"I had been lusting after the Camaleonda sofas for years, dreaming of the day I could have my own version of a conversation pit and finally when the perfect four-piece set popped up on Facebook, I jumped at it," she writes. Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"But the four pieces alone weren't big enough for my space, so I ended up putting two of the pieces [in] storage and making do with a second sofa." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"I waited around two years for another to pop up on the market and just this past winter I got two pieces in a different color thus finally completing my dream conversation pit." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
In Chyelle's home, furniture gets swapped out and upgraded all the time. "For instance, I had a nice Noguchi coffee table, then I was gifted this stunning vintage glass table from 1stDibs, and a few months later I got my current three-tiered swivel Milo Baughman coffee table, and with that the space around it evolves," she explains. Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
Yep, nearly everything you see in this home has been found on Facebook Marketplace, even the glass blocks that Chyelle turned into dividers! Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"As for the glass bricks, similarly I had been thinking about doing that project for a long time, but money and most pertinently application was a big concern," she writes. "I was able to source glass bricks for free, but after a pathetic attempt at trying to do the brick wall myself, I postponed the project." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"The pile of disgusting glass bricks sat in a pile in my living room for three months (thank god my roommate was chill about it). Finally, through a long line of referrals I was able to find Carlos and his team, who within four days brought my idea to fruition." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
The glass brick blocks are definitely her proudest DIY. "They were free on Facebook Marketplace, but it did cost $400 to have my man with a van pick it up and bring it to my apartment, not to mention I don't have an elevator," she writes. Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"It looks so incredible, and it's all due to knowing your own limitations! I tried to get some mortar and do the glass bricks myself but it was f*@%ed up to say the least. I hired a professional named Carlos, and he and his team did an incredible job! The glass bricks are definitely an element that divides people. They either love it or HATE it." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
Another favorite element in the home is the dining area. "I love my dining room, mostly due to my mid-century shelving units, but overall it's such a nice place to have dinner with friends!" Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"Other than that I love my glass brick partitions. Without them it was just an awkward gaping hole to all the junk I have in storage." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"I have a bunch of funky accessories like a cookie jar from the '40s and furniture from the '50s, but I think the oldest thing here is a slice of olive tree wood that I use to serve bread," she writes. Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
Chyelle says that budget was a challenge in the space, but so was "making sure that these projects didn’t take an absurd amount of time and disrupt life here for my roommates was another big challenge." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"This is a shared space, and renovations will always be messy and inconvenient for everyone." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"All the projects I’ve worked on never last more than a week, especially if it's a utility area like the shower." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
When it comes to a common aesthetic among her stuff, "I love smooth curves and simplicity of futurism and contrastingly the ornate artistry that comes with a lot of traditional works." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"Most of my furniture is mid-century, but the way I style my apartment has details that pull from a bunch of different design styles." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
Chyelle does say it's hard to regulate the temperature in the apartment. Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"So the dirty secret would be that this past winter with our new HVAC system, I experienced the highest electric bill of my life and I’m scared for next winter." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"I’m not going to say the exact number, but it was well over $500." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
If you had a “house rules” sign hanging in your home, what would be the top three rules listed? "1) Shoes off." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
"2) Tidy up after yourself i.e. dishes in sink." and "3) Dress for the season." Credit: Chinasa CooperCredit: Chinasa Cooper
“It’s funny I never considered myself a maximalist, but that’s what everyone calls my home,” admits UI/UX designerChyelle Milgrom, who you may know from Instagram as fbmarketslut.
Chyelle’s called this 900ish-square-foot home in Bushwick (which she shares with roommate, Euri, and two cats, Martin and Qadir) for four years now, and boy has it changed a lot. From the first moment she walked in, eyes watering, “because it reeked of rotting cat piss, frat-house boys, trash, and food so moldy it burned your eyes.” To her first Apartment Therapy tour, where we saw how she impressively scours Facebook Marketplace to find killer secondhand gems. To today, where the home has continued to evolve as finds come and go and Chyelle updates different spots in the space.
“I renovated several spaces in my apartment. Starting with the bathroom I added a new vanity, temporary sticky tiles, and a new paint job. In the shower room (it’s separate from the toilet) I pulled out the big plastic shower coffin and retiled the entire room and added a little wall, making a makeshift bathtub,” she explains.
“And one of the other most noticeable renovations was removing the third bedroom and turning it into a dining room, as well as the glass brick block room dividers I’ve added to the lofts! I’ve done smaller projects here and there, but those are the four biggest. Everything I’ve done was on a budget, and I try my best to buy things for cheap on Facebook Marketplace. I was even able to find glass brick blocks for free.”
While there’s no doubt in my mind Chyelle’s home is incredibly cool, don’t call it trendy. “I want people to stop contributing to this idea of a trendy space,” she says in her video tour. “Do something that is true to yourself, and that will last you essentially a lifetime.”
Resources
Everything is from Facebook Marketplace
Thanks, Chyelle!
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
Facebook and Instagram are under formal investigation in the European Union over child protection concerns, the Commission announced Thursday. The proceedings follow a raft of requests for information to parent entity Meta since the bloc's online governance regime, the Digital Services Act (DSA), started applying last August. The development could be significant as the formal proceedings unlock additional investigatory powers for EU enforcers, such as the ability to conduct office inspections or apply interim measures.
The biggest news stories this morning:
Apple brings eye tracking to recent iPhones and iPads, Bandai is finally rereleasing a beloved Tamagotchi from 2004, Android 15 will make it harder for phone thieves to steal your data.
