In Bed With Zenn – Eve Gunson

Meet Eve Gunson (aka Dot + Pop)

Interior designer, stylist, serial renovator, and mom of three. We visited her latest project in Noosa Waters to catch up with Eve and her new bub, Dotti. We discussed her newest design projects, the iconic Zenn x Dot + Pop Ottoman, and how she balances it all.

Tell us about Dot + Pop and how the journey began and evolved?
I’ve always been creative and have dabbled in many fields of the arts over the years, however after renovating our first home in 2009 I realised how passionate I was about interior design and Dot + Pop was born. The business has evolved from the Blog and personal projects into Content Creation, Ambassadorships, Client Interior Design and Styling Projects as well as styling for photoshoots and brands. I started the Instagram account back in 2016 and it was just for fun at the time, the name refers to my grandmother Dottie (now also my 3 week old daughter’s name) who was fondly referred to as both Dot and Pop. As my account took off and I moved more into the Interiors space I embraced the name and have stuck with it ever since

Dot + Pop offers quite a range of design services and products. Can you take us through this?
What started as a place to share inspiration and our personal projects, Dot + Pop has since evolved into an interior design, styling and creative studio. We specialise in full scale residential interiors, furniture selection packages, layout + floor plan guidance as well as material + colour palette services. We also offer E-Styling Services for our interstate clients as well as downloadable design tools for renovators who need a helping hand. The other side of the business is our content creation packages, we love working with like minded brands to create beautiful content to share with our audience of design lovers. 

Everyone loved following your Albert Park build when you were Melbourne based. You’ve recently moved to Noosa -  Why the move and do you have plans to come back again?
We’ve been in Noosa for 3.5 years now, it’s honestly flown by - I can’t believe I’ve just had my second Queensland baby! We moved during covid when our oldest was 2 years old and I was 6 months pregnant. We had always loved Noosa as a holiday destination and mid way through covid we (like so many others) had a realisation that we really wanted to raise our children by the ocean, in a warmer climate and ultimately have a more laid back and relaxed lifestyle. Absolutely zero regrets, and if anything I now wonder why we didn’t do it sooner. Noosa is our home now, no plans to head south again!

Dot + Pop was our first design collab for Zenn back in 2020 with the green Dot + Pop Ottoman which is still a best seller for us. How did this green ottoman come about?
I LOVE my green ottoman, I’ll never let him go. The Dot + Pop Ottoman came about when we were at the end of our Albert Park Project and the overall aesthetic of the home was feeling very monochromatic in terms of finishes and furniture. When Zenn reached out to me to collaborate on a special piece I knew that we needed to inject some colour into the space and the Green Dot + Pop Ottoman was born.

For your new Noosa Project, you designed a custom bed base and ottoman (aptly named the ‘Eve Bench’) - what was the inspo behind this?
For our Noosa Project #casacove we embraced neutral earthy tones, soft curves and texture. The ‘Eve’ ottoman encapsulates all of this with its creamy boucle fabric and rounded form as well as being a practical piece of furniture  within the bedroom that really completes the primary bedroom space. The custom bed base in the same fabric as the ottoman was created to compliment our built in custom bedhead and beside tables. The soft texture and curved edges of the bed base work with the aesthetic of the home and add a layer of softness to the primary bedroom space which is otherwise all hard surfaces.

Congratulations on your 3rd baby - a little girl named Dottie! How do you juggle the work/mum/life balance?
Thank you, Dottie is just perfection and l can’t believe she’s already 3 months old. The juggle is real, especially since both mine and Matt’s families live interstate so we have zero help. We’ve learnt to embrace the more relaxed lifestyle that Noosa offers and slow down a bit which helps. If we aren’t working/doing school drop off’s etc then we spend almost all of our time outdoors and at the beach which is so beneficial for the whole family’s physical and mental health. There’s nothing like an ocean swim to wash the busy day away!

How do you practise self care?
Currently with a newborn and 2 boys under 5 there is no self care, it’s more survival mode. If I can have a shower with no one interrupting me then that’s a win!

Do you have any night-time rituals or have a process to help you achieve a sense of zenn?
My night time ritual is getting into bed as early as I can. I don’t sit on the couch at night, as soon as the kids are in bed I shower, put on pj’s, make a cup of tea and get into bed to watch Netflix or sleep. I love being in bed, that’s my Zenn space.

Where to now, what are you working on… can you share?
It's such a relief to have finished this renovation and enjoy living in it with our kids, so we don’t have any immediate plans to move. However, Matt and I both love a project, so stay tuned as no doubt we’ll have something new on horizon soon.

What are you coveting right now?
I’m in love with EnGold and all of their stunning stone furniture. One day, when the kids are older I would love to have a natural stone dining table, a timeless piece to enjoy forever.

Shop the Look
Bed: Custom Krystal Bedframe in Fabio Boucle Ivory
Bench Seat: Eve Bench in Fabio Boucle Ivory
Stools: Archie Stool in Vintage Deux Velvet Antique with Electro Medium Bronze Kinetic frame

Image Credits:
Side Tables: Custom made Oak + Taj Mahal Quartzite with Bronze handles
Bowl: Mudhavi
Tall Vase: The White Place
Large Bowl: Elme Living
Beside Wall Light: Beacon Lighting, Atlas 1
Linen: Linen Me, Optical White Stone Washed Bed Linen Flat Sheet + Fitted Sheet. Natural Washed Bed Linen Duvet Pinstripe.