It has been said that, these days, a lot of us are doing less working from home and more living at work. That is certainly how I found myself, months into the pandemic, still doing my job as a web editor for this magazine from what used to be my dining room table, with virtually no separation between work time and off-duty hours.
My husband and I even made the tough choice to give up our cozy guest house rental in Silver Lake and find a new place in a neighborhood where we could both have personal workspaces. But moving is expensive and tough enough as it is, so turning my new little nook into a WFH haven was still on my to-do list when Fernish reached out, offering to be my home’s fairy godmother.
Adam Corey Thomas
Fernish stocks a collection of furniture and decor pieces that customers can select from and have delivered and set up in their homes. But instead of buying the furniture, you lease it from them for just a few dollars per month for each piece. When you’re ready to move or just switch to new pieces, they come and take back whatever items you’re done with. Fernish is currently available in Southern California and Seattle, but has big plans to expand to more cities soon.
The company offered me the opportunity to try our their service and share my experience with readers. And–as several of my friends have already heard me spill in excited texts–I am kind of hooked.
Adam Corey Thomas
Working with Fernish is so much easier than spending hours staring at furniture store websites at night after spending hours staring at websites for work all day. The options are pre-edited from a variety of brands, including Crate & Barrel, CB2, Floyd, and Campaign, and ready to play nicely together in your home. I sent photos of my home and talked about design with the Fernish team; together we pulled together a handful of items to mix with things I already owned. Once we settled on some items, I set up a delivery time and awaited their arrival.
On the appointed day (exactly on time, by the way) I got a text that my delivery team was outside. They quickly and safely brought everything in, setting pieces up, doing final assembly, and even checking details like to make sure the lamps all had working lightbulbs. None of the wild delivery costs associated with buying stuff online, and best of all, no spending hours watching YouTube tutorials trying to figure out how to turn flat-packed pieces into actual furniture (I’m not an expert builder, ok?). They even took away the packaging materials when they were done. Truly a breeze.
The space they set up has changed my whole workday vibe. I feel so much more like a human spending time in a space that feels joyful and put-together.
Adam Corey Thomas
The centerpiece of Fernish’s picks for me, the Ryze Sit/Stand Desk, helps with that, too. As part of a small news team, I log around 10 hours a day at my desk, and sometimes more. After just days of standing for some portion of that time, I found myself feeling physically better, and taking calls and meetings while standing just seems to help keep my energy up and brainstorms coming. When it’s time to sit down and write a story, I’m comfy in the Nixon Office Chair; the glow of the chic, marble-based Bassoon Table Lamp adds warmth for when I’m working well after the sun sets.
Something I know I’m not alone in working on on 2021 is trying to turn off that ‘living at work’ mentality and actually putting the computer to sleep and quitting Slack at some point in the night (the Slack on my phone is still on, obviously, I’m not a crazy person). Fernish helped me out with that, too, setting me up with what I call my “happy hour station.”
Adam Corey Thomas
The station features the Astor Bar Cart where I keep supplies for my at-home cocktail experiments, with tools stored in the Celia Vase. Next to the cart is a Dijon Armchair–cozied up with a Hara Throw Pillow–and the Crane Floor Lamp. It’s the perfect area for an aperitif or a Zoom hang with much-missed friends and family. A Blue and White Rug made from eco-friendly recycled plastic bottle fibers ties the two halves of the room together.
Fernish stocks patio furniture as well, and they set me up with a perfect little area to relax on weekends or sneak away for a bit of sunshine. The delivery team brought the pair of Del Rey Chaises and Del Rey Side Table through my tricky, skinny side yard to turn a little corner into my new favorite oasis.
Adam Corey Thomas
Before working with Fernish on this project, the idea of leasing decor had not really occurred to me–but it won me over. A service that combines making attractive pieces I would want in my home with freedom from committing to permanent decisions? Sign me up. While Fernish let me try the service for free, I spent plenty of time looking at the site and can say the monthly subscription prices make it a lot more accessible than shelling out for high-end pieces the traditional way.
Fernish is a game-changer for anyone who wants to create their dream home without any hassle, hidden costs, or missing screws.
Brittany Martin is the deputy digital editor of Los Angeles. She was provided complimentary service by Fernish for this review and this piece of content is sponsored by the company.
