We’re a tight-knit team
of furniture-obsessed folks.
Lao Triffin
Owner
Lao is fascinated with how things work, and it shows in everything he does — whether it’s studying electrical and computer engineering, balancing form and function in a room design, or just tinkering with motors out in his workshop.
After years of hanging around his uncle Kerry’s store, we were thrilled when Lao decided to make it official and join the Fairhaven team in 2003. He became a co-owner in 2016 — he’s honored to bring Fairhaven Furniture into its next generation.
Colleen Gala
Owner
Colleen came to Fairhaven Furniture as a student intern, looking to round out her Industrial Design degree with some hands-on experience. But she quickly became obsessed with learning every aspect of running a small business — buying, merchandising, marketing, customer relations… the list goes on!
She joined us full-time in 2005 and became a co-owner in 2016. Now, she draws on her love for fine furniture and her entrepreneurial acumen to make this generation of Fairhaven Furniture the best it can be.
Joe Shelfo
Designer
Joe got interested in woodworking when he was just a kid — spending time at his uncle’s lumberyard and eventually learning the craft as a mill-shop assistant. After going on to earn a degree in Interior Design, it became clear that furniture was his calling.
Since 2009, Joe has pursued that calling at Fairhaven Furniture. With his deep knowledge of materials and remarkable (dare we say, obsessive?) attention to detail, he specializes in custom furniture and home design.
Mark Reynolds
Designer
Mark joined the Fairhaven team in 2012 after 30 years of working in interior design, primarily in Fairfield County. As a New Haven native, he’s been happy to get back to his roots!
Mark specializes in space planning, and he especially loves working on spaces that offer a challenge. He experiments with shapes, textures and colors to find just the right balance for every design project he undertakes.
Angetta Cerritto
Bookkeeping + Merchandising
Angetta came to Fairhaven Furniture as a bookkeeper in 2010. But little did we know, behind that number-crunching facade there dwells the soul of an accessories artist!
Now, when she’s not busy balancing the books, Angetta buys and merchandises many of our home accessories and gifts. She has an outstanding eye — both for sourcing pieces that have that special Fairhaven flair and for displaying them to perfection.
Emily Mitchell
Designer
Connecticut native Emily Mitchell has been obsessed with furniture for as long as she can remember — she even loved tagging along to furniture stores when she was a little girl!
Once she grew up, the logical next step was to earn an Interior Design degree and turn her passion into a profession. She joined the Fairhaven team in 2023, and now Emily shares her enthusiasm for color, pattern, and architectural details with our customers.