In 1981, Kerry Triffin — woodworker, furniture lover, and brand-new dad — started a small woodworking company in his basement and called it Fairhaven Woodworks. His first pieces were simple pine bookcases, which he sold from his truck to college students in New Haven.

As time went on, Kerry’s business grew and grew — those basic bookcases became larger projects, and we moved out of the basement into a workshop space in Fair Haven, Connecticut. We added a small showroom for customers, then a larger one as we began selling furniture made by other craftspeople. Eventually, we started expanded from furniture and started carrying unique home accessories and gifts, too.

In 2005, we changed our name to Fairhaven Furniture to reflect the new scope of our store, although our roots will always be in woodworking. We put high quality craftsmanship first.

From the start, Kerry and his wife, Elizabeth Orsini, gave Fairhaven Furniture its soul. Along the way, they recruited other furniture-obsessed folks to join them in their mission to bring great furniture to Greater New Haven. In the mid-2000s, Lao Triffin (Kerry’s nephew!) and Colleen Gala joined the team. And when Kerry and Elizabeth were ready to retire in 2016, Lao and Colleen took on ownership. In our second generation, we continue to grow and flourish!