Marceline Belfort She lives in a rented apartment on the Upper West Side with her two daughters and an angry orange cat. After moving a few years ago, Marceline joined her hometown buy nothing group on Facebook. "It's a community of neighbors who give things to each other for free," she says. My entire place is a 'buy nothing' flat! Here, we are shown...
Living room:
Paint on the walls: Sherwin Williams, Meander Blue, via the Buy Nothing group. cubicle rack: targeting. baskets: agenda (Paint and tassels are from the Buy Nothing collection.) Rug: Wayfair, similar.
In building a community: I love my local Buy Nothing group. There is no exchange of money, and no sign of trade. The nice thing is that you see the best in your neighbours. And when you witness that kind of generosity, it forces you to do the same, and so the kindness is heightened. Practically everything here came from that group: the lamps, the artwork, the cellphone in my girls' room, their huge teddy bear.
Tray: set buy none. sheepskin throw: wisoft.
On street smarts: I've got a lot of pieces straight off the street. People in my Buy Nothing group often post "Brake Alerts" when they see something cool laid on the sidewalk. I also follow my street finding account on Instagram: Tweet embed And the Tweet embed. It exploded when COVID first hit and everyone was leaving town. You have to smell and check things before you bring them home (and some things I've never done - no rugs or mattresses). But, in truth, most things are in good shape. You can tell when someone wants someone else to take it home.
About a family of readers: We are a huge book family. We are always reading, and we have four libraries. Girls need physical and hands-on copies, but I'm saving space with a Kindle. I love thrillers, like Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child Rebecca Cantrell Joe Tesla series.
Shelves and Art Supplies: Buy a set of none.
In a room within a room: My girls love to draw, so I wanted to create a space just for that. I already had this little table and chairs when we moved here, and then I put everything else together. I found the shelf on the street and got loads of supplies from my Buy Nothing collection. It's a small space, but they use it every day.
Ceiling fixtures: Craigslist. Couch: IKEA. covers: pims. Coffee table: find the street.
On a strategic sofa: It's an Ikea sofa, but I got custom covers, because I knew my kids were going to toss it in the trash. So, I can now literally wash my sofa whenever I need to. It is a nice. Girls can take off the pillows and use it as a rubber house.
Wall paper: targeting. Drawing: by Marceline. Frame: stock. tables: Walmart. Vases: anthropology, similar. Seating chairs: Nicemoods.
On a splurge worth it: I found this wallpaper online at Target - it's peel and stick. This space is the first thing you see when you enter the door, so I wanted to make it feel special and happy.
kitchen:
Play the kitchen: find the street. Shelves: Don't buy anything.
When cooking together: This play kitchen was another free gift. I didn't cook much before my girls were born, so I'm still learning, and most of what I know is standard baby food: breaded fish, pasta, and meatballs. We also bake together. Lots of cookies.
Chandelier, birdcage, deer and frame: buy a set of none. rug: ungainly.
On Cheerful Cabinets: One of my favorite tips is to "market" your closets. I'll set up shelves to display things that will make me smile when I open the door: pretty reusable bags, one of my daughter's curtains—we even hang some of their favorite paintings in the closet. Above the cabinets, she looked bare and empty. So I did the same. The birdcage belonged to one of my neighbor's grandmothers. It is very old but very charming.
In a quick upgrade: The best way to improve the ambiance of a room is to change the ceiling lamp. It has the greatest impact. Someone on my Buy Nothing group posted an alert with a photo of Soraya, and I immediately went to find it. It was dirty, but I cleaned it up and put it back. As long as you know where the power boxes are, you can learn how to rewire. You can learn anything on the Internet.
The children's room:
bed: Home Depot. rug: anthropologist.
Into a big surprise: It's a dream bed, isn't it? I wanted a Pottery Barn copy, but it was a fortune. This is a knockout from Home Depot and less than half the price. I put it together when the girls were away with their dad for a week, and then it was such a big surprise when they got back. They still always try to find a way to get into Mom's bed, but they love it.
