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At Home With ... Cintia Gonzalez From My Poppet
Tell us what you think about this colourful Melbourne home for your chance to win a $50 gift voucher
Cintia Gonzalez is one of those incredible creative all-rounders we all wish we could be but realise after a failed paint job, or decoupage attempt, that we never will. When she isn’t spending time with her adorable daughter, Emma, she is writing and crafting for her DIY and lifestyle blog, My Poppet.
Cintia first came across her home in 2009 when she was pregnant and just about ready to pop. She and her husband Ben knew that the solidly-built postwar duplex, with high ceilings and generously-sized rooms, was the perfect place for them to become new parents. It’s a welcoming and eclectic space that boasts her distinct style and funky edge – first stop, a bright polkadot wallpaper. Find out more about Cintia and her blog in our interview below.
To celebrate our favourite Australian bloggers and their homes, we’ll be asking each blogger in this series to choose a giveaway gift. All you have to do to enter is comment on why you love this house. The winner of Cintia’s chosen prize – a $50 voucher from Little Circus Design – has been announced. Well done, Fiona Ell!
Cintia first came across her home in 2009 when she was pregnant and just about ready to pop. She and her husband Ben knew that the solidly-built postwar duplex, with high ceilings and generously-sized rooms, was the perfect place for them to become new parents. It’s a welcoming and eclectic space that boasts her distinct style and funky edge – first stop, a bright polkadot wallpaper. Find out more about Cintia and her blog in our interview below.
To celebrate our favourite Australian bloggers and their homes, we’ll be asking each blogger in this series to choose a giveaway gift. All you have to do to enter is comment on why you love this house. The winner of Cintia’s chosen prize – a $50 voucher from Little Circus Design – has been announced. Well done, Fiona Ell!
How long have you lived in this house for and how did you and your house meet?
We’ve lived here for six years. It was the first house we looked at after we decided to move to the area. I was six months pregnant, so there was no time for indecisiveness. The place had great bones but was ‘’80s peach’ from head to toe – that and the heavily-stained threadbare carpet probably turned lots of other potential buyers off. My husband Ben was a real estate agent in a former life, so after some hardcore negotiations the place was ours.
Trolley: Ikea
We’ve lived here for six years. It was the first house we looked at after we decided to move to the area. I was six months pregnant, so there was no time for indecisiveness. The place had great bones but was ‘’80s peach’ from head to toe – that and the heavily-stained threadbare carpet probably turned lots of other potential buyers off. My husband Ben was a real estate agent in a former life, so after some hardcore negotiations the place was ours.
Trolley: Ikea
What are your favourite rooms in the house and why?
Each space has its own charm. Our kitchen is lovely and cool in summer as it faces south and the windows open up to the courtyard to connect the indoor and outdoor spaces. As the weather cools down, you will find the family in the TV room (below), which is a dark, cosy space, or the lounge, which gets all the winter sun.
Each space has its own charm. Our kitchen is lovely and cool in summer as it faces south and the windows open up to the courtyard to connect the indoor and outdoor spaces. As the weather cools down, you will find the family in the TV room (below), which is a dark, cosy space, or the lounge, which gets all the winter sun.
Extending off the living/dining room is the courtyard with recently-added decking. Separated by glass doors that can be opened, it is enjoyed most during the hotter months of the year.
What has been the biggest challenge when decorating your home?
The home dates back to 1946 and was constructed on an unusually shaped block, which means the rooms aren’t perfectly square and proved difficult to renovate when we redid the kitchen and dining room. I think the spotted wallpaper distracts the eye, and by keeping all the cabinets, walls and beams white, the odd angles are disguised.
Can you share your biggest decorating fail with us?
I love ’70s decor aesthetic and found myself collecting lots of original pieces, which look great on their own, but all together, made my home look a little ‘brown town’. Brown and orange were really big in the ’70s, but a little goes a long way, so I sold a lot of the bigger pieces to freshen up the space. It feels a lot brighter now.
The home dates back to 1946 and was constructed on an unusually shaped block, which means the rooms aren’t perfectly square and proved difficult to renovate when we redid the kitchen and dining room. I think the spotted wallpaper distracts the eye, and by keeping all the cabinets, walls and beams white, the odd angles are disguised.
Can you share your biggest decorating fail with us?
I love ’70s decor aesthetic and found myself collecting lots of original pieces, which look great on their own, but all together, made my home look a little ‘brown town’. Brown and orange were really big in the ’70s, but a little goes a long way, so I sold a lot of the bigger pieces to freshen up the space. It feels a lot brighter now.
What’s your signature dish?
I’m famous for my ‘fridge soup’. It’s a tasty concoction made with vegie drawer leftovers. I liken it to cooking with the master chef mystery box. It’s different every time.
I’m famous for my ‘fridge soup’. It’s a tasty concoction made with vegie drawer leftovers. I liken it to cooking with the master chef mystery box. It’s different every time.
What’s your next big project?
Projects range from big to small. I’m still waiting to install the doors to the laundry space. On a larger scale, the bathroom is the worst of every ’80s design cliche – beige fixtures, smoked mirror tiles, gold tapware and an oversized corner spa. I’m still recovering from six months without a kitchen, so I need to have a little break before we are sans shower. I’m also planning on refinishing the kitchen table, and recovering our old sofa.
Projects range from big to small. I’m still waiting to install the doors to the laundry space. On a larger scale, the bathroom is the worst of every ’80s design cliche – beige fixtures, smoked mirror tiles, gold tapware and an oversized corner spa. I’m still recovering from six months without a kitchen, so I need to have a little break before we are sans shower. I’m also planning on refinishing the kitchen table, and recovering our old sofa.
Where do you love to write and what could you not write without?
