Our Story
With roots dating back to 1978, PINKYS was born of the artist's life.
PINKYS founder and patriarch Vic Der-Sarkissian was a drummer in Isfahan, Iran—a historic city and the country's artistic hub—where he played Jazz, an experimental genre built for improvisation and passion. Following the revolution, Vic sought to maintain the values and traditions he cherished. He fled with his wife and two sons to California. To Los Angeles. A universal haven for artists and creative spirits.
Southern California is an ideal. A dream in the minds of all who pursue it. Forever becoming.
Initially crafting expressionistic ironworks in his LA backyard in LA, Vic imbued each piece with the same passion and vive he poured into his drumming. Once an artist, always an artist.
The design and quality inherent in every PINKYS product resonated with the work of other artists in Southern California. The freedom and openness of the city that first attracted Vic is echoed in every door and window. It is the same lifestyle his sons Dion and Arin grew up in and celebrated.
When the brothers took over and refined PINKYS in 2014, they built upon their father's legacy and brought their family’s vision of connectedness across the country.
Each door and window crafted by PINKYS is a view. A frame. A connection to the natural world outside.
Enjoy the view.
ON CRAFTSMANSHIP + SERVICE
Industry leading design. Exceptional craftsmanship. Superior customer service. These are the DNA of PINKYS. Just as an artist never compromises their vision, these are the essentials never wavered on.
Since our inception, PINKYS has found success by creating iron doors and windows of unmatched quality while ensuring their accessibility and affordability.
Every piece created by PINKYS studio is produced with singular care and focus. Every element is designed and forged with the intention of becoming a celebrated statement of your home. A statement of your lifestyle.
From skilled ironworking artisans to an attentive customer service team, PINKYS is dedicated to excellence in everything we do. It is what has attracted the likes of Magic Johnson, Dr. Woo, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, Shavo Odadjian, and other world-renowned creatives to PINKYS. It is why HGTV, TLC, Bravo, and other networks rely on us to create inspiring, picture-perfect environments. And it is what will make you a part of our family.
That is our promise to you: entrust us with your vision and we will help you create a one-of-a-kind work that will elevate your space, with a customer service experience that is bar none.
A brief history of PINKYS
Our Timeline
1969-1978Vic, our father, drums for a group called Thunder Ball in the free-spirited 70’s of Iran, a suspended blink in time where the middle east awakened with artistic renaissance and progressive spirit last seen in Paris of the 20’s. He would play Jazz music in the lobby of all American Hotels. The music is wild, free, and bursting with life. |
|
1977Attracted to the energy of the music and the artist's life, our mother was not your typical groupie. |
|
1978Our family's story is always with us. The tradition, the artistry, the love. |
|
1979Even under the restrictions imposed during an oppressive revolution, (including a ban on artists), Vic couldn't abandon soul-seeking life. He joined his family’s ironworks studio, under the leadership of his brother, a noted master craftsman, and used the craft as his new form of expression. |
|
1979Dion Der, Vic's older son, is born. Dion is drawn to creative spirits with a lifelong passion for cars and machines. He is a natural trailblazer opening auto mechanic shops across Los Angeles. Dion reflects many of his father's traits in a new generation. |
|
1983Searching for a freedom of creative expression, the Ders leave Iran for Geneva, Switzerland. A drastic change in scenery forever influenced our point of view. |
|
1983Arin Der, Vic's younger son and Dion's younger brother, is born. Arin is a calm hand guiding the artistic forces of Vic and Dion. Arin goes to law school and gets his MBA. His balance unifies PINKYS, leading to an improved company operation that is more accessible to the customer. |
|
1984Two brothers stronger together. Balancing each other. A natural team. |
|
1987The Der family arrives to the center of the creative world: Los Angeles. |
|
1987Our father begins life in America with little but his family, his skills, and determination. |
|
1987But the creativity, hard work, and talent he always possessed would carry him forward. |
|
1987-1992Vic's passion and skill are recognized in the new work he finds in Los Angeles, albeit in ways he could not imagine. |
|
1987-1992Vic works hard in his new country, chasing the dream of having his own artisan's studio. Craving the freedom he felt through the drums, the sticks vibrating in his hands, Vic spends long hours working in an auto mechanic shop then comes home to weld iron in the backyard. |
|
1992Vic's dream comes true: he opens his own ironworks studio, King Iron Works. |
|
1992Vic champions the American-made ethos, designing and hand-forging all his custom iron gates, windows, doors, and other pieces in his backyard. |
|
1992Overcoming the obstacles he faces as an immigrant, Vic works every aspect of his business and finds growing success, without speaking the english language. A testament that art is truly the universal human language. |
|
2001Vic has tapped into something within the spirit of Southern California through his ironwork. His studio grows from a one-man backyard operation, into a nationally recognized brand with a team of designers, artisans, and more. |
|
2006Dion follows his own passions and opens an auto mechanic shop. He names it PINKYS, a name that would reveal great magic and success to him. |
|
2008Decades of craft and dedication have elevated Vic to become one the best hand-forging iron artisans in California. His artistry finds kinship with L.A.’s own artist community through clients like Dr. Woo, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, Magic Johnson and others. |
|
2008Shavo Odadjian of System of a Down shows off his custom Shavo Design single-entry door from PINKYS. |
|
2008Mark Jackson, NBA Superstar, with Vic and Arin. |
|
2009Dion brings the power of the PINKYS name to the family business. PINKYS is born. |
|
2009Pairing their passions and strengths, Dion and Arin team up to take their father's legacy to the next level. |
|
2014 PINKYS OpensPINKYS debuts an industry-leading showroom in Los Angeles, with the largest inventory of doors in the nation. Nationwide shipping expands PINKYS reach across the country, bringing the Los Angeles lifestyle to homes in every part of the contiguous United States. Beyond the superior quality and customer service, a PINKYS piece is a statement of purpose in a home. |
|
TodayPINKYS continues to evolve and refine its vision with every year, fueled by the desire to transform homes into places of light and beauty. The transformation is not just an aesthetic one, but a lifestyle shift as designers, musicians, and others will attest to including those listed below: |