By Paula Peterson
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Have you been missing a local furniture store when needing a couch, chair, lighting, wall art, or tableware? Well, you don’t have to wait any longer, Tahoe Home Consignment has opened in The Crossing at Tahoe Valley in South Lake Tahoe.
Owner Jen Hause opened her store just over one month ago and has been so busy she hasn’t been able to have an official Grand Opening celebration yet.
Tahoe Home Consignment offers a large variety of furnishings from Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, Old Hickory, Room and Board, Crate and Barrel, and more. T
Besides furniture, the charming consignment shop is filled with fabulous new and gently-used art, rugs, lighting, candles, dishes, and unique home decor accessories ranging from mountain contemporary to elegant rustic. High-end to low-end goods, items at Tahoe Home Consignment will tailor to all budgets.
The inspiration for the store came from Jen’s mother who owns two similar stores in Truckee. She calls them “sister stores” that work collectively, though independent from each other.
Jen has lived on the South Shore since January when she and her husband bought a home in the Gardner Mountain neighborhood. They had previously lived on the North Shore for five years. COVID-19 led them to a change in location and careers. She received her bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and then a Master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Her pre-retail career involved time doing research with the Department of Defense and doing clinical trials around the globe.
“I pivoted completely,” said Jen. “I never got a break with COVID and wanted to pursue something that makes me happy. This makes me happy.”
If shopping online is something you enjoy, you don’t even have to step foot in the store (though it is a treat). The store inventory is also online at https://tahoehomeconsignment.ricoconsign.com/. Potential consigners can also find information on the website on how to partner with Jen.
Tahoe Home Consignment is currently open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday-Monday. Once she gets a feel for the market and what is needed, those will expand with a goal of being open every day. Like everyone else in South Lake Tahoe, she needs staff to meet that target.
While COVID was the catalyst, it was a combination of Jen’s passion for having a furniture and consignment store, and a lack of furniture stores in South Lake Tahoe, that lead to the May 2021 opening.
“The feedback has been amazing,” said Jen of her store. “Everyone that walks in says how wonderful this is.”
She has a certain standard when bringing in consigned goods, and focuses on quality for things from rustic to contemporary. When asked what some of her more interesting items in the store at this time, Jen said they have a 42″ hand-woven basket from Africa, vintage antique Turkish rugs, handmade cedar bed, and custom-built dining chairs from a Big Sur artist that represent the wildlife of Lake Tahoe. The talented Marianne Rosenfeld, famous for her old ski chairs, has her custom ski lights at the store. Other local artists have their art on the walls.