Some risks are cushioned. Others are like jumping off the sofa and hoping you land on your feet.

For Lachlan Selwood, that cushion was literal. When he decided to bring Kave Home – the bold, contemporary Spanish furniture brand – to Australia, he was betting on more than just lounges and coffee tables. He was betting on himself, the timing, and an Aussie appetite for something different in home styling.

The risks were real, but so was the reward.

Today, Kave Home is a growing name in Australia with an e-commerce site and a stylish showroom in James Street, Fortitude Valley, offering stylish, functional furniture with a distinctly European flair.

From Container Loads to a Catalan Curveball

Lachlan didn’t start with curated showrooms and Instagram-ready vignettes. Before Kave Home, the Selwood family worked in wholesale for nearly twenty-five years. They imported container loads of furniture, stored them in Melbourne warehouses, and supplied independent retailers around the country.

Lachlan climbed from sales rep to national operations, learning the unglamorous side of getting sofas from factory to living room.

“We were originally, more of a traditional wholesaler and, looking for products and, and, trying to find a way to diversify the business…”

Wholesale taught him the mechanics, but it also showed him the ceiling. He could influence supply, yet never the end-to-end customer experience. So the Selwoods hit the road, scouting fresh ranges to future-proof the business.

“We were actually overseas, about 15 years ago in China at a trade show, and we, walked onto this stand, and it was an amazing company from Barcelona. And we love their product, love their concept and and their influence on technology and wanting to be a bit more modern in the industry. One thing led to another…we made the tough decision to get on a plane to Barcelona and go and meet them. And from there, one thing led to another. And 15 years later, here we are.”

That “amazing company” is Júlia Grup, parent of Kave Home. The Selwoods inked an exclusive Australian licence, swapping bulk cartons for brand storytelling, and giving Lachlan control of the customer journey from first click to final delivery.

Wholesale-to-Brand: The Biggest Risk — and the Best Investment — Right as COVID Hit

“Without a doubt, the biggest risk we took was that transformation and that, evolving from being a wholesale business to becoming a brand…

“I think it’s fair to say that when you’re in an industry…you can always look at the situation and go, “yeah, we can do that”, or “we know a little bit about that”. But once you actually dive into it and all of a sudden you’ve got new departments… marketing departments, retail stores, you’ve added in the e-commerce element… you really quickly realise that there’s a hell of a lot that you don’t know…

“And we decided to make that leap right after the pandemic hit us, which was perfectly in line with one of the biggest downturns in our industry in history.”

Lachlan says it was a very trying time. The team wrestled with delayed containers and the brutal maths of fixed overheads without knowing what was coming next.

The exclusive Kave Home licence with Barcelona-based Júlia Grup also required serious capital at the worst possible moment.

“We made those investments right after COVID, and that was a really hard time. If I wasn’t on camera, I’d probably use some different words to describe how hard that first year was…

“There were moments where we were like, ‘Can we actually get this brand off the ground?’ Daily turnover, spending money… trying to make sure we were managing that.”

But the lockdown drove a surge in nesting – and the same deal that stretched cashflow also became the parachute.

Customers stuck at home began upgrading sofas and sideboards online. Lachie’s gamble on a fully integrated e-commerce site paid off just as physical retail paused.

“It was daunting. But at the same time, it was the biggest opportunity we’ve ever had. We learned a lot the hard way…Doing it solo is achievable, but having a global partner gave us a huge amount of support and speed. And that’s been invaluable.”

Velocity Beats Perfection

One of Lachie’s biggest lessons? Don’t wait too long to make your move.

In a market where trends shift fast and consumer expectations are higher than ever, hesitation can kill opportunity.

“If you really believe in what you’re doing… you really need to take the handbrakes off and release the shackles, and really just drive towards that as fast as you possibly can… The faster we’ve transformed into what we are today, the more success we’re having.”

“I feel like velocity is huge in business generally. You can do everything perfectly, but if you don’t do it fast enough, you lose. You can make quite a few mistakes, but if you beat everybody else, you still win.”

This philosophy has shaped Kave Home’s growth. From opening showrooms to experimenting with digital marketing strategies, Lachlan has learned that speed and flexibility often beat perfection.

Mentors, Mountains & Dodging Trees

Whether it’s structured coaching or natural guidance, Lachy embraces both:

“I’ve had natural mentors in my life… and we developed the partnership with Júlia Group that brought new mentorships to people in our company.”

“I think it’s super important to have mentors that are going to be honest with you as well. They can’t just be, you know, ‘yeah, you’re doing great’… It’s great when you’ve got people that are going to disagree with you and tell you when they think you’re missing the point.”

One standout is Dutch author Dennis Heijn (The Fearless Monkey):

“He introduced me to the idea that ‘you have to have speed to dodge trees.’ In business you’re at the top of the mountain; the only option you don’t have is staying there. With a bit of speed you might tumble, you might slalom perfectly, but you’ve got to go down—you’ve got to move forward.”

Books that shaped the journey:

The Fearless Monkey — Dennis Heijn

Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0) — Verne Harnish

“Verne talks about aligning your personal life with your professional life, and I think that’s a huge challenge. Something he talks about in his book is “hey, you’ve got a, a one page plan for, for your business, and maybe you should have a one-page-plan for your personal life as well.”

Local Business He Rates?

The Running Company (Sunshine Coast): “They don’t sell on price; they nail community and service. That’s why I bought from them.”

If He Had to Start Again

“A one-page plan. … And surrounding myself with key people that complement my skill set. Katrina, my operations manager, she’s someone that I work extremely closely with, and I think an immensely talented person. And I do believe we complement each other in our various skill sets—you don’t need another you.”

Catch Risky Business, Episode 6 featuring Lachlan Selwood below: