Curating a space that is surrounded by exclusive furnishings from little-known manufacturers in order for them to receive the recognition they deserve is admirable. Of course, the man to successfully do this would be, Thomas Lavin. Since opening his Pacific Design showroom in 2000, Lavin has been southern California’s go-to for residential furnishings. Now with two showrooms, he is able to provide all kinds of high-end furnishings to clients all over in Orange County and San Diego. Please help me welcome this week’s Maker Monday, the southern California trendsetter, Thomas Lavin.
Andrew Joseph: If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you be and why?
Thomas Lavin: Ornithorhynchus anatinus. My boyfriend refers to me as a raven because I would fill my nest with every conceivable item if I could – this animal has it all: Fur, a duck-bill, flat tail, lays eggs & nurses. AND it’s poisonous. H.R. Giger could not have created such a creature.
Andrew: What is the last book you read?
Thomas: Currently double-dipping: The autobiography of artist Celia Paul. Her compelling story commences in India as a child with her missionary family/ then to London and — ultimately with parental cajoling entered Slade school for painting. On her first day at Slade, Lucien Freud was a guest lecturer. They fell in love and the rest is for you to find out when you read her story. Second is Doris Kearns-Goodwin’s Four Rivals; a detailed and thoughtful yarn about how Abraham Lincoln saved the country and became our greatest president through bringing together a quartet of unlikely rivals who disdained him in the beginning and came to love and respect him in the end.
Andrew: If you weren’t a designer, you’d be a ….?
Thomas: An Ophthalmologist. When I was a child, my Great Uncle Sandy (the original raconteur and mixologist and renowned Ophthalmologist) and my Great Aunt Louise (elegance and generosity non-pareil) invited me to stay at their wonderful June Street manse. Uncle Sandy let me experience his microscope and slides of the eyeball. I was determined, until Aunt Louise shared with me that I would have to operate, at which time I decided I would become an impresario.
Andrew: What was your first job?
Thomas: My first job was as a stock boy at Woodbury’s Five & Dime in Pacific Palisades: $3.35 an hour to wash windows, clean toilets, put away stock. In the evening when the cashier dropped the bag into the safe upstairs, I loaded my socks with Abba Zabba, Snickers, Almond Roca and Good & Plenty. At the end of the summer, I clocked a total of $700, took the bus to DTLA and dropped it all on new school clothes.
Andrew: Favorite piece of clothing you own?
Thomas: Having been described as a Raven (see question above), whatever is new in the closet is my favorite. Currently, it is an eccentric black coat from Commes des Garcons – the top is perfectly tailored; from the waist down it becomes the idea of a skirt going to seed.
Andrew: A book that everyone should read?
Thomas: Dreams of Trespass by Fatema Mernissi. A most poetic autobiography of a Moroccan woman who was reared in a family Harem during French Colonialism. I have read it several times – every line is the most exquisite rendering of a life gone by from a girl’s vantage during a great time of change.
About The Maker | The Thomas Lavin showroom has been a southern California trendsetter since its founding in 2000 by Los Angeles native Lavin. Recognizing that there were many manufacturers of fine residential furnishings that had no representation in L.A., Lavin presciently decided that a boutique showplace representing little-known talents would be favorably received. He was the first to carry designs by Fuse Lighting, Gary Hutton, Jiun-Ho, and Romo. And has since gone on to become a leader in bringing an international range of exclusive high-end home furnishings, textiles, lighting, accessories and art to L.A.
Over the years the Pacific Design Center showroom has grown to 17,000 square feet— including an additional 4,000 sq ft added in early 2019—which encompasses a stand-alone showroom for French heritage brand Liaigre. To better serve his clientele in Orange County, San Diego and the desert communities, Lavin opened a showroom at the Laguna Design Center in 2014.
The two Thomas Lavin showrooms are known for their curated offerings, top-notch service and attention to detail. With a skilled and nimble staff, they tend to their clients’ needs with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, both in the showroom and on the road. A natural host himself, Lavin welcomes the design community into the showrooms on a regular basis, hosting book-signings for friends and clients, talks with magazine editor-in-chiefs, market week panel discussions and receptions, and regular vendor presentations and parties.
Regarded by the press as a style maker, Lavin is an avid traveler, reader, and connoisseur of art, antiques and fine furnishings. Lavin’s philanthropic activities include fund-raising for the L.A. Antiques Show, whose opening night preview benefits P.S. Arts, and he supports numerous charities, including DIFFA’s Dining by Design. He serves on the board of directors of Outfest and is a founder of Design on Beverly Boulevard. He, his home and his showroom offerings have been published in numerous outlets around the world.
Andrew Joseph is a regular contributing editor for ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME magazine. See more of his work here.
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