Philippe Ségalot, the French-born, New York-based contemporary-art dealer, has never been good at standing still. Nor has he ever been predictable.

While he continues to deal with the art of our time, he has had a secret obsession: Shaker furniture. Now he plans to capitalize on the synergy between the design and art. It all started eight years ago, after a visit to the Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Mass. “It blew my mind,” Mr. Ségalot said. “I fell in love with the minimal aesthetic.” He started studying everything he could about the Shaker communities and their furniture, quietly amassing the best examples he could find of Shaker design.