The Los Angeles Home of LoQ Co-Founder Valerie Quant Is An Ode to Craft

T here’s a dreamlike quality to LoQ, one that evokes a sense of tradition and craft. Whether it’s an image of the brand’s fishermen sandals perched on the craggy coastlines of Portugal or their leather Mary Janes wandering through a vibrant farmers market in Rome, LoQ is imbued with a well-traveled spirit that celebrates artisanry. The label gets its name from co-founders and designers Keren Longkumer and Valerie Quant and features an assortment of footwear handmade in the south of Spain as well as a curation of home objects.

The collection aesthetic takes cues from Quant’s and Longkumer’s travels (the latter has been based in India and recently relocated to the Netherlands). “She’s far away, I’m far away, we meet in places far away and that’s kind of how our business has alway been—us meeting each other in a new place, whether that’s Spain or Mexico or elsewhere,” Quant says, adding that travel is woven throughout their ideas for the brand. In fact, one of LoQ’s design pillars is a transportive quality.

“Whether that’s wearing our shoes in LA but feeling like you’re in Positano because you’re walking in these beautiful shoes that are inspired by an Italian vintage fisherman sandal, or being transported to a time when the craft of handmade shoes was valued.”

A California native, Quant is based in LA’s Highland Park neighbourhood where she lives with her husband and daughter. She met her business partner at design school and a few years later, they founded LoQ; beginning with footwear, and eventually introducing home goods. “We both favour architectural shapes with a focus on craft,” Quant says, characterising their lifestyle objects for the home as a slow, thoughtful process. “It’s been a quiet introduction, which we don’t mind,” she says. “It’s just the beginning but it feels like the right new direction for us because it mirrors our growth as people, caring more about home and grounding ourselves at home.”

Quant and her husband found their current abode in 2017 after searching for over a year. “We wanted to find a fixer-upper; something that felt like a blank slate,” she says, noting that her husband is an architect and the two desired a space they could make their own with a few manageable fixes. “There was nothing romantic about this place when we first found it,” she laughs. “We took out the floors because they smelled like cat pee and there was no garden.” But, over time, it began to reflect their taste and values.

“I think the love and effort in transforming it to be our nest is what makes it a home,” she says. And despite requiring a bit of elbow grease, the renovations revealed some lovely, hidden details of the home. “There was this one wall that wouldn’t take paint, and we discovered a beautiful terracotta plaster wall underneath,” she says. “We were like,’ this is amazing, let's just take this all away and reveal this beautiful plaster wall’, and now that’s one of our favourite features in the house.”

They also planted all of the trees in their garden, which Quant says are now finally flourishing. “We spend a lot of time in our garden with our daughter,” she shares. “She’s very connected to nature and her favourite thing to do is water the garden and collect flowers in her pocket. She even asked if she could have a little olive tree for her bedroom.”

Prior to having their daughter, Quant says her and her husband had a strong foot down in wanting to preserve their home. “We kept saying, ‘a baby’s not going to change anything’ but she’s definitely taken over,” she says. “It’s changed our whole aesthetic of keeping it minimal, but we love it. She’s got her painting easel and her little kitchen – we’re embracing having her things around, it’s just naturally what happens.” The couple have maintained a sense of sanctuary in their bedroom, however, with the aid of Bed Threads’ new Creme bedding colour.

Quant also surrounds herself with objects that enrich daily life. “I have this beautiful wooden sculpted bowl and I love the ritual of taking off my jewellery and putting it in this beautiful object,” she says. Or there’s the lamp on her bedside table made by an artisan in Barcelona. “I love all of these little things that are part of my everyday routine and that give me pleasure.”

Many of the objects carried by LoQ can also be spotted in Quant’s home, such as the plates. “They’re all handmade with a non-uniform shape, and I‘m really drawn to these types of things that are slightly imperfect and have a natural quality to them.” She uses them for plating breakfast and fruits in the morning, and for hosting loved ones.

“I love to cook, the kitchen is my favourite place,” Quant says, mentioning that a rotating Sunday brunch with friends is a new tradition she cherishes. “Having the opportunity to create a full spread in your home and make something that takes a bit of time and effort that people appreciate is so special. You can feel the love in that kind of meal.”