges is not a store but a stance: quality as a non-negotiable, sustainability as practice, and beauty as a conduit to well-being. From sourcing European hardwoods to maintaining in-house control—“from the woods to the floors”—RIVA Spain reaffirms a promise to durability, clarity, and care. “We want to revolutionize the industry” Borja says. In Miami, the revolution feels quiet, assured, and exquisitely made—less about spectacle than about raising the bar for how materials are understood, chosen, and cherished. The showroom will operate by appointment only and it is located at 78 NW 37th St, Miami, Florida. You may schedule your private tour by contacting Riva Flagship at 305.794.4956 or by visiting Riva's website.