/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45264412/Nest.0.jpg)
Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Do you really need that 300-piece set of glassware? Multiple nose hair trimmers? A turkey deep fryer? Skip the wedding registry all together and instead opt to fund your future home, not fill it with junk you wouldn't normally buy. (Although an unlimited amount of margarita glasses could prove useful someday).Feather the Nest is a new online platform that allows friends and family to contribute money to real estate-related and home improvement tasks, like buying your first home or remodeling that kitchen that's been stuck in a time warp.
How does it work? Once you "Start a Nest" on the site, with a detailed description and plenty of images and videos to outline your goal, people can contribute feathers to help realize your vision. Each feather equals a dollar and you have the option of sharing your nest on social media, which virtually gives anyone the opportunity to contribute. The idea is similar to other online, out-of-the-box registry ideas like Honeyfund, which allows guests to contribute things like a flight or excursions to your honeymoon, or Upon Our Star, which allocates funds towards various "wishes," however Feather The Nest has a strictly real estate edge to it and only accepts monetary donations, which makes it simple for guests to use.
The site was founded by Miami local Lindsay Oparowski, who realized that after her second child was born she already had everything she wanted in terms of baby goods. Instead, she needed a second bedroom in her home and so her dream real estate registry was born. The site is but a few weeks old, and so far these "nests" include funding a downstairs bathroom, creating baby bedrooms and a call to fund a mission for Pink and Blue for Two, which will provide items to breast and prostate cancer patients. On a side note, the cause seems to have been added by a mystery family member of Olivia Newton-John. Hey, if the "Johns" are on board, then maybe it is possible to get that dream home theater after all.
· Feather the Nest [Official Site]
· 12 Places to Buy a Dreamy Wedding Dress in Miami [Racked Miami]
· All Weddings Week 2014 Posts [Racked Miami]