Meet the Maker
Kind, talented and a woman Of Impeccable Taste.
Lisa Hauenstein has taken her passion for interiors and poured it into her shop, Threve Mercantile, which is located in the charming coastal city of Wilmington, North Carolina. When you walk through the beautiful historic doors of Threve, you are instantly greeted with a sense of home. Scented candles, cozy lighting, brick walls, gorgeous furniture and products staged so thoughtfully that you will want to move right in and never leave!
A little backstory: The name “Threve” was coined by Lisa’s son, who said it in reference to their little family of “three.” Opening a shop was always a goal for Lisa, but she also wanted to make the business a family affair. Using the name “Threve” would be meaningful. They had a name; they just needed a location.
When she noticed a store-front on Market Street that she’d long admired had a “For Rent” sign in the window, it felt like fate. She made the call the very next day.
" Lisa is artistic and has a talented eye for interiors, but what stands out the most to me when I think of her and her shop is the beautiful model she has set as a small business owner. "
-Julia
Lisa is artistic and has a talented eye for interiors, but what stands out the most to me when I think of her and her shop is the beautiful model she has set as a small business owner. She is a strong woman who puts her heart behind everything she does and loves her customers like family.
So honored to have the opportunity to have select pieces of Spectrum Handcrafted displayed in Threve!
Her shop offers customers a collection of carefully curated items that would enhance any space with layers of texture and detail. She documents both her shop and her home on Instagram threve_interiors:
We asked Lisa about her work and her inspiration
How would you describe your work and your process?
My official title is Interior Designer and Entrepreneur, but I like to think of myself as simply a Creative. There’s so many mediums I play around with- from different aspects of design to photography to painting. I think most creatives and visual people are that way. My process sort of varies from project to project. I start off with meeting with the client and getting an idea of where we are going, then I brainstorm. This is where I trigger my brain and the ideas start flowing. A few more meetings and the ideas become physical design and that’s where the good stuff starts happening and I get in my happy place.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Everywhere! I think like most visual people, I take inspiration from everything around me and everything I see.
How do you cope with a creative block?
I just walk away. Sometimes I go play with my kids, cook, clean, or go to the beach. I reset my brain then come back to what I was working on and start over. I look to my favorite designers or artists and wait for my brain to be triggered again. If you do anything creative professionally, you find that it’s hard to be “on” and creative at all times. It shuts off and if you force it, in my experience, the results aren’t always great. So I just wait until it comes back and my mind is ready to create again.
Favorite item in your closet?
Gosh! This is hard but I’d have to say my vintage Levi’s.
Favorite item in your home?
Another hard one. This beautiful 1880s Apothecary Cabinet from a historic Charlotte Farm that had a tiny mercantile on the property. Justin (my husband) works in Charlotte. I saw it on Facebook marketplace in a yard sale ad for $200. He had just finished a 12 hour graveyard shift and the farm was an hour away. I couldn’t possibly ask him to go get it, but he did! I didn’t know and he came home and surprised me with it! It’s invaluable for many reasons.
What are you watching/reading/listening to lately? (Films/books/podcasts)
I’m binging the entire Grey’s Anatomy show. I have a weird medical obsession.
Are you more productive in the morning, afternoon, or evening?
Evening.
Coffee or tea?
Coffee.
What are your suggestions for readers who want to style out a bookcase or a coffee table?
Coffee tables can be tricky! You want varying heights and textures. I love stacks of books as a good base. You can get some great coffee table books on Amazon. You want odd numbers of piles. Then do a beautiful vase, you can either have real flowers or dried, a candle is always a lovely staple, maybe a beautiful strand of African beads or a handmade ceramic match striker and a small basket or a beautiful ceramic bowl for remotes and coasters. Keep it simple and functional. You can add a few decorative pieces if you like, but less is more when it comes to coffee tables.
