The thrill of the hunt

You'd think that a million-dollar-plus home would be decorated with the finest of treasures. In Jody Ferchaud's Waialae Iki home that notion holds true; it's just that her idea of "treasure" is a bit different. Every nook and cranny of her 2,800-square-foot home is filled with someone else's discarded goods.

Luxury items can be found amid the jumble of goods at second-hand stores, if you know where to look, she says.

From the outside, it seems the selling point of the home is the view. On the inside, the most unusual aspect is that the furnishings total $10,000, and all items -- bedding, patio furniture, paintings, books and more -- were purchased from places such as Boutique Goodwill and Boutique Salvation Army, as Ferchaud calls them.

Since moving in last December, Ferchaud actively searched out sales and furnished the residence within six months. One particular find is a solid wood bedroom set she found at a Salvation Army. Another is a couch "with good bones" that Ferchaud had recovered. A comparable couch sells at upscale furniture stores for about $3,500.

It's all about the hunt, said Ferchaud, a real estate agent. "I don't like the word 'thrift.' But I'm always willing to go to a good garage sale. ... The adrenaline just starts going the minute you start reading an ad. Even if my husband and I are not heading to a garage sale, the car immediately starts heading for the garage sales."

It's a habit she's had since she turned 20 years old. The New Orleans native would scout garage sales long before bargain-hunting was considered fashionable. "There were so many good garage sales -- you could find gold jewelry, class rings and sterling silver. Nowadays people start shopping early and reading the paper the day before. It's a race. But don't be in a hurry to buy. Shop frequently but only buy what you really like."

FERCHAUD and her family -- husband Paul, son Matthew, 24, and daughter Faurie, 6, -- settled in Hawaii last August. Ferchaud was in town to attend her son's graduation from the University of Hawaii-Manoa when Hurricane Katrina hit. They've remained here since.

"We wanted to fly back, but when Katrina hit we couldn't go back."

Except for a few boxes shipped from the family's main residence in Louisiana, the Ferchauds started off life in Hawaii without their belongings. Everything from furniture to cutlery was purchased second-hand. It's the same way they furnished their New Orleans home, a tri-level that sustained water damage on the first floor. The Ferchauds had traveled to Hawaii the previous year to see their son and had planned on moving to Hawaii at some time; Katrina moved those plans forward. "We always thought this is where we'll retire. ... I thought, 'This is where I really want to stay.' I haven't looked back since. It's paradise and it's really beautiful. I feel so blessed."