Brian Antoni
Brian Antoni is a descendant of the second oldest family in the Caribbean, an aristocratic dynasty whose multi-ethnic roots stretch from the southernmost island of Trinidad, to the northernmost island, Grand Bahamas. His family tree includes French Creole sugar plantation owners, utopians, pirates, oil tycoons and now a new generation of cutting edge creative artists and thinkers.
Brian went to Mary Star of the Sea Elementary school in Freeport and graduated from Pine Crest High School in Ft. Lauderdale. He attended Emory University, majoring in history and graduating with honors. He spent a year studying at the University of Madrid and then went to Georgetown Law School where he was on the dean's list and received a Juris Doctorate. After passing the Florida bar, he studied British Law at Kings College, University of London and then studied advanced International law at the Salzburg University School of Law, within the Austro-American Institute of Education. Brian then went to work as a James Dana Fellow for the European Economic Community in Brussels, where he assisted in development projects for African, Caribbean and Pacific nations. Eventually, Brian left the E.E.C. and returned to the Bahamas to run the family business. While there he wrote his first novel, Paradise Overdose (Simon & Schuster, November 1994) in which he spun a dramatic and compelling tale of love and friendship and corruption, which drew from his own family's exotic life.
Twenty years ago, Brian Antoni moved to South Beach, following his family's tradition of being a pioneering settler. He bought and renovated a run down Art Deco apartment building named The Venus De Milo Arms and an exotic 1930's home, which he named 'Chateaubrian.' Brian's home contains a brilliantly edited collection of high and low art, furniture and objects that evoke the energy of the South Beach Renaissance-when eccentric pioneers ran amok but were still outnumbered by old Jewish retirees.
'Chateaubrian' has been featured in magazines, television shows, and in many table-top books, including Tashen's Miami Interiors, along with South Beach Style, Outdoor Living Room and Garden Ornamentation.
Brian Antoni spent the last twenty years researching South Beach: The Novel, working