Toby & Theresa’s Place - At Home With Some Old Friends
It’s a bright early- May afternoon in East London, and for today’s shoot, we’ve been very lucky to be invited to the home of long time friends of the company, photographers extraordinares, film makers, home makers, and possessors of great taste, Toby & Theresa Thomas.
The Thomas’ have worked with Son of a Stag individually, and together, through the mediums of photography and video, ultimately helping us to achieve our creative vision, which has been invaluable to us over the years. Now part of the in house team at SOAS, Theresa switches roles for the day to be shot by Josh, along with her utterly charming family.
Their home is located smack dab in the middle of Shoreditch’s most frequented nightlife scenes, though being welcomed in through the large entryway, all the noise of the city seems to somehow fade away. Toby & Theresa have used the space in the opening portion of their house to brilliant effect, tastefully positioning their furniture and art work in a way which allows you to feel the volume of the room, but without losing the unmistakeable warmth of a family home. And, if their considered decoration wasn’t enough to welcome us in, then the charismatic enthusiasm of their nearly two year old son, Abel certainly was. He commands the space with the joy of an actor who is giving his finest performance of his favourite play, with determined ‘no’s’, and ‘diggers’ at every turn.
The opening of the house leads into a bright, high ceilinged living room which looks out onto a bustling square, and glancing out of the window, the contrast of the bustling streets with the tranquility of their space makes you feel like you are in a safe place, something to be treasured when thinking of the qualities of what a home should be. Adjacent to that is a large study where the pair work, and have meetings, and next to that is the kitchen where the coffee is brewing. The smell carries through the lower portion of the house, and compliments the tones of the wood and the paint in the living areas. Time to get to work!
The family gather on the couch, and with an air of excitement, and uncertainty, Abel tries on his very first pair of selvedge jeans. This future cover star is a natural, and he sets about putting the denim through its paces in a way that any discerning denim fan surely would. Toby and Theresa talk us through some of the artwork they have collected over the years, a lot of which has been crafted by friends of theirs in the artistic community of East London and further afield, and the pair have a playful discussion about what goes best where, and it is clear that they have a lot of fun in curating the appearance of their home together. And these conversations are of huge importance, because they have done a superb job of making a home which is at once welcoming, personal, warm, bright, and lived in. We promised to be on our behaviour, and are told that we are welcome back any time! We’ll definitely be taking them up on that.
Theresa wears: Freewheelers & Co 506XX ‘The Vanishing West’ Type-I Denim Jacket, Spellbound 43-713 13.5oz Loose Cut Jean, Rototo Double Face Crew Sock, Merz B. Schwanen CTO2VJ Crew Neck Tee, Warehouse & Co 4088 L/S Stripe Tee
Toby wears: Catch Ball ‘Military Standard x East Harbour Surplus’ Canvas Sneaker, Edwin Sentinal Rip Stop Pant, Merz B. Schwanen CCWC01 Knit Crew waffle Pullover, Full Count 1201 U.S. Army Combat Chino, Paraboot Michael Marche Shoe, Merz B. Schwanen CSWOS02 Oversized Crew Neck Sweatshirt, Spellbound 48-576T Quilted Zip Vest
Abel wears: Full Count ‘My First Jeans’ Kids Denim Gift Box, Toy Diggers Model’s Own
Misc: Toys McCoy TMC1934 S/S Military Sweatshirt