New website connects renters with chic décor and antiques

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Afraid to pull the trigger on a super chic — but $12,500 — leather sofa designed by the “grande dame of West Coast interior design” Kelly Wearstler? Now you can try it before you buy it — for $2,500 per week.

1RentPlace, a rental marketplace that connects deep-pocketed homebodies on the hunt for high-end furnishings with some of the nation’s top dealers, launches Thursday, The Post can reveal. Self-funded by CEO Jake Baer, 33 — who is also the CEO of his family’s business, city antiques giant Newel — the site also offers shoppers another perk beyond lower-cost access to luxury items.

“I think flexibility is what people really want right now, and that’s what we’re providing for them,” he said. “[Say] you’re living in an apartment for three months … and you want to live with some really beautiful artwork. But you don’t know if that art piece is going to work well in your next apartment — now there’s a source to get that.”

Renting furnishings, thanks to already-existing services such as Feather and Conjure, is nothing new. But Baer added that he saw a void in the rental market for antiques and other high-gloss gets, plus a big demand for them.

“We’ve had close to 450 percent in growth over the past four years just with renting,” Baer said of Newel.

Though its roster is growing, 1RentPlace will launch with around 45,000 pieces from some 35 dealers, one of which is Newel itself. Starting today, shoppers can browse a variety of items including a set of four Louis XV-style armchairs in blue leather from 145 Antiques for $870 per week (retail: $5,800) and a French cabinet from Bernd Goeckler for $3,445 per week (retail: $26,500).

There’s even an oil-on-canvas work by Adam Henderson for $600 per week from Christopher Anthony Ltd. in Palm Springs (retail: $4,900) and, from Newel, a pair of French mid-century brass candelabras for $120 per week (retail: $1,800).

1RentPlace won’t take a commission on the rentals and it won’t handle the logistics for payment between customer and dealer. Instead, they charge a monthly fee for dealers to list pieces. (For the first year, Baer asks for a 12-month commitment from dealers.)

“I just wanted to get vetted dealers and vetted quality pieces on a website that rental clients can use and become a safe place,” he said.

The launch comes at a time of difficulty in buying furniture. Over the last year, many Americans have spent more time than ever at home, using it as a chance to redecorate.

They headed online to shop at a time when lockdowns closed factories and the shops that sell their furnishings, and clogged up shipping services in the process — leading to delays. At 1RentPlace, listed items are ready to go, and their rental terms can be flexible.

“There’s plenty of times that you can rent for a year and you can end up not spending as much as it would to retail it,” said Baer.

It’s not just customers who benefit, he added — especially at a time when businesses still struggle amid the pandemic.

“If I can help add another revenue stream to [the dealers] and help keep business stable, that is going to be incredible,” he said.

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