SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – After working for years in the science field, South Lake Tahoe local Jen Hause decided to give up the stressful job and exercise her creative side, leading her to open Tahoe Home Consignment.
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Hause studied biology at Cal Poly then received her Masters in cellular and molecular biology at University of Colorado Denver. She spent several years working in the industry, taking many contracts, including contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.
But she calls that her “past life.” The pandemic was the catalyst for her to leave the industry behind.
“It was a very stressful job, I was constantly climbing the corporate ladder,” Hause said. “For most of my life I was using the logical side of my brain but I hadn’t tapped into the creative side and it was calling out to me.”
Hause’s mother, Jill Amen owns several consignment stores in Truckee and on the North Shore. Hause had lived in Tahoe on and off for seven years but decided now was the time to settle down here and join the family business.
Tahoe Home Consignment opened at the “Y” in South Lake and it’s a separate entity from her mother’s stores, she still looks to her mom for support.
“It’s a collaborative partnership,” Hause said. “I started this business because I could see my mother as my mentor.”
Despite being a consignment store, Hause said she has a high standard for the items they take in and the number of items they have out at once. She added that she doesn’t want the store to look like a warehouse.
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“We looked for nice, quality items from high-end brands,” Hause said. “But they’re not overly expensive.”
Hause said she’s noticed that living in a throw-away society, many furniture items are poorly made, so she wants to give a second life to well-made items.
In addition, she looks for a variety of styles when deciding which items to take in.
“It’s not all rustic themed,” Hause said. “Not everyone wants a full bear house.”
Hause is passionate about giving back to the community. The items are being consigned by locals and purchased by locals. In addition, she displays pieces from many different local artists and artisans.
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Since opening in May, Tahoe Home Consignment already has a list of over 180 different consignors. All the items can be purchased through the online store and she has a box truck named Gertrude that will pick up and deliver items.
They take in new items daily and everyday older items are marked down. The new items can be found each day on https://www.instagram.com/tahoehomeconsignment/ or http://www.tahoehomeconsignment.com.
Tahoe Home Consignment is located at 2024 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.
