The Collectors: Thomas Lavin

When it comes to having an eye for detail, few compare to Thomas Lavin, whose Los Angeles showroom—currently celebrating its 25th anniversary—curates impressive design pieces ranging from French fabrics by Casamance to sculptural lighting by Alison Berger. So it’s no wonder his own home holds equally sublime collections, but none is as personal as his array of exceptionally rare Japanese engraved metal boxes. His first one, embellished with an image of the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, belonged to his great-grandparents. “I always admired it as a child,” he shares. After his mother passed the treasure on to him, he began researching this delicate art and discovered that when the emperor of Japan prohibited samurai swords in 1876, the artisans had to find new outlets for their craft. Lavin now travels the world on the hunt for these superlative works, especially ones made by the Komai and Seki families of Kyoto.

Careful consideration: “In my new house in Los Angeles, there’s a midnight blue lacquer table that sits in front of the reading chair in my bedroom. There, I can really enjoy them, and it makes me feel like a 19th-century collector—opening them, studying the detail, comparing and contrasting.”

Discerning eye: “The thing about collecting is, over time, I’ve learned to understand quality. So I have come across boxes I had to forgo because they were so used and not in top condition. But maybe in hindsight I should have picked them up, too.”

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Late Fall Issue under the headline “The Collectors.” Subscribe to the magazine.