At Home With Danny Brito

We are so happy to welcome Danny Brito to the blog today to share his home with us!

"I’ve lived in Miami, Florida my entire life, but a little over two years ago I decided to move to Fort Lauderdale, which is about a half hour away. It’s a bit slower paced, and living close to the beach isn’t as expensive as it is in Miami. I picked this home because it had a really big yard for my dogs, it’s about five minutes from the beach, and the post office is down the block, which is great for my small business.

"My favorite space in my house is my office, because I’m in it every day. When I first moved here, I had it as a dining room, but I could probably count the times I’ve eaten at the table on one hand. After about six or so months of living here, I decided to move my office into the dining room. It was probably the best change I’ve ever made to the place. Having such a wide space to create is the best thing ever; before I moved here I was living in basically one room, so I worked where I slept… Having the separation between work and rest has made my life so much easier.

"Some of my favorite pieces in my home have to be my Pyrex display in the kitchen; that collection honestly happened accidentally. I had a few pieces that my grandma had passed down to me, and every now and then I would find some more while thrifting. I thrifted the vintage hutch for $40 one day and filled it within the year. I actually just painted it teal sometime this year; it was a really dark brown before. I know painting vintage furniture is somewhat taboo, but it really brings out the color Pyrex and really brightens up my space. 

"I think a unique part about my home is that every single piece of furniture has been thrifted. I don’t buy new pieces because I feel like they don’t have any character at all. I think the most expensive piece of furniture I have is my plaid sofa, which was $45, and it’s a sleeper sofa! The cheapest piece would probably have to be my vintage radio and record player. I got it for a whopping $15. It’s the perfect TV unit for my space, and underneath the radio it has a secret storage compartment where I keep video game stuff.

"The giant American flag in my bedroom belonged to my best friend’s grandpa; he passed a few years ago and was a veteran… She gave it to me as a gift a few months ago, and I cherish it so much—not to mention it really makes a statement in my otherwise sparse room. I wanted to keep my bedroom somewhat clean, and that’s about as clean as I get. I’m a big fan of organized clutter. 

"The clothing rack in my room was built by my brother and me. He’s built a lot of the furniture in his home, so it’s really special for me to have a piece of his in my house. It was made from old pallet wood and metal tubing.

"This August will make it three years of living in this current home. I think it has a evolved for the best. When I first moved here I had very impractical furniture; I was just interested in the look of pieces. I had a really small midcentury coffee table, and it was so pretty but made zero sense because I always have people over in my home. I also had one sofa, which was nowhere near enough space… I got two more sofas in my living room and a giant chunky 1970s wooden coffee table. My living room now just makes so much more sense; it’s comfortable, but I feel like it still fits in with my vintage style."

Thanks for sharing your home with us, Danny! You can find more of Danny on his website or his Etsy shop! xo. 

Credits // Author and Photography: Danny Brito