Why We Started Lee Tong Co. — And What We Actually Believe About Interior Design

By Lee Tong Co. | Irvine · Orange County· CA

You've just moved into a new home in Irvine. The furniture is in. The art is hung. But something still feels unfinished.

You know the space has potential. You just can't figure out what it's missing.

That's exactly the problem we built Lee Tong Co. to solve.

How Lee Tong Co. Started

Lee Tong Co. was founded by a designer who spent years working on high-end residential projects across Southern California — and kept asking the same question: why do so many beautiful homes feel empty?

We didn't start with a studio and a client list. We started with a single room that wasn't working — and a conviction that it could be better. That's still how we approach every project.

The homes we work on range from newly built properties in Irvine to older estates in Pasadena being brought back to life. Every project is different. The problem is usually the same.

What We Actually Believe

Good design should feel inevitable. When a room is done right, nothing calls attention to itself. The furniture, the art, the botanicals, the light — it all just works. You don't notice the decisions. You just feel at home.

It's knowing where to spend and where to save. The difference is almost never money. It's intention.

Low maintenance isn't a compromise — it's smart design. In Southern California, fresh flowers wilt in the heat and need replacing every week. Premium faux botanicals solve that problem without compromise. A well-chosen arrangement looks better at month six than a real one does at week two. Our clients have homes, careers, and full lives. They don't need one more thing to take care of.

Trade pricing should benefit the client. We have access to trade pricing at least 30% below retail — and we pass that directly to you. No markups on top of markups.

Who We Work With

Our clients are homeowners, developers, and business owners across Southern California who care about getting it right.

We've had clients tell us their home finally feels like theirs — after years of it feeling like a showroom they happened to live in. That's the moment we work toward on every project.

We work throughout Irvine, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, and greater Los Angeles Orange County , CA — with homeowners who want their space to feel finished, not just decorated, and commercial clients who understand that environment is part of the brand.

What's Next

Over the coming weeks, we'll be sharing project walkthroughs, honest styling advice, and real answers to the questions we hear most.

Next up: we finally answer the question every new client asks us — faux or real florals, which one is actually worth it?