He went to Africa and spent seven years doing soil analysis to help farmers determine which crops to plant.
The two were married in 1987, and together they began to design contemporary furniture distinct from the spare or historical aesthetics popular in the late 1980s.
Savarese and his wife designed pieces that reinterpreted classical styles and used vibrant colors.
The couple's designs were praised at the first International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City.
They began producing furniture at a factory in The Bronx and opened a retail store on Broome Street in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood.