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One-bedroom rental for $1,000 per month in Bronx, New York

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Lori Mooney’s apartment, which is one bedroom in size, looks straight out of a magazine. They are actually thousands.

The 40-year-old resident of the Bronx, New York, covers every surface of her 525-square-foot living space — from the kitchen floor to the blinds on her windows — with collages of magazine clippings.

It is “a visual assault,” Mooney told CNBC Make It. As soon as I walk into the room, there are a bunch of colors and tons of other things that hit me in my face.

Mooney said that Mooney’s bedroom blinds were among the hardest surfaces to collage.

Photo: Beatriz Bajuelos.

According to Mooney, her apartment is both nostalgic as well as practical. Mooney is a television producer on “The People’s Court”, a syndicated reality series. She lives in the Pelham Gardens area of New York, where she was born.

For nine years, she has lived in the same apartment for $1,000 per month. StreetEasy data indicates that $1,750 is the average rent for an apartment with one bedroom in Bronx, while $3,000 would be in Manhattan.

Mooney is also able to find other means of living frugally. She lives next to her parents, and can access their washer, dryer, and parking space whenever she wants. To save money, she turned off the gas in her kitchen because she rarely uses it.

Mooney spends about $200 per monthly on her internet, phone, cable and electricity, in addition to the rent.

Mooney isn’t a cook. She uses the kitchen instead to organize more of her collection.

Photo: Beatriz Bajuelos.

Mooney doesn’t think the price of an apartment has any value. Mooney says that she is saving money by simply being a lucky person.

A pop culture collage

Mooney started the wall collages in her childhood bedroom. Mooney brought along some of the original collages from her childhood to move into her new apartment.

Mooney states, “I have always desired my spaces reflect my interests.” “I just love arts and crafts, I love TV, I love projects… it’s all just one huge conglomeration of all the things that I love to do.”

Her current process involves finding old magazines and books and cutting out the images she likes. Then, attach them to the wall with reusable adhesive glue. Her goal: Leave no space uncovered.

Mooney would like her decor reflect her passions for television and art and craft.

Photo: Beatriz Bajuelos.

This applies to her floors, blinds, and all other items. Mooney says blinds can be particularly difficult because “literally, I was cutting out each piece of magazine photographs and then gluing them individually to each slat.

Some rooms have a common theme. Bathrooms feature photos from iconic scenes of TV or movies. The walls are covered with contact paper to protect against moisture.

Mooney’s kitchen floor has been decoupaged with food photos. Her stove, which she doesn’t use much to cook, is used as a display cabinet for food-related trinkets.

She says, “Little to little, I’m adding new things to different locations that I have never considered before and that are my favorite.”

Mooney’s landlord was happy with all the improvements she made to the property.

Photo: Beatriz Bajuelos.

Mooney has a collection of TV souvenirs and memorabilia in her living room. These include fleece blankets and action figures, as well as framed posters. Her favorite TV shows include “The Big Bang Theory”, “The Office”, and “Schitt’s Creek.”

She says, “Sometimes I watch television just because they have lots of merchandise.”

Mooney sees the design as imperfect. Mooney says that she has to learn to accept that some things may look wrong or bent, while others will fall apart.

The future is in your hands

Mooney claims her landlord has agreed to allow Mooney to decorate the walls and hang items.

“One Time” [the landlord]He was fixing something and his wife arrived for a tour after 10 to 15 minutes. The space was then toured by his daughters, who had never seen it like it before.” she says. He said to me that as long as it was clean, it would be fine.

Mooney is a big fan of her area’s peaceful blocks and green spaces. It also has a subway station nearby. Her job, roughly 20 miles northeast in Stamford, Connecticut, is an easy drive away — though she’s currently working from home, she says.

Mooney included photos in the bathroom of famous TV and film scenes set in bathrooms.

Photo: Beatriz Bajuelos.

She said she has no plans to purchase a home in the near future and that her current space is enough for her. She says, “I don’t feel ashamed to be this way. People should see this.”

Of course, her unique style is not for everyone. I know that people will call it childish, or say “How old are they?” Mooney said. It’s something I like. “I can still be 40 and enjoy color and TV show figurines.”

Mooney lives in the one-bedroom apartment since 2012.

Photo: Beatriz Bajuelos.

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