There’s no mistaking whose home this is. Mia Dench has filled hers with the things she loves, made and collected along the way.
Warm, bold and full of personality, her home brings together vintage and mid-century influences, statement pieces, handmade artwork and plenty of finds discovered through a very well-trained Facebook Marketplace algorithm. It feels distinctly Mia, because almost everything has a story attached to it.
Since first moving out of home as a university student, Mia’s style has evolved slowly. Early decorating decisions were shaped by what she could afford and a willingness to experiment. Over time, she’s learnt to work with the spaces she lives in rather than against them, finding creative ways to make a rental feel personal without needing to change everything around her.
That same thinking extends to how the home is lived in. Everyday objects are part of the decoration, lamps are switched on at the end of the day, a mug is chosen according to the guest, and hosting usually means squeezing around a small dining table before finishing the night with cards and a cuppa.
For our latest Heart to Heart, we visited Mia at home to talk about finding her style, decorating while renting, the stories behind her favourite pieces and her rather excellent philosophy of “enjoying my rent”.
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Tell us a little about yourself. Who is Mia beyond the beautiful home we see online?
I'm Mia! I'm a speech pathologist by day and a content creator by night. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I started posting on TikTok because, really, there wasn't much else to do. I've been posting ever since, documenting my journey through university, moving out of home, creating artwork and finding my style.
At the moment, I make fashion, lifestyle and speech pathology content, which is quite an eclectic mix!
I live with my fiancé and our two cats, who have had more influence over my styling than I'd like. Cat-proofing the entire house while keeping it funky has proved difficult.
I've always been creative, so I make a lot of my own artwork. I've really enjoyed the freedom that came with moving out of home and being able to decorate a space of my own.
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How would you describe your interior style, and how has it evolved over the years?
My style is definitely warm, bold and funky, with vintage and mid-century modern influences. As a broke uni student when I first moved out of home, I bought what I could afford and experimented a lot.
With time, and big-girl money once I finished uni, my style has developed into something that feels very specific to me: statement pieces, handmade bits and bobs, and little moments of fun scattered throughout.
You've created a home with so much personality while renting. What have those limitations taught you about decorating, and what advice would you give someone trying to make a rental feel like their own?
I've definitely found that it's easier to lean into your space rather than fight against it. I spent so much time fighting against the colours of the kitchen in our old apartment, and the styling only clicked when I accepted that the space was what it was.
It might not be your dream home, but you can make almost anything work with a good Facebook Marketplace algorithm.
I've also found that you need to be creative with how you use your space, as it's often limited. I have to prioritise practicality, but I always try to make my everyday pieces part of the décor. If all your day-to-day items can hold their own, you don't feel as though you need to over-decorate.
Make your everyday items and your styling intentional.
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Your home feels deeply personal. Are there any objects, artworks or collected pieces that tell your story or hold a special memory?
I could probably tell you a story about every single piece in my house: the hours spent with my best friend staining timber picture frames on the front lawn, the two-hour drive to Phillip Island in the rain to pick up my dream set of drawers, the coffee table that scares everyone who walks through the door...
I feel like all the pieces in my home are little parts of my personality.
Your space feels just as lovely to live in as it is to look at. What are some of the everyday rituals or moments that make you happiest at home?
How kind, thank you! One of the best parts of my day is choosing a funky mug for my tea. When I'm hosting, I also like choosing a mug that I think suits each of my guests.
Day to day, I love doing a quick tidy-up, turning all the lamps on, lighting some incense and putting on music. I call this "enjoying my rent".
Shop our kitchen + dine decor here.
Your home feels so warm and welcoming. When friends or family come over, what does hosting look like for you, and what do you hope people feel when they walk through the door?
Hosting in our home is a squish, but we love it. My fiancé loves to whip up cocktails, and I usually like to have some sort of dessert in the oven.
I love cooking, but I'm deeply insecure about feeding my food to other people. If I'm feeling game enough, we might have a home-cooked meal; otherwise, we'll definitely grab some takeaway.
We squeeze around our tiny dining table and always finish the night with card games and tea. I hope people feel relaxed and a little zen when they enter our space, and that they leave feeling well-fed.
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What's one thing you've learnt about creating a home that you wish you'd known when you first started?
I wish I'd known that you don't have to have everything figured out from the start.
It can take time to discover your vision for a space, and it's okay to have placeholder pieces for a while. It doesn't have to be "complete" as soon as you move in. In fact, I'd argue a space is never really complete.
The fun really is along the way, rather than in the finished product.
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With a whole lotta love xx