Home Comforts #3 with Thea Løvstad
In a new series to the Journal, Lou talks to inspiring figures about the things in their lives that - like good cashmere - evoke comfort, relaxation and happiness. In the third instalment - and marking International Women’s Day 2021, we take some time with friend and artist Thea Løvstad who recently shot our Notte Cashmere throw in her home country of Norway.
Thea, who works primarily in the medium of film and digital photography, is also the founder of L.K Studio - a still life styling and creative company working solely with eco conscious brands. Her work is beautiful; offering clean lines, careful composition and soft tones. With a stream of original and considered work, Thea has built up a loyal following and continues to explore new creative ground through collaboration and travel. Working with Thea to shoot our first homewares piece was a dreamy project, despite overcoming the logistics of distance (England - Norway) the shots Thea captured were perfect. Lou managed to take a moment to catch up with Thea, and found her calming answers to be grounding and peaceful.
Thea in her home country of Norway, styled in her Notte Throw.
L: Where is home for you right now?
T: Normally home is London, but due to yet another lockdown in UK I’m currently located in Kragerø, the Norwegian coastal town I grew up in. I set off here to see family at the beginning of December but decided to stay a bit longer when things started shutting again. Incredibly thankful for the access to nature and for being able to see loved ones that I normally see only a few times a year!
L: How did you get into photography and what is it you enjoy about it?
T: Photography has always been present in my life although the true passion didn’t quite occur to me until I was around 16 and invested in a DSLR. I figured I could combine all my passions (fashion, architecture, art) with one medium! From then it has been an ongoing love story.
L: What are you working on right now?
T: Luckily I have been doing some commercial jobs here in Norway as well as working remotely while waiting to return to London. In addition, I have some exciting projects coming up this Spring with L.K Studio this – a creative studio Sophie Kirk and I founded at the end of 2020. We offer full production of still life photography and styling with a focus on eco friendly and ethical products, in addition to sourcing of vintage ceramics. Since the first lockdown, when I arrived in Norway and everything closed, I have also kept shooting for the sole purpose of keeping myself busy and it has somehow become a diary and sort of documentation of how the world suddenly paused, mostly from the perspective of nature and the changing seasons and solitary everyday moments. There is something about the mood of the images that intrigues me to put them together as a series, either in form of a little book or exhibition perhaps. However, nothing is set in stone yet.
Image Credit: Thea Løvstad
L: How do you like to spend your time when you’re not working?
T: Spending time outdoors (especially by the sea, it’s truly meditative), cooking/eating with friends and family, exercising, rearranging at home. What is your favourite space like? How do you like to decorate? Harmonious and spacious (which is not necessarily synonymous with “big”, it’s more related to the way the room has been decorated). I love keeping things simple with a neutral base, lots of air and natural materials such as wood and stone with a bit of patina. Mixed in with vintage furniture and few but beautiful objects collected over the years, ceramics in particular. The room should feel tranquil, only contain objects that I truly adore and lead to a calm state of mind.
L: What is on your reading list right now?
T: “Gut: The Inside story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ” by Giulia Enders. Honestly the most fascinating subject to read about and Enders writes in such a witty and brilliant way! It’s a book everyone should check out as it touches so many important details about our health and wellbeing.
L: How do you like to style your Notte throw and what colours are you drawn towards in your home?
T: I like to throw it casually over my sofa to add a soft detail to the furniture or around my neck as a massive scarf. I tend to opt for warm, neutral tones such as chalk, sand, camel and chocolate brown in my home. Once in a while I might add a hint of terracotta or rusty orange too.
Image Credit: Thea Løvstad
L: And finally, where would you like to travel to when lockdown lifts?
T: As soon as it’s possible and reasonable to travel again, I’d like to visit Vietnam. Initially I was meant to go on a trip there together with Textile Seekers in May 2020, from Hanoi to Sa Pa to meet the tribes there and attend workshops guided by the indigenous women, taste local traditional cuisine and explore the culture in an authentic way while documenting it all. Sadly and understandably the trip got cancelled when the pandemic started. Crossing all fingers we can make it in the foreseeable.
Image Credit: Thea Løvstad featuring her Notte Throw