by Furnishly | Dec 21, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
When her roommate moved out of her Los Angeles apartment, Monya De knew she’d have to replace a few things in her home. (It’s an inevitability whenever there’s a spatial changing of the guards.) Little did she know, De would have to add a major appliance to her shopping list.
“I found it very odd when my roommate took the refrigerator with her,” she shares. “I knew I didn’t want to invest in a brand new one, and remember having to search widely for this odd little shop that sold old refrigerators.”
Turns out, De isn’t the only Angeleno who had to source her own refrigerator from scratch. If you look closely, corners of the internet are clamoring about this strange phenomenon, which has been regarded as “an LA thing.” So, what gives? Why do some rentals come without a fridge? Oftentimes, it boils down to a landlord’s bottom line.
“From an investor perspective, the fridge is just one more thing to maintain,” explains Rick Albert, a broker associate at LAMERICA Real Estate in Los Angeles. “Nowadays, it seems like just having someone come out to look at appliances costs $200 just to show up.”
As if that wasn’t pricey enough, a landlord has to pay for repairs or a brand-new fridge if necessary. (That’s right: a landlord cannot shift that financial responsibility onto their tenants, so they need to take care of leaks and mold if they’re the provider of the fridge.) Albert adds that while this might be no big deal for large management companies that own a bunch of properties, the steep fee could be a considerable expense for smaller, mom-and-pop landlords.
“Their margins are slimmer than what is perceived,” he says. “Therefore, the less they have to be [financially] responsible for, the better.”
I know what you’re thinking: “No refrigerator?! Isn’t that illegal?” Technically, no. According to California law, a refrigerator is actually considered an amenity. While a built-in fridge might be something you’re used to, it’s legally not as essential as, say, a toilet or shower. Since ditching the fridge doesn’t make an apartment uninhabitable, some landlords might believe that less is more.
And, before you ask, the quirky kitchens aren’t just exclusive to Los Angeles. Some San Francisco landlords have included “no cook” clauses into their leases, which mandates that tenants use a hot plate, mini-fridge, microwave, and… that’s about it. When you put it that way, having to find your own fridge doesn’t sound that bad.
If you don’t hail from the Golden State, you might think of a fridge-free apartment as a bit of a bummer — let alone totally bizarre. (You’re not wrong: it is one of the stranger real-estate trends I’ve discovered.) But, according to Albert, many Angelenos are used to this oddity and have jumped on the BYOR bandwagon.
“I always include [refrigerators] in [my listings] to give a sense of completeness for the space — and most tenants seem to appreciate it,” he explains. “However, there are some tenants who are used to this and therefore bring their fridge wherever they go.”
It makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? Whether you buy a brand-new model or a second-hand option like De did, a fridge is an investment. After all, why buy and sell a refrigerator just to do it all over again when you move?
Kelsey Mulvey
Contributor
Kelsey Mulvey is a lifestyle editor and writer. She has written for publications like Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Wallpaper.com, New York Magazine, and more.
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by Furnishly | Aug 7, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
Marisa Vitale
Contributor
A California native who loves to travel and explore, meet new people, laugh, play and capture all of these pieces with her camera. She lives in Venice Beach, CA with her husband and twins, Oliver and Macy, and their twin siamese cats, Choco and Blu.
by Furnishly | Jul 30, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
Marisa Vitale
Contributor
A California native who loves to travel and explore, meet new people, laugh, play and capture all of these pieces with her camera. She lives in Venice Beach, CA with her husband and twins, Oliver and Macy, and their twin siamese cats, Choco and Blu.
by Furnishly | Jun 21, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
Marisa Tom
Contributor
Raised in the Bay Area, long-time New Yorker, and now, an Austin transplant. Soon-to-be first-time mama; writer; marketer; and lover of soup dumplings, tacos, travel, street art, low-impact exercise, questionable TV shows, and pop culture.
by Furnishly | Jun 17, 2021 | Design Inspiration, Style
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Name: Nesrin Danan
Location: Los Angeles, California
Size: 800 square feet
Type of Home: One-bedroom apartment
Years lived in: 1 year, renting
Through her job as a professional photographer in the entertainment industry, Nesrin Danan keeps busy touring with musicians, creating social content for celebrities and brands, shooting event photography for tech companies, and more. So when it came to decorating the 800-square-foot apartment in Los Angeles that she rents, she chose a mix of mid-century modern meets Scandinavian vibes to create a soothing sanctuary.
“I love this apartment — it’s spacious and in a great neighborhood. I also love the vintage 1930s architecture of the building; it gives it so much warmth and character,” says Nesrin. “I’ve been able to bring so many fun pieces into my space to make it perfectly my own! My living room is definitely the vibe-iest part of my apartment — to pass the time at home I love having movie marathons, working at my desk, and watching sunsets from the roof or the fire escape.”
“I actually found this apartment SO last minute — when I was moving to LA over the summer I was supposed to move into my friend’s house, and literally two weeks before my move that fell through. I sent my friend whose eye for design I trust to my favorite neighborhood in LA to look at a few places for me, and I signed for this a week before I moved in — without having seen it in real life!” Special thanks goes to Nesrin not just for allowing Apartment Therapy to tour her home… but she actually recommended the fantastic Antonio DeLoatch house tour that we published earlier this week.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Mid-century modern meets Scandinavian meets random eclectic things I found on Pinterest.
Inspiration: My two friends @caileeraemusic and @orionvanessa. Their apartments are completely unique but both styles I love, and I definitely take inspiration from both of them!
Favorite Element: Definitely my Ferm Living pond mirror.
Biggest Challenge: I’m not used to having a narrow galley kitchen with no counter space, so that’s something I’ve had to adjust to. I also have north-facing windows, which can sometimes pose a challenge with natural light.
Proudest DIY: I haven’t really DIY’d much in here, however I have built every single piece of my furniture by myself and I count that as a win!
Biggest Indulgence: My window A/C unit… and yes it was worth it.
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? In the middle of my apartment there’s a little vanity nook with cabinets/drawers and a makeup table (remnants of the 1930s!). I originally thought I’d never use this space but it’s amazing for storage (linens, extra clothes, photo gear, influencer product overflow) and I get ready there every day!
What are your favorite products you have bought for your home and why? Definitely my bedroom rug — one of my favorite things and it brings so much warmth to my bedroom. My Keurig is a no-brainer; I’m a coffee fan. I also couldn’t live without my Dyson air purifier — a must have in a city like LA. The one item I get the most compliments on however are my Philips Hue bulbs! I have them installed in every sconce in my place, and whenever people come over for drinks or a movie night, it’s a really great way to set a vibe.
Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: I try to just maximize all of my hidden storage — shoe racks, shelf stackers, and organization bins in closets, drawer dividers in all my drawers, etc. I got a little rolling kitchen island to use as a coffee station in my kitchen because of the lack of counter space.
What’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? One thing I did in this apartment was deciding on a color scheme before buying anything. I wanted warm colors (orange, yellow, red, beige, gold) and wood furniture pieces to make the space feel more cozy/welcoming and to balance out the bluish-light from my north-facing windows. It was so much easier to shop when I knew what would match well and the aesthetic I was going for!
This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
Adrienne Breaux
House Tour Editor
Adrienne loves architecture, design, cats, science fiction and watching Star Trek. In the past 10 years she’s called home: a van, a former downtown store in small town Texas and a studio apartment rumored to have once been owned by Willie Nelson.
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