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ABOUT THIS TOUR
HOME TYPE: Townhouse
LOCATION: Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York
STYLE: Bohemian, Eclectic, Vintage
BEDROOMS: 2
SQUARE FEET: 2000
Ariella Mandel’s transition from tenant to owner of this Brooklyn townhouse is a remarkable story of turning setbacks into opportunities. The road to homeownership included bad cement, flood water, and even a lawsuit. But what began as a series of unfortunate events eventually allowed her to go from tenant to proud homeowner and entrepreneur.
Ariella first started renting this 2000-square-foot Flatbush townhouse at the start of the pandemic. “It was a great deal at the time, definitely a COVID deal, and was about six times the amount of space I had previously,” she begins.
Built in 1910, the townhouse came with plenty of gorgeous architecture like original plaster walls and a completely freestanding kitchen (meaning zero built-in cabinets). “I absolutely loved being a tenant here. The house was everything I wanted; it had original details like the arches and wood floorboards, I had my own garden, the kitchen was dreamy, and I had two entire floors of a house all to myself!”
But then, a flood upended everything. Contractors hired by her landlord to do work on a pipe ended up using the wrong cement to fill in the ground in front of the townhouse. Ariella writes that it “turns out there is a crucial difference between indoor and outdoor cement, and after an overnight rain, the entire garden level of the house flooded with cementy-water!”
Absolutely all of her stuff that had been downstairs had to be moved to the parlor level, leaving Ariella living among boxes and bags for months. “It was pretty dramatic, front to back, totally flooded, ruined my rugs and anything else sitting on the floor,” says Ariella, who didn’t want to leave the dreamy unit while waiting for the damage to be fixed.
When the landlord eventually told Ariella he was going to sell the townhouse, she initially panicked. “I had nowhere to go, especially with the amount of the things I had collected,” she writes. But after chatting with her parents, Ariella, who was 25 at the time, asked her landlord an “unthinkable” question: “How much do you want for the house?”
“My home is a traditional townhouse, and I am very happy to say most of the original details have been kept (arches between rooms, wooden floorboards, plaster wall),” Ariella writes. “So many townhouses these days are being stripped down and modernized inside, and that is something I would never do!” Credit: Rachel Nasvik
The price was $900k. It’s a lot of money for some, but there were two unique things about the state of Ariella’s finances. “I actually had a fair bit of money despite my young age because I worked five jobs during the pandemic simultaneously (everyone else seemed to become underemployed at that time; I was overemployed),” she explains. And a legal settlement following an incident in 2020 helped Ariella transition from tenant to owner.
Because of those unusual circumstances, Ariella had enough money to put a down payment on the home and get approved for a loan. And in the five years she’s been in the space, she’s not only create a home — she’s also founded a business, Kitchen and Kitten, where she rents out the space for film, photoshoots, and events.
“I used to be a very messy person — my sisters, Nina and Julia, whom I shared a room with growing up, and my college roommates can all confirm this! I am totally the opposite now, but I think my youthful messiness stemmed from my need to be constantly decorating. Even in my disorganized era, I was always collecting things. I would bring home treasures from the street and always be rearranging our room (I am the oldest so I was in charge!) all throughout my childhood,” Ariella admits.
Credit: Rachel Nasvik
“I have had everything from feature films, to student productions, to brand photoshoots, to chef pop-ups, birthday parties, and even a wedding! This has been my primary source of income for the last two years, and I love being my own boss and my own landlord!” she writes.
“When I was little I remember staring into people’s brownstones, dreaming of having my own,” Ariella admits. “And never did I believe this is how I would achieve it, but every day I am so grateful for the strange, and somewhat awful events that led me here.”
Resources
Ariella says a lot of people ask about the 8-foot-tall antique mirror. “I found it on Facebook Marketplace for $300, a steal for a mirror of that size (let alone a vintage one)! I made my dad rent a U-Haul the very same day (because I am a New Yorker and therefore don’t know how to drive) and we went up to Tarrytown to get it,” she writes. “I learned from the last owner that it is from a mid-19th century Brooklyn church and was rescued by his family in the mid-20th century when that church was being torn down. I wish I knew which church it was, but he didn’t know since it had been in his family for a few generations. However it does feel good that this piece is back in its original home of Brooklyn!” Credit: Rachel NasvikENTRY
Entry Table — Street Find
Rectangular Mirror — Craigslist
Venetian-Style Mirror — Street Find
Related: House Tour: A 529-Square-Foot Brooklyn Studio Was Dated — Now It Feels Like a Desert Retreat
LIVING ROOM
Elephant and Palm Tree Couch — Facebook Marketplace
Oriental Rug — Craigslist
Mid-19th-Century Church Mirror — Facebook Marketplace
MCM Wood Bookshelves — Street Find
Painting “Voyers” by David Martineau (1986) — Facebook Marketplace
DINING ROOM
Farmhouse Dining Table — Craigslist
Art Deco Server — Street Find
Rattan Trunk — Street Find
1950s Theater Seats, originally from a Theater in Utica, NY — Gifted
KITCHEN
Refrigerator — Facebook Marketplace
Black Hutch — Left by My Old Landlord
Short Wood Hutch — Left by My Old Landlord
Kitchen Island — Left by My Old Landlord
Teak Bar Stools — Craigslist
BEDROOM
Floral Pink ’60s Couch — Street Find
All of the Nude Paintings — By My Friend’s Grandmother, Rebecca Rikleen, Gifted
Nude Sculpture — By My Friend’s Grandmother, Rebecca Rikleen, Gifted
Wood Bench — Craigslist
DEN
Gingham Blue Couch — Facebook Marketplace
Striped Red Couch — Facebook Marketplace
1960s Avery Fisher Credenza — Facebook Marketplace
Vintage Wood Desk — Craigslist
Space Age White Chairs — Facebook Marketplace
Danish Tea Cart — Street Find
Bar Cabinet — Street Find
Drop Leaf Circular Wood Table — Gifted by My Old Upstairs Neighbors
Vintage Wood Cabinet — Street Find
GUEST BEDROOM
Subway Seats — MTA Sale, 2025 Memorabilia and Collectibles Pop-Up Shop
Vintage Child’s Size Roll-Top Desk — Gifted
Vintage Darkwood Dresser — Craigslist
Pink and Green Plaid Curtains — Facebook Marketplace
Baby Blue Cabinet — Facebook Marketplace
Blue Floral Rocker — Facebook Marketplace
Pink Floral Arm Chair — Street Find
Vintage Blue Floral Wool Rug — Facebook Marketplace
MUSIC STUDIO
Secretary Desk — Street Find
Bookshelf — Left by My Old Landlord
DRESSING ROOM
Washing Machine — Street Find
All of My Clothes — A Mix of Beacon’s Closet, Crossroads, Buffalo Exchange, Goodwill, and Thrift/Vintage Shops Around the World
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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Further Reading
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