A post about an enchanting fairy-tale-style house in Minnesota has captivated home interior aficionados on Reddit.
Images of the home were shared in a post by the homeowner’s daughter, Maybell Eequay, a Minneapolis-based author and illustrator, under the username Alternative_Pie_875. The October 2 viral post has received 41,000 upvotes.
The images showcase the characterful corners of the home, from an atmospheric living room with a rich, red velvet–style sofa and artwork on the walls to a vibrant dining room adorned with plants and lime-green walls.
Eequay, who lives about an hour outside of the Twin Cities, the metropolitan area encompassing the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, said her mom, Robyn, bought the home in 2002 but it was built around 1910.
Maybell Eequay
Noting that the home is filled with random “treasures” that her mom has collected over the years, Eequay told Newsweek. “I think there is something about my mom that has always felt like magic. She reminds me of a fairy or a magpie. She sees the potential in things most people would never look twice at.”
According to a later comment by the poster, her mom is in her 60s and “she is very cool” and “so funny without trying. She’s just a weirdo in the best way.”
The viral post comes as homebuyers in the U.S. continue to face soaring housing costs. A 2024 report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies says that “millions of potential homebuyers have been priced out of the market by elevated home prices and interest rates.”
Home price increases were reported in 97 of the top 100 markets, with higher rises in the Northeast and Midwest.
‘Filled With Tiny Wonders’
According to the poster, nearly everything in her mom’s house was found secondhand.
“My mom never had a vision or specific inspiration for what she wanted the house to look like, but rather over the course of her life she has collected things that she loves and displayed them throughout the house,” Eequay said.
In many ways, the home feels like “a living entity,” she said, because “it is always changing as she finds more treasures and puts some away.”
Every time Eequay comes home, it “looks a little different.” She enjoys walking around each room of the house, examining the walls to see what’s new and what’s been put away or donated.
Maybell Eequay
The enchanting home is dotted with little baskets and boxes that are “filled with tiny wonders,” Eequay said. From an old marble and “the littlest yellow feather” to a stamp, and a pendant, “you never know what you are going to find.”
The 1929 stove in the home, which is from the brand Magic Chef, “still works great,” she said.
On a stick in a corner of the dining room is a photo of a man, who is her grandfather.
“Sometimes if people aren’t around for family events or holidays, we will put their photo on a stick so they can still be in pictures, and my grandpa has become year-round decor,” Eequay said.
Eequay also noted that her mom runs the local volunteer ambulance service and does landscaping for a few private properties. “Her gardens are as beautiful as her home,” she said.
Maybell Eequay
‘Magical Feeling’
Users on Reddit were enamored with the home in the post.
User ispy1917 said it has a “Magical feeling,” and Brittney424 said, “Love love love your mom’s cozy & whimsical style! This whole house looks like a hug feels.”
Jacketjani agreed, saying, “For real, Gives me those warm fuzzy vibes. Reminds me of my grandma’s place growing up – always felt like home.”
RightShelter4825 wrote that it’s “like the modern apothecary’s place.”
ToadstoolsRule said, “So much color. I love it!”
Have you transformed your house into something you’re proud of? Whether it’s a DIY project or a full-scale renovation, share your success stories with us. Let us know via life@newsweek.com and your dream home could be featured in Newsweek.
