Behind the Label | Laura Aviva - l'aviva Home

The Silk Road Collection by l'aviva home is a carefully curated collection featuring unique homewares from artisans around the globe. Laura Aviva, founder of l'aviva home shares with us her treasures- from Uzbeki Ikat to Shrydak- each telling us a distinct story.

What encouraged you to start l?aviva home and how did you go about doing so?

l'aviva home really started as a lark. It was originally conceptualized as a onetime only, two-week long trunk show - with the idea of featuring a selection of textiles that I had collected during my extensive travels (many while working as a Creative Director at Travel + Leisure magazine). It wasn?t a high concept, or very formulated, idea. It was based on a very simple ? human ? principle, when you are passionate about something, you want to share it.

Every l?aviva home product seems to contain its own wonderful story. How do you create this story in the design process?
The focus on story telling a big one with us, and it's the common thread with the pieces we gather for our collections -- we are drawn to pieces made by master artisans that tell stories. We say ?the collections reflect the belief that the things we surround ourselves with should possess a soul, a history, and a purpose beyond mere decoration: they should help us connect to the world." There's something very powerful about surrounding yourself with things that have meaning.

Where do you find inspiration for your collections?

The inspiration really comes from the artisans and the traditions themselves. Our goal is to help them 'cultivate' the creations - by doing things like providing access to better quality raw materials, and access to new markets. I love the idea of bridging cultures - listening to other people, understanding traditions and perspectives, building relationships, and just nurturing the creation of things that are beautiful.

How would you describe your own interior?
My home shares space with the l'aviva home studio space - a loft in SoHo. My personal style is very sparse, and the bones of the space reflect this: ebony wood floors, white walls, clean lines, neutral tones. This is not always the case with the studio space, though, it is not quite so serene!

Photo Credit Apartment Therapy

Which piece of furniture in your home captures your favorite story?

My desk is hands-down my favorite piece of furniture I?ve ever had, and it has a great story. There was an iconic restaurant in Los Angeles called Spanish Kitchen ? it opened sometime in the late 30?s and was a famed spot for many years. Then, one day in the early 60?s, it closed, completely out of blue (as in, the employees showed up one day to work only to find the doors locked). All the tables were set, everything in place. And it remained exactly that way - untouched - for maybe 30 years. It was a total mystery what happened to the owners (there was a plethora of salacious rumors around it all, including mafia involvement). Hollywood noir. A couple friends of mine snuck in to the space in the early 90?s and hoisted this desk and some other pieces through a window. It then ended up in my apartment, and it's been moving around with me ever since.

Photo Credit Apartment Therapy

What is one of the best shopping finds you?ve had in your travels?

Years ago, on my first trip to Istanbul, I was on a quest to find a pendant lamp to fall in love with. After endless hours trolling the Grand Bazaar, I found it: a crackled glass globe, encased by intricate antique copper filagree work. I carried it home with me on the plane. And when we started to include 'objects' in the l'aviva home collections, this became the very first piece incorporated into the mix.

 To shop the l'aviva home collection please click here.