Bergen County NJ interior designer to be featured on new Hulu show

A North Jersey interior designer is bringing her talents to television this spring as she will be featured on a brand-new competition series titled “That Thrifting Show with Lara Spencer.”

The 12-episode show, which will debut on Freeform and Hulu in 2026, will feature vintage design expert and Good Morning America host Lara Spencer as she pits designer duos up against one another with the task of transforming a space using only vintage, thrifted and upcycled pieces.

“It’s so meaningful to share my childhood love of thrifting and celebrate this new generation’s passion for sustainable design,” said Spencer in a statement. “As you will see on ‘That Thrifting Show,’ there are so many incredible treasures out there, just waiting to be reimagined and given a new life. To see the rooms these designers create with their thrifted finds is aspirational and simply amazing.”

Tara Rotelli, principal interior designer and owner of Rotelli Interiors LLC in Hasbrouck Heights was approached by producers at the end of June to compete in the show.

A couple months later, Rotelli and Junior Designer Madison Dempsey drove out to Connecticut where filming took place.

Rotelli said she was blown away by the “sheer magnitude” of the level of production, which included a 40- to 50-person crew in a “massive studio.”

“It was just so cool how we were plucked out of Hasbrouck Heights and whisked away to Connecticut where it filmed in a giant massive studio and getting to see the orchestration, how these kinds of shows are built and how many individuals are truly involved behind the scenes,” said Rotelli. “It was really authentic and organic, like nothing was scripted, nothing was faked for the cameras so anything they see on the show, at least for my episode, was real.”

Rotelli, a Lodi High School and Berkeley College alum, has been working in design and construction for 20 years. She currently resides in Hackensack.

She shared her excitement about not only getting the chance to share her passion and talents with the world, but also getting the opportunity to show people that “you don’t need to have a fortune” to design and create a space that you love.

“On a personal level, there’s nothing more exciting than being documented doing something you’re naturally and inherently good at and trained to do, and most people don’t get to experience that, so I’m practicing gratitude,” Rotelli said. “On the ethical level, we’re teaching people about sustainability. How you don’t have to just run to stores and buy brand new things in order to love your home.”

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While she was given the approval to announce her participation in the show, Rotelli is not allowed to share the theme of the room she designed or whether or not she won.

Those details will remain a mystery until the show airs on Freeform and Hulu in 2026.

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