Paulina: At Home with the Interior Blogger and Mom of Two

After giving birth to her first son, sociologist-by-trade Paulina Jamborowicz discovered Instagram while quarantined on the couch one sick day. She began to blog soon after, and thanks to perfect timing (or more likely an uncanny knack for perfectly-pictured interiors and styling) her feed caught on. She now delights nearly 200k followers with her keen eye for detail.

First, what’s the secret to raising two boys and being a popular social media success?

To be honest, I don’t really know [laughs]. I’m actually a little bit surprised myself that it all works out. I started blogging when my youngest was born, so I really didn’t have too much time at all. But I was hooked on Instagram from the first minute I started using it. It was my window to the world when I was at home with the kids. I remember one day when I was sick during holidays, I was laying on the couch the entire day and spent hours scrolling. I was totally amazed and kept thinking “I have to figure out what it’s all about!”. And the filters! Everyone was obsessed with the photo filters, of course [laughs].   

You’re really diligent with fan interaction – how do you make time for that, too?

Actually, I would love to have more time to do it! Social media communities are actually quite unique – people who interact with you are a super small percentage of the whole follower base. The majority are silent observers, so when someone comments on a photo or asks a question, I really want to make an effort and reply. I want to show that I really care about them!

You often invite your readers/viewers into your home. How do you balance privacy and your public persona?

It can be a difficult thing, especially when your blog is about interiors and you mostly post photos of your home. I try to make sure that I only share things I feel comfortable with and that don’t affect my family directly. But I also chose to be a blogger and it’s a package deal. It’s very much about authenticity and trust – and part of that is showing how you live!

Your apartment is so hygge!  What makes your home so cozy?

Definitely the fact that I don’t live here alone! The feeling of coziness and warmth comes from the fact that I share it with the people I love. My main goal is always to make sure that every one of us – from the kids to my husband – is comfortable here. We want to feel good living together, and really see it as our “home”.

As a sociologist, do you think that the way you furnish your apartment reflects your personality?

Well, maybe not personality directly… but definitely your life. You know, my home would have looked completely different if I didn’t have two little boys! They changed everything by 180 degrees. Before, I liked to keep it minimalistic and simple, which isn’t really possible anymore [laughs]. I also run an Instagram account focused on interior styling so my flat is naturally filled with props and objects I might want to use for my next photo. When I think about it now, it’s actually really exciting to see how the space changes and evolves with my own life and the life of my family.

What are your biggest interior design influences? Where do you look for inspiration?

Since I spend a lot of time online, it’s naturally the biggest source of inspo for me! I love Pinterest – but it’s like a total trap [laughs]. And Instagram, of course! I like how fluid the trends are these days. Everyone can find something for themselves. From Scandi to industrial vibes – there are so many styles and things to choose from. I also change things around my apartment a lot and always want to try out new things, so I like to keep the essentials right – like the chairs we bought ages ago or our Tylko Shelf. I love its great quality and timeless design!

So… what’s on your Tylko Shelf? What does it say about you?

We wanted to have our own bookshelf so that was the main reason for getting the shelf. But then it quickly became a place for showing off our little favourite things and treasures – like that family photo. It’s maybe not the most beautiful one, and it’s actually from a quite a difficult time in our lives – when the boys were really young and we were tired permanently – but it’s such an important and great memory. It’s nice to be surrounded by the things which are dear to your heart and which have a story behind them. So I’m sure the shelf will be slowly filled with more things like this as we go through our life together.