I struggle with writing and don’t really enjoy the process. You’ll usually find me on the couch in the TV room late at night trying to meet a deadline. I probably couldn’t write without images. For me, images tell the story first and the words come second.
Sofa: King Living; tapestry: bought by Cintia’s parents in the ’70s on their honeymoon in the north of Argentina
I struggle with writing and don’t really enjoy the process. You’ll usually find me on the couch in the TV room late at night trying to meet a deadline. I probably couldn’t write without images. For me, images tell the story first and the words come second.
Sofa: King Living; tapestry: bought by Cintia’s parents in the ’70s on their honeymoon in the north of Argentina
Next to the TV room is a separate eclectic living room. The metal bird next to the fireplace was made by the blogger’s sister during a welding class at uni. The rug is from Ikea and the rabbit artwork is from Madeleine Stamer.
The office is situated on the landing and provides the perfect built-in space to work. This rug was bought during a trip to Turkey and was lugged halfway across the world. The poster is a photo of Emma dressed as Frida Kahlo.
You will not see [blank] in any house of mine.
Never say never. When Emma was a baby, I vowed never to have any licensed kids decor in my home, but I’ve softened my stance and she is allowed to decorate her space however she pleases.
Kartell sidetable: purchased at a secondhand market; print: Madeleine Stamer; lamp: Ikea
Never say never. When Emma was a baby, I vowed never to have any licensed kids decor in my home, but I’ve softened my stance and she is allowed to decorate her space however she pleases.
Kartell sidetable: purchased at a secondhand market; print: Madeleine Stamer; lamp: Ikea
What’s your proudest DIY achievement?
I’ve made most of the soft furnishings in my home. I prefer to make something than go out and buy it. I’m pretty proud of the hexagon rug in Emma’s room – it was hand-stitched from upcycled discarded knitwear and old blankets. I’m also the resident house painter and am pretty good at the fiddly bits like cutting in.
To me, great design is…
An extension of your personality!
I’ve made most of the soft furnishings in my home. I prefer to make something than go out and buy it. I’m pretty proud of the hexagon rug in Emma’s room – it was hand-stitched from upcycled discarded knitwear and old blankets. I’m also the resident house painter and am pretty good at the fiddly bits like cutting in.
To me, great design is…
An extension of your personality!
How would you describe your decorating style?
Vintage modern meets op-shop chic. It’s all a bit eclectic really, just a combination of things that catch my eye on the side of the road or in secondhand stores. It’s a bit of a balance as Ben prefers minimal, clean surfaces, and I like collecting old, colourful things.
Vintage modern meets op-shop chic. It’s all a bit eclectic really, just a combination of things that catch my eye on the side of the road or in secondhand stores. It’s a bit of a balance as Ben prefers minimal, clean surfaces, and I like collecting old, colourful things.
What do you love to do on Sunday afternoons?
If we are home, you’ll usually find me in my sewing room working on bigger projects like quilts or making clothes for Emma, but I’m also a big fan of an afternoon nap on the couch, so it’s either crafting or snoozing.
If we are home, you’ll usually find me in my sewing room working on bigger projects like quilts or making clothes for Emma, but I’m also a big fan of an afternoon nap on the couch, so it’s either crafting or snoozing.
What makes you happiest at home?
I love just pottering about watching Emma build forts with quilts in the lounge room, spending time in my sewing room or knitting while watching a good movie.
I love just pottering about watching Emma build forts with quilts in the lounge room, spending time in my sewing room or knitting while watching a good movie.
Gonzalez, pictured, in the living room.
Visit My Poppet for DIY projects and to find out more on how Cintia transformed her home.
To celebrate our favourite Australian bloggers and their homes, we’ll be asking each blogger in this series to choose a giveaway gift. All you have to do to enter is comment on why you love this house. The winner of Cintia’s chosen prize – a $50 voucher from Little Circus Design – has now been announced. Well done Fiona Ell.
If you’d like to submit your blog for this series, follow the instructions found here.
MORE
At Home With … Interior Design Blogger Lee Dewsnap
At Home With … Kristie Castagna From Elements at Home
At Home With … Rachael Honner From Hip Brown Home Blog
Visit My Poppet for DIY projects and to find out more on how Cintia transformed her home.
To celebrate our favourite Australian bloggers and their homes, we’ll be asking each blogger in this series to choose a giveaway gift. All you have to do to enter is comment on why you love this house. The winner of Cintia’s chosen prize – a $50 voucher from Little Circus Design – has now been announced. Well done Fiona Ell.
If you’d like to submit your blog for this series, follow the instructions found here.
MORE
At Home With … Interior Design Blogger Lee Dewsnap
At Home With … Kristie Castagna From Elements at Home
At Home With … Rachael Honner From Hip Brown Home Blog
Who lives here: Cintia Gonzalez, her husband, Ben, and their daughter, Emma
Location: Caulfield, Melbourne
Size: Two bedrooms, one bathroom
Lovely to chat to you, Cintia. Firstly, tell us, what do we need to know about your blog?
My Poppet is actually two blogs. My Poppet Makes features original DIY craft every week with an emphasis on colourful and upcycled projects. There are sewing, crochet, paper craft and decor makeovers – something for everyone! My Poppet Living is my new project. It’s a colourful lifestyle blog featuring travel, food, style, family fun and things to do in Melbourne.
I’ve been blogging for over eight years and the blog has evolved from a business to a personal journal to a craft and lifestyle blog. I think I’ve always enjoyed sharing ideas and creative inspiration with my readers. The creative community is very supportive and I’ve made some really close friends through the blog.
Wallpaper in ‘Yellow Dots’: Wallpaper Direct; Malmo light: Beacon Lighting; vintage poster: Vintage Posters; table, chairs and sideboard: op shop finds