Interview with Graciela Raquel Gauna

In this conversation, she opens up about building a creative career while raising her two boys, finding balance between work and family, and embracing the beautiful chaos of everyday life. From early mornings and school runs to football matches, beach walks and long Sunday breakfasts, family is at the heart of everything she does.

Her approach to interiors is equally thoughtful: instinctive, timeless and never too perfect. She loves mixing old and new, combining wood, marble and wool with vintage finds and unexpected pieces that bring contrast, character and a sense of story to the home.

For Graciela, good design is about beauty, functionality and longevity. Bespoke craftsmanship, meaningful objects and pieces made to last become part of a home’s identity, while keeping things simple helps create a sense of calm, even with two boys around.

We’ve talked about motherhood, creativity, vintage treasures, craftsmanship, family rituals and the quiet beauty of coastal life, where the beach is just a few steps away and inspiration can often be found in the most unexpected places.

How did you come to specialise as a stylist, creative and art director in fashion and kids’ photography?

Creativity has actually been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a big family with two brothers and five sisters, and as a child, I was always dressing my sisters in outfits I had created myself. I even started making my own clothes using my mother’s sewing machine. I was always creating something, and I guess that never really changed.

I studied both Design & Styling and Nutrition & Dietetics, which took me in two completely different directions. After my studies, I ended up working in healthcare as a data specialist, but styling was always where my heart was.

About ten years ago, I got the opportunity to style several campaign shoots for a kids’ brand, together with my sister, who is a talented photographer. That was really the beginning. From there, things moved quite quickly. I started working with more and more brands, doing styling and art direction, and began creating editorials for Milk Magazine, for example. Those are still my absolute favourite projects because they give me the freedom to really tell a story and be creative.

Five years ago, I decided to leave my job as a data specialist and focus entirely on styling and creative work. It was a big step, but also a very natural one. At the same time, I wanted to create a little more balance in my life and be more present for our two boys. My husband has his own business and is very busy too, so being able to do what I love while still having time for my family feels incredibly valuable to me.

What has been the biggest design challenge you’ve faced in maintaining order and visual calm in a minimalist space with two children at home? Can you share any design tricks that have been lifesavers for you?

Honestly, I’m still waiting to discover those clever design tricks myself! Haha! I don’t think I have the perfect tip, as I still spend a lot of time tidying up.

If anything, I think the biggest trick is simply not having too much stuff in the house. And if you love everything you have, even a bit of mess feels more beautiful, or at least you might mind it less. My husband also goes a little crazy when there’s too much stuff, which definitely helps!

I’ve learned to let go of the mess a little more and encourage the boys to tidy up after themselves. They’re both getting older now and have never had a huge amount of toys anyway. Besides that, they’re real outdoor kids.

So, for us, having less to begin with has probably been the biggest lifesaver. Although our youngest is quite the little collector, so we’re still working on that one!

As a freelance stylist, you have an expert eye for composition and visual narratives. How does your profession influence your aesthetic sensibility when decorating your home? Do you apply the same principles of composition to your domestic spaces?

Honestly, yes, very much so. There’s always a common thread running through my work, the way I dress and the way I decorate our home.

I’m not a big fan of things being too perfect or too “matched”. I always like to add something unexpected, an element that doesn’t quite belong or maybe clashes just a little. That little bit of tension is what makes something interesting and makes you want to look at it for a little longer.

I approach interiors in much the same way as I approach styling an outfit or creating an image. There should always be something that makes you think, “Oh, I didn’t expect that.”

It could be a vintage chair, an old stool, a quirky vase or simply something with a completely different texture or character. You don’t need much to make a space feel more personal and less predictable.

And believe me, adding just one vintage piece can completely change an interior. Suddenly, everything feels a little more interesting and layered.

Luckily, I have a mum who has an incredible eye for vintage design treasures, so I’ve definitely inherited, and benefited from, that love of finding those special pieces.

For me, the most beautiful spaces are never too perfect. They have personality, a little contrast and, most importantly, a story to tell.

What are your favourite places to spend quality time as a family in your town, whether to relax, eat well or find inspiration?

We live in a rather quiet, somewhat uneventful coastal town, so there isn’t an endless list of places to go haha! But I actually think that’s part of its charm.

We’re lucky enough to live just a five-minute walk from the beach, so the beach is definitely where we spend most of our family time. We often go for long walks along the shore, although the boys aren’t always quite as enthusiastic about family walks as they used to be, but they still have to come along!

My husband also loves surfing, often together with his brothers-in-law. We often go along with my sisters to watch, and in summer, we love swimming in the sea together. Our beaches are beautifully clean, peaceful and uncrowded, which makes them one of our favourite places to simply be together.

We also have a beautiful and inspiring library, “School 7”, which is much more than just a place to borrow books. We go there regularly, and it’s genuinely worth visiting, a lovely place to find inspiration and spend some quiet time.

For a really good coffee and delicious homemade cheesecake, I love “Robuust” in the town centre. And for homemade burgers and a relaxed atmosphere, you should go to Fort Westoever.

I also get a lot of inspiration from the many thrift and vintage shops around town. One of the advantages of living somewhere where “not much happens” is that you can still find beautiful vintage gems at very reasonable prices.

So perhaps our town is a little boring on paper, but we’ve learned to appreciate the quiet, the space and the little treasures it has to offer.