If you’ve ever scrolled through TikTok looking for colorful, bold home inspiration, you've probably come across Dani Klaric.
As Gen Z’s favorite resident decor expert, Klaric’s maximalist, Art Deco-inspired aesthetic embodies everything the generation obsesses over when it comes to interior design. You could even argue she played a major role in catapulting the shift away from minimalism (completely opposite of her style, but she says she can still see why people would like it).
Her work first took off on TikTok—where she posts creative tips, unboxes fun pieces, and takes her 2 million followers along on her design ventures—but taking a look at her portfolio shows she’s more than an influencer. She’s launched her own studio, created a decor line, and works with all kinds of clients, the most recent (and definitely most colorful) being a collaboration with Skittles Littles, a project in which she turned a tiny NYC apartment into a quintessential rainbow.
Dani Klaric’s House Rules
Klaric chatted with Better Homes and Gardens about what it was like to design such a small space filled with color and gave us a peek into her design brain—unsurprisingly, it’s a vibrant place.
Q: If you had to hang a list of rules in your home, what would they be?
- Probably the most common one: No shoes in the house.
- Absolutely every single color needs to be [incorporated] inside the home.
- Have music on at all times. We have surround speakers everywhere. It’s always just a good time here—all positive and good energy always.
Q: Do you have a go-to genre of music you like to put on or just all kinds?
I love all kinds of music. But if I’m at home and I’m working on stuff, I’m obsessed with jazz. I feel like I'm most productive when I'm listening to jazz.
Q: You’re a decor pro—how do you like to use your decor to make a house feel like a home and really transform it?
Well, I’ve always loved incorporating color. It’s what makes me happy, and I think it’s always nice to kind of think out of the box a little bit—when I get a new project or something and I’m looking at any blank canvas, I love to just think out of the box.
I’ve always loved incorporating color.
When we were working with Skittles Littles [a recent collaborative campaign that involved designing a tiny NYC apartment with Skittles], it was kind of like, “Oh my goodness, they’re probably one of the most clickable clients that I’ll ever have, considering their branding,” and so I wanted to incorporate everything that seemed very authentic to them into this design.
So I love to incorporate colors; I always like to incorporate patterns. My team and I, Euphoria Collective, created custom prints and patterns for this project: We put them on curtains, on bedding, and on the shower curtain. So that was super fun—I think it’s always nice to play with different patterns and colors. And then I always recommend starting with the core pieces, like vases, smaller items like coffee table books, stuff like that.
SKITTLES; DESIGN: BETTER HOMES and GARDENS
Q: So there’s a lot of color, a lot of pattern going on—how do you like to bring it all together to make a cohesive space?
That’s a difficult question. I’m still trying to come up with the best answer, since I’ve been asked this for years now. The main thing I do when I look at a project is choose a base. So for example, in the Skittles Littles apartment, we chose the cloud wallpaper which was more toned down—that was the most toned down thing I think we have in the apartment. So we wrapped the entire walls in that wallpaper, which set the tone and also balanced out all the different colors. So I like to choose a base with more of a simple or toned down color or pattern, and then go crazy.
Q: What was the base that you started with and the inspiration for decorating your own space? I’m sure it differs when it comes to designing for yourself.
Well, you’re so right—decorating my own space compared to decorating someone else’s space is so different. I actually find it really difficult to decorate for myself because I’m surrounded by so many different styles that I’m like, “I love everything,” and I don’t know what [to go with].
So in my own space, I like to start with finding statement pieces. For example, when I moved into this house that I had, it was based around my new sofa. It was a very ’70s, vintage design. I like to start with the statement pieces and then go from there, so it really just depends on what I find. And then I see what I can match with that statement piece.
Q: And you work a lot with secondhand and vintage pieces—what’s the importance of that to you?
I love secondhand and vintage, especially because it’s the sustainable choice. With my new design firm that we just launched, our biggest goal is to be more sustainable in the design process, and using secondhand is the biggest way to be sustainable and eco-friendly with custom pieces. I think that’s the main reason as well as just finding very unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. I think it’s so cool to just go out and see what you’ll find.
Also, I think that’s how I started to learn my style, because I would go out to a thrift store and put myself in this overwhelming state—there’s like millions of chairs, and then one sticks out and you’re like, “Okay, I gravitate toward this color, I like the style.” It’s just way more unique and more personal.
Q: How has your style evolved since gaining a following on TikTok? And with seeing all these styles—has that influenced you or expanded what you like?
I mean, it's definitely expanded what I like, and also just working with so many different clients—they all have different styles, and I’ve learned so much from all these different styles.
I think it makes me a little confused because I’m truly the type of person who just loves everything: I love every single color, like, I don't even have a favorite color. I love everything. I love all the styles, and I truly respect all the different design styles. I’m not a minimalistic person, but I understand why people like it. And so I like to cherish all of the different things around me.
I love everything. I love all the styles, and I truly respect all the different design styles.
It definitely just has helped me understand who I am, being exposed to so much. I realized with the Skittles apartment—it’s actually so funny because I’m buying a house soon. And with the Skittles apartment I use a lot of colors that I really honestly haven’t used in other designs. I love bold colors, but I tend to mix them with pastels or more toned-down colors. So this was definitely a challenge, and it was really cool to see how I gravitated toward red, yellow and green … and that’s a very ’70s color palette. So now I realized that I’m a ’70s person.
SKITTLES; DESIGN: BETTER HOMES and GARDENS
Q: Wait, so exciting that you’re buying a house—how did you know it was the one, or what was your process in choosing it?
I mean, once you see I think you’ll understand—it’s a midcentury modern home, and it’s always just been my dream to buy an older home and help preserve it and renovate it and just make it my style. But it’s also a little modern, so I want it to turn into its original state and make it very midcentury. So I’m really excited about that.
Q: Do you have a household motto or mantra that you like to live by?
Just always think out of the box.