Whenever there's a holiday or an occasion to buy a gift, Lavish is one of our go-to stops, not only because it's on Hayes Street, minutes away from The Bold Italic HQ, but mostly because we absolutely love the selection of greeting cards and stationary, home décor, clothing and accessories, and so much more that's great for a variety of the people in our lives – from our cool parents to our even cooler friends. And we'd be lying if we didn't admit that we also stop in to shop for ourselves!
We took a minute to talk to Lavish owner, Nicole Bald, "a 28-year-old newly-turned mother, floral enthusiast, and sunshine obsessed history major" to find out more about her Hayes Valley boutique.
What kind of store of Lavish?
One day we hope to come up with a ‘style-phrase’ that defines our aesthetic and makes us sound like an amazing pioneer in the boutique world. But until then, here is a word jumble that best describes us: lifestyle boutique, Hayes Valley, stationary, décor, clothing, accessories, light & pretty, eclectic, woodsy& rustic, homey, colorful, modern & vintage.
When did Lavish open?
Lavish was opened in 2003 by Elizabeth Leu, a pioneer of Hayes Valley and owner of Lavish’s sister store, Fiddlesticks. I had been working at Lavish as an employee for five years when she sold the store to me in 2010. Elizabeth and I remain close friends and share a deep passion as margarita connoisseurs.
What do your regular customers love most about the shop?
There’s a good vibe and feeling of community at Lavish; what we like to think of as a combination of midwest hospitality and West Coast realness.
Our customers are comfortable letting us help out with their shopping; we don’t try to up-sell them. We genuinely enjoy helping people find exactly what they’re looking for – especially gifts. We're masters of the craft; our regular customers usually count on us to get them in and out of the store with a wrapped gift in minutes.
Why do you guys have so much stuff by Rifle Paper Co.?
A couple years ago we teamed up with Rifle Paper Co. and made Lavish an official destination store. We carry all things Rifle all the time. This fall we will be announcing something new and special courtesy of Rifle Paper Co. So stay tuned.
Be sure to stop in at Lavish to say hi and check out their awesome wares at our Hayes Valley Microhood on Thursday, Aug. 14 from 6-8 p.m.