By Keri Freeman
Cindy Ayvar and Melissa Mitchell are two Downtown pioneers celebrating their One Year Anniversary as shop owners of Lab3, on 7th and Main.
When visiting Lab3 expect to find a collection of objects, any of which make the perfect gift for family or friends. Lab 3 carries unique items rescued from time with modern gifts made this year sharing the same space as antique gifts made in the early 1900s. There are more novelty items than you can count, yet you will never grow tired of exploring the fascinating pieces of collected memories found at the store.
Most items are made in America but so unique in circumstance you probably won’t find them anywhere else, like the numerous greeting cards they carry that just can’t be found in the local pharmacy.
With a keen eye for design and tables full of interesting relics, Lab3 is the success that Cindy and Melissa first dreamed of so many years ago.
Cindy and Melissa met when they were in fashion design school. Working together on many projects in the fashion industry, after graduation, Cindy (design) and Melissa (sales) discovered they both had the same dream, to open a store with a focus totally different from garments, to offer something no other brand had, and to design their own unique style of furniture.
Witnessing the rejuvenation of Downtown from their early days of buying fabrics to the booming economic porthole it’s become today, persuaded the two to open their dream shop in the Historic Core.
Today Lab3 offers unique gifts, novelty items, antiques and furnishings designed or refurbished by Cindy and Mellisa. Each piece tells a story and reaches for the heart strings. Shopping for gift items locally is made simple and fun by Lab3. Its like opening a treasure chest of countless heartwarming gifts and decorations.
Cindy and Melissa clearly share in the same vision and enjoy watching their customers wow over their gifts. Yet, selling the hand-selecting heartwarming collectables isn’t always easy. Their favorite item, a vintage record player hidden within a portable carrying case, was sold to a loyal customer, but only because they felt that customer would give it just as much love as they did.
In a store where anything you pick up can make you smile, Lab3 is a feel good location full of gifts anyone can appreciate. Many years from now, their adventure stories of traveling the country, hand-selecting collectibles for the Lab, will be as bold and exciting as Downtown itself. There time spent here can truly be seen as a gift of a lifetime.
Lab3 is located at 132 W. 7th, Los Angeles, CA 90014. www.lab3shop.com
