This Colorful Miami Apartment Takes Its Design Cues from the 1960s, 1990s, and Art Deco
This Colorful Miami Apartment Takes Its Design Cues from the 1960s, 1990s, and Art Deco
Name: Dani Klarić, her boyfriend Bello, cat Jello, and dog Nalu
Location: Miami, Florida
Size: 1900 square feet
Type of Home: Apartment
Years Lived In: 1 year, renting
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For Throwback Month, I reached out to several interior enthusiasts with a passion for previous eras — and who bring that love of all things retro into their own home. First up this month is interior decorator and owner of Dani Klarić Designs, Dani Klarić, who lives in this large, loft-like apartment in Miami with her boyfriend, Bello.
Dani says she pulls a lot of her own home’s interior inspiration from the Art Deco era (Miami’s gorgeous pastel architecture is a huge source), but you’ll also find nods to the 1960s, 1990s, and even a little mid-century modern vibes, too. Dani, who shares lots of looks into their home on her popular Instagram and TikTok accounts, isn’t the only retro-minded person in the home, though. Her boyfriend, Marcello Peschiera (Bello), is a cinematographer with a passion for shooting with film (he actually photographed this tour all on film!) and also runs Bellows Film Lab, a film lab and store in Miami.
“I moved into my apartment exactly one year ago with my boyfriend, we actually just renewed our lease for one more year. I’m an interior decorator and because of that, it took me some time to finish decorating my apartment. Eleven months to be exact. I was a bit too busy decorating my clients homes that I never had time to decorate my own. But 11 months later, my house is finally complete. I think my house is a perfect representation of my style and who I am; I’ve had people come over and say ‘this makes sense'” Dani begins of her home’s style. “Almost 90 percent of my furniture is secondhand. I’m a big thrifter and collector. Every single art piece I own is secondhand or vintage, even all of the pieces on my 12’ x 9’ gallery wall.”
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: My house is multiple styles mixed into one but the best way to describe my home style would be an eclectic, Post Modern, Art Deco vibe.
Which time periods/decades inspired your home’s design the most? My home was definitely inspired by the Art Deco era. I always find myself getting inspo from the ’60s-’90s. I got a lot of inspiration from the mid-century era, too!
Favorite Element: My favorite part to be in my house is my guest room. This is where I spend most of my time filming for my social media. For some reason, this room gives me such good energy. This is the bedroom where I have the amazing pink Post Modern bed set. It’s one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever found; I bought it at an estate sale in Miami. Since I’m a decorator I normally buy pieces for future clients and this was one of them but as soon as I brought the set home I fell in love and haven’t been able to get rid of it since. Also the lighting is great in this room. So when I’m feeling a little down, I’ll just come to this room and relax.
Biggest Challenge: The layout! I’ve never had to decorate such a strange layout and it’s because we have a middle corner apartment. Meaning our apartment was probably the leftover space they had and they did everything they could to make it an apartment. Our living room is not wide at all so we had to break up our sofa since the L part didn’t fit across the room. The rooms are also slanted, so in order to have the TV face the middle of the bed that meant that the TV wasn’t going to be in the middle of the wall it’s mounted on because the walls aren’t proportional to the room. (Hopefully that makes sense.) This bothered me for so long because I love symmetry especially when decorating but I got over it and we made it work!
Biggest Indulgence: I would probably say my giant 100-pound coffee table book. The artist is David Hockney and it’s one of my most prized possessions. David Hockney is one of my favorite artists and was actually the first artist who inspired me to pursue a career in art and that is why I justify the price. I also think spending money on art is always worth it, especially if it inspires you and makes you happy. The book also came with a beautiful custom bookstand designed by Marc Newson who is an amazing artist and industrial designer.
Where are your favorite places to buy or find vintage home decor? Local stores or online resellers! There are a lot of vintage resellers on Instagram that are based in Miami who are great! And since I’m always sourcing for my clients I know that almost every city has a few local vintage resellers on Instagram! I recommend searching through hashtags on Instagram to find them. I also love going to estate sales and finding little vintage shops near me. A really cool spot near me is called Antique Row in West Palm Beach! It’s a whole street filled with vintage stores that are all amazing.
Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Forget about all of the “decorating standards.” We all deserve to live in a space that inspires us and makes us happy. Decorate your home exactly how you want to. There are no rules when it comes to creating art. Also! Don’t be afraid of color or coming out of your comfort zone. And always keep in mind that there is such thing as fast furniture just like fast fashion. Buying secondhand furniture helps reduce the waste in our planet and it’s also more affordable. So it’s a win-win in my opinion! If you’re interested in buying secondhand, ask around about vintage shops / markets near you. I promise you will find at least one near you! There are also amazing secondhand apps and websites where you can buy secondhand online.
Resources
ENTRY
- Desk — Kardiel
- Book — Taschen
- White Shelves for Books — IKEA
LIVING ROOM
- Colorful Pillows — Yaya & Co
- Yellow Pillows and Throw — Apparis
- White Shelf / Entryway Rack — Open Spaces
- Rug — Revival
DINING ROOM
- Dining table — Glottman
- Chairs — Vintage
- Clear Acrylic Shelves— IKEA
- Speaker — Transparent Speaker
- Turn Table — U-Turn Audio
- Wallpaper — Target x Opalhouse
- Mirror — Target
BEDROOM
- Nightstand — Vintage
- Bookshelves — Yamazaki Home
- Bedding — Parachute & Target
- Pillows — Target
GUEST BEDROOM
- Bedding — DKNY
Thanks Dani!
This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
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This piece is part of Throwback Month, where we’re revisiting vintage styles, homes, and all kinds of groovy, retro home ideas. Boogie on over here to read more!