Exploring Life & Business with Krista Li of Two of a Kind Rentals

Today we’d like to introduce you to Krista Li.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Owner of Two of a Kind Rentals in Los Angeles. Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to be a business owner at some point in my career but didn’t know exactly what industry I’d land in.

After getting engaged in 2013 to my (now) husband Ray, I started wedding planning and realized local suppliers weren’t offering the type of rentals I needed. Furniture that had a romantic, modern aesthetic wasn’t readily available in my price point but vintage furniture seemed to be all the rage. Fast forward one year later and Two of a Kind was born.

My background is in the Fashion industry, having worked for various designers and manufacturers, so the event industry was something new that fascinated me. The idea of working with a team of vendors to make a magical experience come to life was thrilling. The first time Two of a Kind supplied furniture for Kate Spade (who happened to be my employer two years prior) I really got a kick out of it.

Two of a Kind’s rental collections started out small the first year and included mainly tabletop decor, light furniture pieces, and other small accents for events. Year over year, the company grew and occupied larger warehouses along the way. Some of the most memorable clients in the early days were Google and Facebook – where we provided furniture for their holiday party and employee training events.

In 2020 I moved the company to California which was a big undertaking not only due to the logistical nature of trucking furniture across the country but also since the majority of our clients were New York-based. This last year has consisted of building new relationships with vendors in Southern California including Los Angeles, Orange County, Malibu, Ventura County, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree and beyond. We’re thrilled to be a part of the event industry in the LA area.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Learning about forklifts and warehouse equipment was new to me at the beginning. Also, after having been broken into two times, security systems have also been a recent learning for me (unfortunately!). Learning from the “legends” in the industry who have been building company’s for 40+ years inspire me to continue learning and growing the company larger.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We rent specialty furniture for events like weddings, corporate events and parties. Warm, intentional customer service paired with a quality product is what our company is known for.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
A sizable risk that I took was uprooting Two of a Kind and moving the company from NYC to Los Angeles in 2020. All of our bars, tables, sofas, etc. were trucked across the country which took about one week in total. It was a feat to say the least. We hired multiple semi-trucks (the largest that legally can drive on the road) to arrive at the Queens, New York warehouse and one by one, they were packed and loaded. It was two days before Thanksgiving and at that time in 2020, domestic travel wasn’t recommended due to the spike in covid cases. I told my husband I may need to rent a car and drive across the country to get home to LA if the airlines wouldn’t allow me back on.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.twoofakindrentals.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/twoofakind_rentals
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/twoofakindfurniture

Image Credits:
Headshot: Photographer: Two Fourteen Photography Outdoor Event: Photographer: Billye Donya Photography | Venue: The Fig House | Event Planner: Fig And Whiskey