What is your name, the date and a little about yourself?

My name is Raffaela, and I live in Melbourne. I am a wife and mum of three beautiful children. I have a passion and love for interiors and styling and I enjoy spending my free time behind the camera and taking on projects around the house. 

Who is in your family? What are three words that best describe each family member?

We are a family of six. My husband Brod is loving, fun and my best friend. Indigo is six and she is my creative, social, adventurous little go-getter. Ollie is four and he has a great sense of humour. He always makes me laugh, and is affectionate and wild. Little Rem is our newest member who is only four months young. He is a happy soul, loves a cuddle and is our little chiller that goes with the flow. Then there is Wallace, our pet dog the Westie. Although he can be quite stubborn, he loves a cuddle and being around the kids. He is a great family dog and the children adore him. 

Where do you live? Why do you love it?

We live in Eastern Victoria, right near the river and are surrounded by trees and greenery. I have always grown up around this area, and when our family started to grow, I knew this was the place I wanted to raise our children. There is lots of space and I wanted my children to be surrounded by nature.  

 

When did your decor obsession begin? Has your style evolved?

I have always had a love for design and interiors. Growing up, I wanted to study interior design but instead took another path. It wasn’t until I became a mum, and was at home, that I found my love for interiors again. 

I found Instagram to be a fun, creative outlet for me while taking beautiful images and sharing them on the platform. From there, it has opened up so many amazing opportunities and naturally led me to where I had envisioned my life to be - doing photography, interior design and visual merchandising. 

What is the most important thing when setting up the kid’s rooms?

Making sure it’s practical and creating a space they love too. I always make sure I have colour in their spaces because I want it to reflect their bright happy personalities. Also, have fun with the process and get the kids involved. You want them to be proud of the space just as much as you are. 

  Congratulations, baby three has arrived. What are the major differences about being a family of five? How are the 'big kids' with their new baby brother?

From the time that Rem was born, I have loved every moment. The lack of sleep wasn’t a shock to the system being our third, and seeing the love between the kids has been so incredibly beautiful. Indi and Ollie are so smitten with their little brother and they have both been amazing with him. 

Ollie is proud to be his big brother and the moment he hears Remi wake in the morning, he is always the first to rush in to say good morning. Also, now Indi has learnt how to read, she loves to read Rem bedtime stories or even sing a little lullaby before bed. She is like a little mummy, it’s so sweet to watch. 

Do you have any self-care tips? Things that keep you feeling fresh, sane and fun. 

Recently I have joined back at the gym, and I’m finding it so nice doing something just for me. As a mum, I think a lot of the time we put ourselves last, but doing something for me has been a nice change. Getting myself into a healthier routine has helped my mood and motivation so much. However, before joining the gym, I always loved getting my nails done or even just getting out of the house and going for a nice walk along the river. Being near water always calms my soul. 

What is your best mama hack?

For me, this is currently making my life easier. I have a routine board for school days. When Indi and Ollie wake, they refer to the board showing them exactly what they need to do. This helps me because now having a third child, mornings can be crazy. Therefore while I’m changing and feeding Remi, the kids start getting ready themselves.