Two NYC Painters Crafted a Creative and Eclectic Rental on a “Shoestring Budget”

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Bedrooms
Square feet

1000

Sq ft

1000

Living room with tan vintage patterned sofa, star pattern flatweave rug, slatted black coffee table, apothecary style drawer black dresser, framed portraits on sofa wall

Name: Mauro Baiocco; roommate, Yvette Bacina (aka Vexta)
Location: Crown Heights — Brooklyn, New York
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 1000 square feet
Years lived in: 5 years; renting

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there. Both Yvette and I are painters; I tend to work a lot with found paintings and photographs and try to flesh out from them a new story to tell centered in humor. Yvette, as a street artist, works in a much larger scale than me and is continuously exploring new topics. We both appreciate and foster a quiet atmosphere in the home and enjoy coming back to it to chill and recharged.

As an artist, I love patterns and color so I wanted to create different areas and vignettes that foster creativity and respond to different moods. I also try to toe the line of maximalism without fully embracing it, so I’m constantly editing things out and finding new homes for items that no longer serve me.

I love a bargain, so most of my furniture has been amazing finds from craigslist (Milo Baughman arm chair for $400 or a dresser I use as credenza for free!); Facebook Marketplace (the couch and loveseat both were $60, a mid-century bench I use as a coffee table was $15 because one of the legs was unglued); or found on the street (green metal cabinet that holds all of my paper art supplies). The entire living room/dining room was done for $1200. I just know instantly if something is gonna work in my space or not so I can make quick decisions when I run into something I think is cool.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less. Colorful, vintage, eclectic on a shoestring budget.

What is your favorite room and why? My living room because it was a pandemic project that kept me entertained.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? The last thing I bought was the dining room chairs and vintage Moroccan carpet from HiLo Brooklyn.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Don’t get caught in following trends, avoid creating a time capsule room, buy things based on their bones and quality, and most of all have fun with it — if you really like something you can make it work. Oh, and for heaven’s sake, hang some art on your walls.

This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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