How Content Creator Gigi Bello Turned a “Landlord Special” Peephole in Her Brooklyn Apartment Into a Viral DIY Saga with Millions Watching
In the bustling heart of Brooklyn, something as humble as a sealed peephole in a front door became a deeply personal mission, a viral sensation, and an unexpected lesson in self-empowerment. Young accountant and part-time content creator Gigi Bello, 28, living alone in her Brooklyn apartment, recently went from brushing aside a simple safety concern to starring in a multi-video social-media journey that has captivated millions. What began as a desire to reclaim a sense of security turned into a story about problem-solving, growth, and community connection.
The apartment’s front door had for years featured what Bello calls a “landlord special” peephole — a unit painted shut, effectively preventing any view of the corridor outside. More than aesthetics, the issue became urgent when she recounts being startled by police knocking at the wrong door on more than one occasion, thanks to an adjacent unit with a similar number. “Not being able to see who was out there before opening the door didn’t exactly make me feel safe,” she told reporters, describing how the problem weighed on her even as she tried to focus on her busy accounting job during the day and her creative baking videos in the evening.
Driven by frustration and a quiet resolve, Bello embarked on a DIY fix. With no formal training or experience in home renovation, she leaned on the memory of tagging along on her father’s repair jobs when she was younger. She recorded the process over approximately ten videos on TikTok, each clip sharing a step in the journey — from scraping away paint layers to dismantling the doorbell mechanism, to discovering what appeared to be mold behind the frame. The unassuming peephole had become a portal into a series of small but meaningful victories.
The narrative struck a chord. One installment in the series soared past 17 million views. Viewers were drawn not just to the satisfying visual of clearing old paint, but to Bello’s candid tone, unexpected humor — she once used a hair scrunchie as a makeshift part of the mechanism — and a reveal of her doorbell chime that now actually worked. “People were tuning in because this was something they related to,” she said in a wide-ranging interview. “We all have something in our home that’s been a nuisance or a worry, right? It wasn’t just about the peephole — it was about taking it into my own hands.”
As the project attracted attention, the tone remained grounded. Bello emphasized that she was not seeking perfection: the old door had wear, the paint removal left residue, and at times the project stalled or surprised her. But in the discomfort and the detours, she found something deeper — a growing confidence in her ability to solve problems and a new sense of connection with her online community. “These are my ADHD projects, I joke,” she said. “But they really teach me patience and problem-solving.”
Critics might suggest that such projects lean into performative DIY for clicks. After all, the videos were posted publicly, and Bello’s social-media presence includes lifestyle content and baking with her sourdough starter “Eloise.” Yet, within the commentary, the authenticity stood out: commenters on her posts offered real-time suggestions (“try this screwdriver tip”) and the content felt less commercial and more communal. “The most surprising part was just how satisfying it all was,” she said, reflecting on viewer engagement, “like solving a puzzle that’s been bugging you for years.”
In the aftermath, the peephole now functions properly, the doorbell chimes, and the door itself shows signs of renewal — golden stains, a clearer frame, and perhaps most importantly, a tenant who feels more secure. For Bello, the mission has been more than technical cleanup: it has become a metaphor for reclaiming control, for turning small frustrations into meaningful outcomes. She said the experience made her realize she was more capable than she’d given herself credit for: “I just never liked to ask for help — which usually gets me in trouble,” she admitted.
The story also resonates in broader context. Many renters across cities share similar frustrations: deferred maintenance, opaque lines of responsibility between landlords and tenants, and the nagging feeling of living in a space you cannot fully control. In choosing to document her fix, Bello brought that shared frustration into view, transformed it with a narrative arc, and offered an example of what can happen when someone takes the first step. The visual of a freshly cleared peephole may need no Instagram-worthy polish, but the impact of feeling safe, seen, and heard is resonant.
Yet, despite the success and the millions of views, Bello stayed cautious. She emphasized that DIY work has limits, especially in a rented space, and that tenant rights and building safety credentials should always be consulted. She described owning up to moments of risk in the video (“Oops, did I just break the grounding wire on my AC?”) as a reminder that home repairs can go awry. Her transparency in showing mistakes as well as wins helped temper any illusion of effortless perfection.
Moving forward, Bello says the peephole fix has opened up further creative pathways. She plans to highlight other small but meaningful home projects on her channel, all while continuing her baking content and her work as an accountant. For her, the takeaway is clear: building something for yourself, even if it starts with scraping paint off a door, has ripple effects. “It’s cool to realize you can take something apart, figure it out, and put it back together — and now I’ve got a working peephole to show for it,” she said, voice warm with satisfaction.
In an era of highly produced influencer content and fast-moving trends, Gigi Bello’s story stands out by virtue of quiet humility. The title “viral DIY star” may sound flashy, but the heart of her work is just a Brooklyn girl, a door with layers of paint, and the willingness to say, “I’m going to fix this.” Viewers resonated not because the feat was grand, but because the frustration was everyday, and the resolution was grounded.
As data-curious observers note, the success of the peephole saga is part of a growing trend: everyday home-improvement videos generating significant engagement as audiences seek authenticity, relatability, and tangible results. In that frame, Bello’s journey may offer a glimpse of what the “influencer next-door” looks like: someone who shares her mistakes, celebrates small wins, and invites others to imagine themselves taking action too.
For her neighbors, tenants, fellow creators, and all of us scrolling past late at night, the story holds a double invitation: respect for your home and the notion that you need not wait for someone else to fix what bothers you. If a painted-shut peephole became a 17-million-view narrative, what else might be possible when we stop ignoring something small and start peeling back the layers?
The door remains, the city hums, and the clip still plays. But now, when Bello looks through her peephole, she doesn’t just see the hallway. She sees possibility. She sees a task completed. She sees proof that when you claim your space, you change your world. And some millions of strangers watched it happen — not because the door was glamorous, but because the story was honest.
