Meet Thomas Lavin: President/ luxury to the trade home furnishings

We had the good fortune of connecting with Thomas Lavin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thomas, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I was a kid, my sister and I played office with my father’s leftover folders, office equipment and work ephemera. It was in my youthful games that the future was sown. After job-hopping for several years as the quintessential roaming admin, I took a job in to-the-trade home furnishings and felt like a duck in the water. While I was selling beautiful product, the most salient features in our industry are relationships and service. For those are the foundation of our business. Having been an ambitious young man, I saw opportunities in the marketplace to open — and collections that had not been represented in Southern California. We started off small – with 1 employee in 3,000 square feet. Twenty-one years later, we have two dozen on the team and, 25,000 square feet combined in two locations (Pacific Design Center and Laguna Design Center). And playtime foreshadowed life : My sister is my CFO; it has become our vision with us both bringing different expertise to our business.

What should our readers know about your business?
The genesis of the company was to offer the very best service. Since our business is based on relationships we want to take care of our friends and colleagues at the absolute highest level. Additionally, the companies that we represent expect being presented in a way that is commensurate with their quality – the best. The furniture, lighting, and textile collections that we represent are generally from smaller companies— some made by a single passionate artist (or founded by a single artist and have since grown). Behind each and every company is a person living their dream and their passion. Was it easy? Success is the only option. Through adversity, we figure it out and we celebrate the good times. We have an extraordinary and committed team – no matter what challenges come our way, the team navigates with professionalism and creativity.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ah, in the days before quarantine the itinerary would have been different. We’ve lost so many gems of restaurants. When we are able to move about the cabin freely, I would do a gallery hop for sure. Some favorites are coincidentally in the same building: Downtown Morning Vielmetter / Los Angeles Wilding Cran Lunch at Manuela (southern inspired food/beautiful garden and also the galleries + the veg garden with chickens Shopping at Dover Street- the cool concept shop just outside of the arts district Dinner – Always MozzaPlex – sitting at the mozzarella bar with a Negroni and their Sea Trout is heaven. Another day would be mid-city galleries – Band of Vices, and Anat Ebgi with a lunch at some local eatery.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Recognition goes to…. drum roll please: My Sister, Mary Tostado, CFO. Mary has an innate instinct beyond anyone I know (perhaps because we are siblings?). Mary is not only talented with numbers and knows the business blind-folded, she is a soothsayer and reads people and the future. The perfect partner in business. As a family business, shout-out to my Mom, Fyfe Lavin. Mom came on as the head of our textile department in 2001. It is a gift and a treat to work with her every day and be inspired by her sense of color and uncanny understanding of how to present disparate fabric collections together into a cohesive presentation.

Website: Www.Thomas Lavin.com

Instagram: the.real.thomas.lavin

Facebook: The Thomas Lavin Showroom

Image Credits
Don Flood