piece of my mind: with Liv and Dom
(portrait by Lola Thomas)
All the best things in life come in pairs: Ant and Dec, Romy and Michele, gin and tonic and Liv and Dom...
The Lewes-based creatives started their gorgeous lifestyle brand in 2015 with just a wing and a prayer and never looked back. From soap dishes to lampshades, their beautiful line-drawn nudes have graced all manner of household objects- and each piece is painstakingly made (and packed up) by hand by both sisters, to boot.
Not only has their work captured the hearts of social media, but also some amazing brands like Slowdown Studio, Eudon Choi and Papier- who they have recently collaborated with...
PIECES was beyond thrilled to catch-up with the sisters in their seaside studio where they are playing Santa and getting everyone's L&D Christmas gifts ready...
What is your current state of mind?
This time of year we’re both pretty much work robots so our state of mind is pretty focused, one-track and a little stressed.
If you could own any piece of art, which would it be?
Liv: Such a tricky one…We live down the road from the inspirational Charleston House (home of the Bloomsbury artists) so to own something by either Vanessa Bell or Duncan Grant would be lovely; a piece of furniture like a bed or chair as opposed to a painting.
Dom: No idea how I could own this or display it but the famous frescoed zodiac/constellation ceiling from the map room of the Villa Farnese in Lazio, Italy.
In another life you would have been…
We’re not the types to dwell on reincarnation or alternate lives in general, but we could both see ourselves maybe running an animal shelter on a Greek island or something like that. Something very connected to nature, and most likely as a team in some way!
Who is your real-life hero and why?
We would both say our Mum because she raised us by herself with little money and is relentlessly positive and self-reliant.
Which books do you have on your bedside table?
Dom: I don’t have room on my bedside table for books but I do have Howards End by E.M Forster and The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe on my bed headboard.
Liv: I'm about to start reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (I say about to, but with our current workload, who knows). I wasn't aware when picking it up in a charity shop it was about to have a big Netflix moment. Dom had seen the 90’s miniseries with Charles Dance and suggested I pick up the book when we spotted it.
Who is on your quarantine playlist?
Weirdly we almost stopped listening to music altogether during lockdown because music makes us want to go and experience the outside world. We always get the urge to dance or meet friends. It’s frustrating! Under normal circumstances we love listening to music.
Which piece from your home would you save in a fire?
Our sweet ginger cat Persimmon (Persie for short). An easy choice for both of us. Does she count as a piece?
What have you learned about yourself these last few months?
Dom: I’ve learned I’m able to compartmentalise a lot more than I previously thought which has both positives and negatives.
Liv: I’ve learned that I’m surprisingly happy with spending time just with a few select people.
What is your most used emoji?
Dom: Probably the face palm emoji (the brown lady version!) either that or the grimace emoji.
Liv: Maybe the kissy face emoji, without the heart. I send it to my boyfriend a lot. Also the grimace face emoji which I would have ordinarily put at the end of the previous sentence.
Can you name a piece of literature that has changed your life and why?
Reading Jane Eyre as teenagers was probably the first time we got to grips with romantic love. We’ve both been pretty hopeless romantics ever since.
What is your motto?
A family motto of sorts; a classic used by us and our Mum when times are tough, "You’d better laugh or else you’ll cry."
Who or what has taught you your greatest lesson in life?
Being broke and either stressed, depressed or heartbroken for a few years whilst we were trying to get our business going taught us perseverance.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Simply a sunny day spent with friends in nature - doesn’t have to be anything special, I suppose the lockdown and winter are getting to us both!
