This 'library of things' is packed with over a million items used for photo and film

NEW YORK -- "I love objects. I'm always inspired by stuff," says Martha Bernabe. Through her extensive experience as a props stylist, her determined mindset and a tight-knit creative community around her, Bernabe has been able to turn this inspiration into a career. 

As the Owner of Prop Haus in Ridgewood, Queens, Bernabe has spent over a decade sourcing, curating and supplying thousands of eclectic props to creatives within NYC and beyond.

"Prop Haus is a library of things that people rent for photo and video production," Bernabe explains. "Our clients are stylists for photo shoots, advertising, fashion; we get a lot of food stylists as well; beauty clients..."

Past projects have included supplying artisan blankets for a Gucci campaign and aviation ephemera for a major airline's social media project. No matter the type of shoot, Prop Haus' massive collection of objects is sure to have something suited to any client's needs.

"Martha, she's always thinking about how she can make it better, how she can keep it fresh for the clients," Ava Dunn, Manager of Prop Haus, says. 

"We've gone to estate sales together, we've gone to flea markets, and then we've just spent days here rearranging and inventorying, and, you know, refreshing what we have. So it's a lovely adventure all the time."

Reflecting on some of the business' most-rented items, Dunn surmises that visible humanity is what draws renters' eye to the objects.

"Anything that looks super, you know, just human, I think people really gravitate towards," Dunn says. "It looks like humans have interacted with it, which is why I think people really like it. It gives me hope that we can keep all that stuff around."

Beyond the items, Prop Haus' flourishing community of creatives signifies the business' greater emphasis on uplifting the people that come through its doors.

"For me, at the end of the day, life is relational," Bernabe says. "It's all about friends, and people, and community, and we really have that here. It's kind of like a little village. We have a connection to people that way."

Click here to learn more about Prop Haus.