When Faith Blakeney, an interior designer known for her immersive and soulful interiors, first saw a captivating Spanish rental in Culver City 3 years ago, the single mother living with her daughter, Noa, in a 600-square-foot home in Palms.
“We lived in an attic,” says Noa, now 16.
“I dreamed of a space,” Blakeney recalls. My boyfriend and I had been looking for a space for a while. When I saw the turmeric-colored rental, I thought, “This is the space. “I sat on the sidewalk outside the space and prayed. I imagined ourselves in space. I manifested the space. The neighbors will have to have an idea that he was crazy.
His demonstration worked. After calling the owners and sending them a full portfolio of photographs, their private histories, even their credit scores, Blakeney, 45, received the rent for three bedrooms, though it was a great leap of faith, financially speaking.
“For the first time in 10 years, I would have my own bedroom, a bathroom, a washer and a dryer,” Blakeney says. The space would also allow him to set up his design studio in the two-car garage from space.
Noa is very happy to be able to make friends. ” I’ve never had grass before,” he says. “Our space was so small that my mom slept on the floor. “
“I slept in a doghouse next to the living room,” says his mother. “It’s incredibly charming. It’s not high enough for a bed, so I put a bed on the floor. It’s not as sad as it sounds. But yes, I slept there for 10 years.
Several months later, when Blakeney and her boyfriend “broke up lovingly,” the designer found herself in a complicated situation.
“I’m terrified,” she says. Even sharing the rent with someone else, he paid 2. 5 times more than before. I knew I had to stay in space to ensure my daughter’s continuity. But I also knew very obviously that I had to find someone to help me.
Blakeney had sought to enjoy life online. He had grown up this way in Berkeley with his two brothers, and added the famous Justina Blakeney of Jungalow. “We’ve had a circle of relatives with us,” he says. to have other people around. “
Although unconventional, he was excited about the prospect of living with a roommate. She was worried too. ” I’m not going to settle for anyone in the house,” he said. “This user is going to have to be special and agree to move in with me and my daughter. “
For teenager Noa, her mother’s catch 22 scenario is embarrassing. “None of his friends have lived in a scenario like this,” Blakeney says.
Blakeney cast a wide net by contacting friends and posting on Spare Room, an online roommate search site. Although I even thought it would be great to have male power at home, I didn’t think it would work. “
Many of the other people who asked were college students.
“There are fewer people in the organization of our age who do the roommate thing,” he says. “Many are put off by the stigma. It’s time to change things a bit!”
After a mutual friend connected Blakeney with Sally Montana, a German-born photographer who splits her time between Los Angeles and New York, the two met via Skype and Blakeney presented her with a virtual tour.
“Sally literally showed up at our door with two suitcases,” Noa says. “So he did; It makes our home feel like home.
Even though the two are chimney signs, Blakeney and Montana are opposites. Blakeney is outgoing. Montana is introverted. Montana is a neat and Blakeney and Noa are. . . less. While Blakeney enjoys popping music and dancing, Montana enjoys spending time alone. practicing karate in the living room.
However, despite their differences, artistic independents have come to fully appreciate the same things: friends, family, and Noa.
When asked if other people questioned her resolve to move in with a single mother and a 13-year-old boy, Montana admits she was nervous but came here to appreciate the dynamics of living together. “I never looked for kids,” says Montana, 44. But I liked to have the slightest effect on Noa. I didn’t have a circle of women growing. I’d like to.
Blakeney sees their differences as an opportunity to grow and others grow.
“If I had to choose, I would start my day by playing music, dancing and talking loudly on the phone. Instead, I wake up and am silent. I put on my helmet, go for a walk and go outside to honor its atmosphere. It doesn’t work. They have to be patient with me and respect my vibe as well. It’s a wonderful practice to be in the world: you’re not going through being with other people who look like you.
“I used to hide in my apartment,” says Montana. Now he’s more sociable and enjoys having other people around. amusing. There was food left. It was a smart feeling. “
Similarly, Blakeney came home and heard laughter in the yard. “Sally making a campfire on the full moon. . . with my mother,” laughs Blakeney.
“I feel like Faith followed me,” Montana adds.
“How could I not?” Blakeney’s mother, Ronnie, responds with a warm smile.
From what you see in the space, which is tucked away on a tree-lined street, it’s evident that Blakeney needs to create a comfortable and welcoming bohemian environment for her and her family. The space is filled with artwork, colorful kantha docks, space plants, and antique furniture and fixtures. The kitchen, also filled with artwork, is noted for its black-and-white checkerboard floor, pink walls, and an antique bronze pendant you discovered at Chairish’s online antique market.
“I’ve been a treasure hunter since I was very young,” Blakeney says. “My father used to take me to the auction space to buy furniture for our space, and our circle of relatives’ house was full of antiques, and so on. the years I collected art and furniture. In our kitchen, we have no new dishes or cutlery. They are all vintage. It’s a fun hodgepodge, and every time a glass breaks at a party, I consider it an opportunity. Incidentally get new cups more impressive. This is our total space. There are very few things valuable.
Darby Saxbe, director of USC’s Center for the Changing Family, isn’t surprised to hear about women’s living conditions. “It’s a positive trend in my mind,” Saxbe says. Cohabitation takes us back to past lifestyles where we form network bonds that can be interdependent and help with things like childcare.
“I think the pandemic has been a wake-up call for a lot of other people,” Saxbe continues. “When we were locked up, other people felt even more alone and that led them to take inventory and become more involved in bonding. The costs of housing and commuting have made us more remote and separate. (According to a recent report through search engine optimization portal Rent, roughly part of the hundred most expensive cities to hire in the U. S. )UU. se found in California).
Blakeney agrees. ” I’ve lived in Berkeley, Italy, New York and Los Angeles, and one thing I learned from the pandemic is that other people are really alone here,” he says. “People are isolated, and it’s ironic because we spend a lot of time, power and money looking to live alone. People need a space and don’t want to share their apartment. The next thing you know, you’re alone every day. It’s hard to afford. . . I have the impression that we have everything wrong. And it costs us dearly. Not only economically, but for our intellectual health.
Now that the 3 women have gotten into a rhythm, the hardest component is deciding what to do next.
“At some point, Noa and I will leave this space, and I actually see that we are moving faster than later,” says Blakeney, who is in a relationship. “I see this as a wonderful moment and an opportunity to have the kind of experimental co-living I’ve dreamed of. I’ve found that I like it and it works. I see that this kind of life scenario will be explored in the future.
Montana was divided between Los Angeles and New York for a time.
“When I’m here, I feel at home,” he says. When I’m in New York, it’s like being at home. “
For now, her life “feels herbal and healthy for the three of us,” Blakeney says.
When the women moved in together in February 2020, they were struggling. Three years later, their careers are flourishing.
“We can live comfortably right now,” Blakeney says. But we love our life situation. It’s a fortified decision. We decided to stay here. “
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Since 2003, she has covered home design, gardening, parenting, houseplants and even youth sports. She is originally from Los Angeles.
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