At Home With… Stine Goya

With Stine Goya and Thomas Hertz at the helm, the House of Goya is a joyful universe of unfiltered expression. It’s no surprise then, that the home where this husband-and-wife design duo resides reflects the same exploration in bold colour and hand-painted prints as their collections do. The tastemakers welcomed us into their world to chat about life, their global fashion empire, and the serotonin-boosting homage to pastel hues they call home.

Shop Stine Goya

Hello Stine and Thomas! Where do you live and how long have you lived here?
We’ve been living in the centre of Copenhagen in a neighbourhood known as the “Potato Rows” for four and a half years now – “Kartoffelraekkerne” in Danish. It’s a historical neighbourhood filled with workers' houses that arose in the late 19th century. Before the houses were built, no construction was allowed in the area and potatoes were cultivated instead. The rows of houses are also laid out as how potatoes are planted on the field, hence the name.

How would you describe your home?
Our house is an intimate and creative universe that feels welcoming and familiar as soon as you enter. We have decorated the house with small and unexpected features alongside personal mementos from our travels.

We wanted to create our space as a journey of discovery, driven by the element of surprise, balancing aesthetically-pleasing elements but ultimately rooted in cosiness and “hygge” as we say in Danish.

Do you share it with anyone?
Our two kids, Abel and Elliott.

How did you go about furnishing the space?
Rather than buying all furniture for each room at once, we assessed what we already had from previous houses and took our time developing and choosing what we felt was missing. For me, it’s all about building up a meaningful and personal collection of pieces that evoke treasured memories of travels and experiences gone by, as well as celebrating the work of befriended designers and artists, and gifts from family and friends.

Our furniture is a concoction of different styles; contemporary design pieces sit next to antique objects collected from around the world. Each area of the house has a certain light and vibe, and it’s important to take the time to get a sense of the atmosphere and what it needs in each section.

What’s your favourite detail about your home?
Our wardrobe by Muller Van Severen and Reform. It’s located in our basement, a room that’s often synonymous with dusty and dark spaces but nothing is less true in our house. The walls are painted in a lilac hue called Purple Fame by File Under Pop and the doors of the wardrobe are in a mix of vibrant colours put together by design duo Muller Van Severen. Their way of using colour is so refreshing and inspiring and it makes me happy every time I go down there to pick my outfit for the day.

What was the last piece of art you bought, or ogled?
The Mandalaki Halo Horizon lamp at Last Resort Gallery. The lamp mimics sunsets and sunrises and lends such a beautiful vibe to any space. Danish winters can be especially dark so this lamp is the perfect solution to brighten up the day.

Would you say your interior aesthetic and your design aesthetic are the same?
The outcome of my interior aesthetic is different to that of the collections I design, but my process is very similar. I always begin with something or someone that has activated my creative mind in some way – a work of art, colours around the city on my daily walk, the energy of a particular musical or cultural movement.

My life has always been inspired and defined by colour, so this is always the starting point for me. I love placing different shades next to one another to find unexpected and refreshing combinations. It’s this part of the process that makes me feel most excited and alive.

What was your route into design and how did you begin Stine Goya?
I owe a big part of the success of Stine Goya to my comprehensive career path towards establishing myself as a designer. From studying at Central Saint Martins, to delving into the history of design and exploring my own aesthetic; modelling and understanding how clothes move and feel on the body; to pulling together trends and looks as an editor… every step of this journey has informed my vision and enhanced my intuition. Having been part of the fashion industry and being able to gain knowledge from experiencing so many areas of the industry has been a real privilege.

What’s the vision behind Stine Goya and how would you describe the brand?
Our vision is to establish a global brand that injects colour and joy into the world - my mission is ultimately to embolden our audience with confidence and happiness. Our brand is synonymous with vibrant colours, artistic prints and easygoing silhouettes and I am a firm believer that “dopamine dressing” has mood-altering powers.

In your opinion, what makes a house a home?
A house becomes a home when it feels personal. There’s a huge difference between creating an aesthetically-pleasing interior from a design perspective and creating a space that feels welcoming and teaming with life. The key is making sure it doesn’t feel like a showroom!

What is your favourite home away from home?
We absolutely love going to Italy and tend to go at least once a year. We got married in Sicily, in a small and ancient seaside village called Tonnara di Scopello, which was utterly magical. Next to Sicily, some of our favourite places to visit are Puglia, where nature is still so wild and free. The variety of landscapes and experiences that you can have in Italy is endless, from overwhelming nature to life-altering food.

What’s the most surprising thing we’d find if we looked in your closet?
My closet is very much a Stine Goya archive. There are pieces from each and every collection since the brand began that I still wear today (that’s over 60 collections!). It’s a real journey through time that I love looking at everyday when I get dressed. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come over the last 16 years.

What three people (living or passed) would be your dream dinner party guests?
Definitely Michelle Obama. She’s such an inspiring woman who has changed the lives of so many women. We had the honour of dressing her in 2017 for her book tour - it’s a moment I’ll never forget.

Jón Kalman Stefánsson, an icelandic author whose work “Stjernernes Knitren” (meaning the “crackle of the stars”) I recently enjoyed reading. He writes beautifully and touches upon universal themes such as love, humanity, the feeling of belonging, and much more. I would love to discuss all of these subjects with him over dinner!

Last but not least, Rosalia. She’s one of my absolute favourite artists at the moment and I listen to her almost daily. I love her quirky approach to performance, music and style and I would expect that dinner would turn into a night of dancing.

What books do you have on your bookshelves? Any favourites?
We have a lot of books dotted around the house - largely art books. One of my favourites is by Kerry James Marshall, an African-American painter whose paintings heavily inspired my collections. The way he uses colours and the subjects of his paintings always refer to art history and are wildly fascinating.

Another all-time favourite is “Det jeg elskede” (“What I loved”) by Siri Hustvedt. It’s about an art historian who discovers an unknown painter in downtown New York in the seventies and they embark on a journey to become lifelong friends. It's such an inspiring and beautiful story.

What do you always have in your fridge?
A bottle of natural wine and some olives. There are so many great wine shops around Copenhagen, such as Lille Blå where we go to discover new and unusual wines. We love to come home and have a relaxing aperitivo moment, especially in summer when the evenings are long and sprawling and generally spent on our terrace.

Favourite thing about your neighbourhood/where you live?
The streets are almost totally free of cars so our kids can just play and run outside with the other children living on the street. We know almost all of our neighbours personally which doesn’t happen very often when you live in a bigger city and creates this strong feeling of community.

What’s your favourite restaurant and what do you eat there?
Bottega Barlie is one of my absolute favourite restaurants in Copenhagen. It’s a small place not far from our office and is the ideal spot to have a “hyggeligt” dinner with friends. They serve smaller dishes to share and change up their menu quite often which keeps it interesting. We never go without getting the fresh oysters that are served with a shot of spicy tomato juice and Mezcal - truly the best.

Last thing you had delivered to your house/apartment?
Sushi delivery. The fresh fish in Copenhagen is the best!

Shop Stine Goya

Video: Gustav Thuesen
Photography: Jonathan Middleton
Words: Sophy Davis Russell