Brandt Design Studio

08/27/2026

It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I share that Dan Brandt has passed away.

For those who don't know me, my name is Micaela Rossetti. I met Dan in 2013 and had the privilege of working alongside him in many capacities over the next 13 years. Dan often introduced me as his “right hand,” and over those years he became not only a colleague and mentor, but a dear friend.

I am posting this from Dan's account because I have realized that many of the people who knew him professionally simply do not know that he is gone, and I know how many clients, colleagues and friends he connected with throughout his life and career.

Anyone who knew Dan knows that he was truly one of a kind.
He was endlessly curious and creative. He loved his work and the craftsmanship and history behind it. He loved sharing what he knew. He could tell a story, teach you something you never expected to learn, make you laugh, and somehow turn a conversation about a billiard table into a conversation about life.

And then there was Grothie, his beloved antique 1960s Volvo.

Dan loved driving that little blue car around Miami. People would smile, wave and honk when they saw him coming, and in typical Dan fashion he'd joke, “I know it's the car, not me.”

I always thought he was wrong about that.
The car may have gotten their attention, but Dan had a way of leaving people smiling.

One thing has been on my mind especially.

Dan often quoted the final line of Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening:
“And miles to go before I sleep.”
I heard him say it so many times over the years. I don't think I ever fully appreciated the weight of those words until now.
The line immediately before it is:
“But I have promises to keep.”

Dan certainly traveled a lot of miles. He built things. He created. He taught. He told stories. He made people laugh. He formed relationships with people all over the world. And he left an impression on more people than I think even he realized.

That is also why I am writing this here.

Dan had clients, colleagues, craftsmen, friends and acquaintances from so many chapters of his life, and his family may never know all of those stories.

If you knew Dan, I would love for you to share a memory of him.

It doesn't need to be profound. Tell us something he taught you. Something ridiculous he said. A project you worked on together. A story he told you. A kindness you remember. A time he made you laugh. Or simply what Dan meant to you.

I would love for this to become a place where the people whose lives intersected with his can leave a little piece of Dan behind and where his family can someday read just how far his life reached.

For those who would like to leave a message for Dan's family or receive memorial updates, his official Neptune memorial page can be found here:

Dan, it was an extraordinary privilege to travel some of those miles with you.
You will be deeply missed.

https://neptunesociety.com/obituaries/miami-fl/daniel-brandt-12997315

01/22/2026

A modern take on the game.

Clean lines.
Quiet presence.
Designed to live comfortably in the room, not just the game.

A table that belongs, even in stillness.

01/19/2026

Game day is more than what’s on the screen.

Tonight it’s Miami vs Indiana.
For fans, it’s about where you watch.
Who you watch with.
And the space that brings everyone together.

A game room can do more than host a TV.
It can reflect team pride through color, texture, and atmosphere.

From custom felt to surrounding finishes, your space can quietly celebrate your team without overpowering the room.

Because being a fan isn’t one-dimensional.
And the spaces we gather in shouldn’t be either.

Enjoy the game 🟠🟢

11/11/2025

🌍 Reimagining How We Build

Brandt is changing how custom billiard tables are made and delivered.
Instead of producing in one location, we now “write” CNC cutting files that allow each table to be crafted locally anywhere in the world.

Each design is precision-cut by local CNC partners with remote support from our team. This eliminates heavy shipping, reduces environmental impact, and ensures identical quality wherever it’s built.

✨ Design globally. Craft locally.
Brandt

11/05/2025

🏙️ Exciting news from the Brandt team.

We’ve been commissioned to design the billiard and game-room amenities for 80 Clarkson Street, a landmark two-tower development in New York City’s West Village.

Led by Zeckendorf Development and Atlas Capital Group, and designed by COOKFOX Architects, 80 Clarkson will redefine downtown living with its elegant form and record-setting vision.

We’re proud to bring the art of play and precision design to this extraordinary project.

✨ Design, craft, and culture — elevated for 80 Clarkson.

11/04/2025

🎱 Cue Curiosity: The Diamond System

Ever noticed those little diamond-shaped markers on the sides of a pool table?

They’re not just for looks. They’re a built-in geometry guide. Known as the Diamond System, these inlays help players predict how the cue ball will bounce and where it will land.

It’s one of those small design details that quietly connect math, craft, and instinct. Proof that precision is as much art as it is science.

💡 The next time you line up a bank shot, remember—the table is teaching you.

10/30/2025

🎱 Cue Curiosity: Why We Call It “English”

Ever wonder why Americans say “put some English on it” when adding spin to a cue ball?

The term dates back to the 1800s, when British players were already mastering side spin...what they simply called side. When the technique reached the United States, it became known as “using English,” likely because visiting British players were famous for the move.

That connection isn’t formally documented, but it’s widely believed that their influence helped the term stick. The earliest print example appears in 1861, showing that “English” was already part of the billiards vocabulary by then.

💡 Spin changes everything...on the table and off. A small adjustment in technique can completely change your angle of success.

10/23/2025

Precision in every curve.
This design showcases the intersection of form, structure, and finish. The base is sculpted to maintain both rigidity and flow, with contours shaped from solid hardwood.

Wood species can be tailored to preference, though I recommend a walnut base with burl walnut rails. The contrast in grain direction and depth of figure creates a striking visual balance.

10/22/2025

🌟 We’re honored to be featured in Robb Report! 🌟
In their recent piece “The Supercar of Pool Tables”, Robb Report highlights our collaboration with Pininfarina and describes how we’ve “reframed the bar-room game as aerodynamic high art”.
When they say it’s not just about how it plays—it’s about how it lives in a space, you'll hear it from our founder, Dan Brandt: “It’s not just about how it plays- you need it to live in the space.”
To everyone who trusts us to craft their game rooms, superyacht lounges, and high-design interiors- thank you. We’ve always believed that a pool table can be more than a game. It can be art.

Robb Report AU

In a rare fusion of Italian design pedigree and artisanal craftsmanship, Pininfarina and Brandt have reframed the barroom game as aerodynamic high art.

10/14/2025

🎱 Cue Curiosity: Why Green Felt?

Why are pool tables almost always green?
The answer goes back centuries.

Billiards began as an outdoor lawn game in Europe. When it moved indoors, table makers used green cloth so players still felt like they were playing on grass.

Today, tables come in every color, but green remains the classic. It’s tradition, craftsmanship, and history all in one.

💡 Every shot you take connects you to centuries of play — that’s what makes this game special.