I met Maria Brito three years ago when she was first launching her “Lifestyling” business, through which she helps people become more knowledgeable on buying art for their homes, as well as creating a lifestyle in their home that they couldn’t achieve on their own. Maria is the quintessential Chelsea woman: creative, driven, dedicated to improving the happiness of others, a wonderful mommy, and extraordinarily cultured with impeccable taste.
Her business, Lifestyling by Maria Brito, has been featured in GOOP as well as many other lifestyle and design publications worldwide, and she’s designed the residences of prominent CEOs, celebrities (P. Diddy!), fashion executives, and more. She knows the art world inside and out, and is passionate about turning her clients into meaningful art collectors. (Note: for family/art fun, check out her Frida App in the itunes app store!) If you are buying a home or want an expert to stylize it for you, Maria Brito is one person I personally and wholeheartedly recommend to all my clients and friends!
In so many ways, Maria makes the world a more beautiful place. I asked her a few questions so all The {New York} Life readers could learn more about her colorful life in Chelsea!
Claudia: What was the decision making process like for you and your growing family when you decided that Chelsea, NYC was the neighborhood for you?
Maria: We wanted to be downtown but also close to other neighborhoods like the Village and Gramercy, somewhere where we could still get easily either east or west, up or down; we also wanted diversity and originality. That is what New York is all about. A homogenized neighborhood where everyone looks the same isn’t fun for us, just as it isn’t fun to be extremely trendy, where everything seems to be fake.
Claudia: What is it about your apartment/building that finalized your home search?
Maria: I like the boutique feel. When I arrive to my building, I know a lot of my neighbors and I don’t feel like I’m in a hotel or like the hallway is eternally long with one hundred doors that look the same. I love my apartment; it has three bedrooms, lots of closet space and the right size for us right now. I have been working on a bunch of very large apartments lately and I feel like the more space you get the more you are tempted to fill it up with things you don’t need! But I guess at some point we’ll get something bigger.
Claudia: What does Chelsea offer as a neighborhood for you and your family?
Maria: We have everything we have always hoped for. Since we are located between 6th and 7th, we are literally two blocks away from two different subway stations that are very convenient. We have tons of restaurants around: on the super close side we have Momoya and Le Singe Vert and on the West Chelsea side there’s Cookshop which is one of my faves. There are lots of places for kids: Madison Square Park, Clement Clark Moore Park, Appleseed, City Tree House… And literally the highest concentration of art galleries in the world, what else could I ask for? I’m always inspired by this neighborhood and its colorful people!
Claudia: How long do you plan on living in your home? What neighborhoods would you explore for your next investment/home for your family?
Maria: We are fine for now, but my kids are still little and we feel we have enough space and don’t feel crammed. That might change in a couple of years. I would still like to stay in Chelsea but I’m open to other downtown neighborhoods as well.
Claudia: What does a typical day look like for you?
Maria: I work out every day, early in the morning and then I run to either supervise contractors on site in one of the apartments that I’m renovating, or I have a meeting with a gallery or with a collector, then I may be able to have a quick lunch, usually business-oriented, and then I may have to go to showrooms or to artists’ studios to discover new, emerging artists that I was not familiar with. Then it’s answering emails, designing rooms on paper and making layouts or negotiating an art piece on the phone. Each day is different! Then it’s dinner with my husband or with my husband and my kids if it’s not too late.
To learn more about Maria’s Lifestyling business, click here to visit her website or here to Like her Facebook page.
If you’re looking for the right New York home for your lifestyle, visit MarkDavidNY.com or contact me at ClaudiaS (at) MarkDavidNY (dot) com.
(Photos from Maria Brito and from DCASA Brazil.)