Eve Gunson from Dot + Pop

If you know anything about the world of interiors then you will probably have heard of Interior Stylist Eve Gunson from Dot + Pop. Dot + Pop is an online destination for all things interior design, home and renovation. Dot + Pop takes you on a journey inside awe inspiring architecture, interiors, DIY projects, interviews with talented creatives, as well as showcasing the hottest trends in furniture, interiors and design. Rewind 10 years and Eve and her husband Matt were renovating their first home. This is where her love affair for all things design and renovation began. At first, Dot + Pop started as a place for Eve to gather all the imagery and information for her own projects. Fast forward to now and Dot + Pop is one of Australia’s leading interior design blogs, has over 150 thousand followers on Instagram, is an interior styling business and is the go-to place for many people when they are searching for interior inspiration. We had the pleasure of chatting with Eve and asked her about how she got into the interior industry, chatted about all things style, and got a glimpse into what a typical day in the life of Dot + Pop looks like.

Photographed by: Simon Shiff.

What does ‘Style’ mean to you?

Being able to express yourself through your design choices.

Creating a space that is meaningful as well as aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Designing a harmonious space that is enjoyable to live in.

How would you describe your personal style?

Overall I’d call it Australian Contemporary. Both my partner Matt and I love minimal contemporary interiors. We believe that less is more when designing and styling our own home. The intention is to create a house that is aesthetically pleasing, has great bones, is refined and one in which the furniture, art and decor are complementary to the interior design scheme. We design our own homes to have a pared-back interior aesthetic which highlights and compliments the use of natural materials such as timber and stone which we favour throughout the build. I would like to think that our styling is timeless, contemporary and reflects us and our family.

Tell us about how you established your style. Is it something that has evolved over time?

It has absolutely evolved over time, however there has always been an underlying theme of natural materials, neutral colour palettes and a paired back aesthetic. Over time I have become more confident with making bold design choices and expanding my style to include more texture and pattern. Knowing your style is super important, I try to be true to my own style, and ensure that I don’t pick something just because someone else is.

Photographed by: Simon Shiff.

“My love of design and renovating started more than 10 years ago when my partner Matt and I bought and renovated our first home. We have now completed several of our own projects in inner city Melbourne. It’s a labour of love, but luckily we love it!” 

– Eve Gunson, Dot + Pop

Photographed by: Simon Shiff.

You’ve done your fair share of renovations. How do you determine the style and creative direction of each project? 

That’s a hard one to answer as I feel like each house seems to evolve in it’s own natural way over time and there is no moment that we decide on a ‘style’. Our latest and current renovation project was all about the exterior as we had so much street frontage from the front and side. Therefore we settled on the exterior finishes and colours first and from there we created the internal design choices so that there was cohesion between inside and out.

Tell us a bit about your career journey to date. How did you get onto the path you are on today?

I’ve always been creative and have dappled in many fields of the arts. After renovating our first home back in 2009 I realised how passionate I was about interior design and Dot + Pop was born. My business has evolved from the Blog and my personal projects to now incorporate creation of branded online content, ambassadorships, client projects for styling and interior design as well as styling for photoshoots and brands.

What’s been your biggest career highlight to date?

I can’t choose one moment.. however I am always grateful to work with incredible brands and clients. 

What does a typical day in the life of Dot and Pop look like?

I’m a full time mum to my nearly 2 year old son Patterson first and foremost, so my day revolves around him. We are up early, grab a coffee and baby chino and then head to the park. After a morning of playgrounds or playdates, he has a nap and I get a few hours work in. The afternoon is a similar format and once he’s in bed at night I jump back into my emails and design work. I try to be as present as possible during the day and stay off my phone but checking emails and meeting deadlines is an important part of my job so the juggle is absolutely real.

What is your favourite room in a home to style and why?

In terms of styling, I love furnishing a lounge room as it’s a great room to create layers, use multiple textures, use levels and expand colour palettes. When designing a room from scratch my favourite spaces are kitchens and bathrooms as there are so many elements involved to create that ‘wow factor’. 

What would be your advice to someone wanting to get into the interior design/styling industry?

Go for it! As with any new career path it’s going to take lots of dedication, time and hard work but if it’s your passion you will never regret taking that risk to follow your heart. Once you’ve started working in the industry I would say - finding your niche and knowing your style is super important. From here you can determine what services you will offer, build your branding and your website. Imagery is everything, so work for free initially to build your portfolio and invest in stand out photography. Use social media to get yourself out there, make connections and get noticed. And always back yourself!

Photographed by: Simon Shiff.

If you could only pick one item of furniture or décor from your home, what would it be and why?

My favourite piece of furniture in our home is my Grandmother’s vintage chair. It is from the 50’s and has a clam shaped back with gorgeous curves and piping detail. I had it reupholstered in a pale egg shell blue velvet and I adore it, and I know she would too!

What are some of your favourite homeware stores to shop at?

We are blessed with so many incredible shops, filled with amazing pieces by talented artists. Hard to pick favourites as I don’t want to leave anyone out but here we go… RJ Living, House of Orange, Lightly Design, Design Stuff Group, Toast & Honey Studio, Simple Form.

Do you have any go-to styling tricks that you live by?

Use pieces that you love. Don’t feel like you always have to follow trends. Timeless is always trendy. Work within a colour palette and style based on that for a cohesive look - for example, find an artwork you love and pull colours out of that to create your space.

Photographed by: Hannah Blackmore.

Photographed by: Hannah Blackmore.

Lounge Room Mood Board here.

Talk us through the creative process you go through when working on a new project?

My clients usually reach out because they’ve seen my work in Instagram or Pinterest - so right from the get go I know that our styles align which is super important. It then depends on what they are after, whether it be home furnishing and decor or design for a renovation or new build. I work closely with them to ensure that all their needs are met and that the end result is better than they could have imagined!

What are some of the next projects you have coming up in the future?

I have some wonderful client projects coming up in 2021 including full house renovations, part styles and full styles. On a personal level, we have some big plans for 2021/2022 which are still under wraps, but stay tuned!