For these thrifters, their rental is 99% secondhand goods and that's 'part of the fun'

"Two years later, their love of thrifting, antiquing, bargaining and restoring has turned their Westwood rental into a showcase of "secondhand treasures," says Van Hulsen, 28, who works as a commercial contract specialist. "I have always liked things that have history and character and a story behind them," she says. "Each piece represents a store we love, a lucky find or a successful haggle that ended with us carrying home something with history.""

"At a time when many millennials and Gen Z shoppers enjoy hunting for deals on secondhand items, Van Hulsen and Chait also wanted to avoid "fast furniture, poorly built materials and disposable design," according to Van Hulsen. For them, gently used pieces make their rental feel special. "People my age are taking an interest in having heirlooms and traditional items," Van Hulsen says as she points to a silver-plated trinket tray that holds her jewelry. "I think it's really fun to entertain and bring stuff out when guests come over. It makes the table look nice, and the platters are great for bringing food upstairs when we entertain on our rooftop patio.""

Tess van Hulsen and Andrew Chait moved to Los Angeles from Palo Alto in 2023 with only a standing desk and a bed frame and quickly learned to furnish their rental without buying new items. They enjoy thrifting, antiquing, bargaining and restoring, which turned their Westwood condo into a showcase of secondhand treasures. Van Hulsen values items with history and character; each piece represents a store, a lucky find or a successful haggle. Chait enjoys searching and making deals and takes satisfaction from finding value. They intentionally avoided fast furniture and favored gently used pieces to make their rental feel special.

Read at Los Angeles Times