Bedding, paint, lamp, green chairs: buy a set of none. Hairstyle: Facebook Marketplace. fox pillow: target, similar.
To make it special: This apartment was intended to create some magic for my children. Paint can get quite expensive, so I asked my Buy Nothing group if anyone had leftover paint - I ended up with over 10 cans! And supplies! I've never done a mural before, but I thought, OK, let's give it a try. I made some bows, which evolved into some trees, which evolved into some mushrooms - and drifted away.
Felt and Filling for Floor Cushion: Buy a set, none.
In the most comfortable corner: Someone from the Buy Nothing group gave me the felt and filler I used to make this floor pillow for a girls' reading nook. It was my first sewing project, but I just looked up some tutorials online and went for it. Quite frankly, it is So Crooked. But it works!
white carpet: IKEA.
On the cow that jumps over the moon: I already made that little painting of Goodnight Moon This is hanging on the wall. I was suffering from postpartum depression, and I wanted to have an outlet to focus on what I loved about motherhood. So, I drew it for my girls. It helped me get past depression - writing things for them, drawing things for them.
baby bath:
Cacti and Planter: Searching the Streets. Wall paper: targeting. shower curtain: targeting.
About topic: This bathroom theme started with aloe vera! My daughters and I were outside one day and we saw this on the street. They totally insisted we take her home: 'Uh You have Who-that!' I was like, "Oh my God." It is over five feet tall. But we put her in the stroller and got her home.
Basic bedroom:
Chandelier: Craigslist. Desk: Find the street. Office chair: buy a set none. framed background: Drew Barrymore Flower Home / Walmart. far wall background: NuWallpaper. Rug: Wayfair, similar.
Against the background of the accent: I loved this yellow floral wallpaper, but I couldn't afford the wallpaper entirely, so I just got one big piece and framed it with panels I got on Amazon. It's one of my favorite home projects.
Bed: antique (via deco apartment). Screen: Street search. Bedding: buy none set. Art above the bed: treasury.
pier treasure: I found this beautiful monitor on the street. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, and it weighed about 50 pounds, but somehow I managed to drag it home. Then it magically fits into this space next to my bed. Makes the entire room glow.
Dresser and armchair: street finds. Lamp: Buy a set none. Cabinet: Facebook Marketplace.
In favorite search: One of the coolest things I got from the Buy Nothing set is the Kartell lamp, which usually runs around $500. The base was broken, but I thought, "Well, I'm pretty good at fixing things." Basically I did MacGyver: I primed the base together using wire and hot glue. I didn't know if it would work, but I thought they would throw it anyway, so why not try?
When rediscovering downtime: I had to remember and re-learn all the things I loved, because when my kids were younger, they forgot all about me! When I have time for myself now, I spend time outdoors. I'll go for a run or spend half an hour in the tulip garden in our area. And I have to do something creative every day: drawing, pictures, any small project.
Basic bathroom:
Wall paper: NuWallpaper. Lighting Fixtures: Street (Made with Buy Nothing Group materials). shower curtain: anthropologist. Bathmat: Nothing buy set.
In a small escape: While I wanted the girls' bathroom to be fun and stimulating, I longed for a quieter getaway. Nature has a huge influence on me - the birds, the flowers, the trees. So, this wallpaper invited me. When I put it on, I realized that the birds are similar to the ones on display in my bedroom, so it's kind of consistent. If you keep collecting the things you gravitate towards, I think home comes together.
When finding your way home: This apartment was originally a sub-rental that I found when I was newly separated, on my own for the first time, with two young children. Very difficult conditions. I was very lucky to find this place and eventually managed to get the lease. I wanted to create a special sanctuary for myself and the girls. She inspires me so much creativity, every single day. I speak about it with affection, because it has been a really difficult journey, being on my own, and going through a contested divorce. This is home, at last. This was a new beginning for us - and it shows.
Thank you so much, Marceline!
note More home toursAnd the 9 women talk about their divorce.
(photo Kristen Han for a cup of joe.)
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