10 QUESTIONS WITH... LINZI MACDONALD

“My favourite place would have to be the kid’s room. Most of the items in there are made by the hubby and I, which gives it its quirky feel. We can spend hours in this room! And it’s where most of my project ideas spring to life.”

While Linzi Macdonald has always been creative, it wasn’t until she had children and started to create things for them that she hit her stride. The renovation of her daughter’s dollhouse has caused quite a sensation on Instagram - you can find it through the hashtag #maddiesdollhousereno And now she is creating car mats. But teepees were one of her first creations that she started to sell through Little Linzi.

Linzi grew up in Whangarei, New Zealand, about two hours north of Auckland. She studied a Bachelor of Media Arts and afterwards left New Zealand for Australia. After arriving in Sydney she worked in various retail jobs and took some courses in visual merchandising and floristry. She says it wasn’t until she became a stay-at-home mum with two children that she realised how much she enjoyed creating things for them. That’s when her toddler teepee business started. And now that Linzi’s completed Maddie’s Dollhouse Reno, she has started needlepoint. “Anyone that knows me well, knows I like to be doing something creative all the time,” she says.

1 As a child I used to wear... overalls. I was such a tom boy growing up, everything was covered in dirt! Not a tutu or dress in sight.

2 My bedroom was... full of drawings, paintings or creations I had made. I had to share with my sister until I was in my teens, and she really didn’t appreciate my need to change the room around every week.

3 When I was a teenager I used to... spend a lot of time doing paintings for people and selling them in the local cafe. It was great pocket money and was a great creative outlet.

4 After high school I wanted to be... Honestly, I had no idea. I went to art school, which was following in the direction I loved. But I knew deep down I couldn’t stay focused in one area. After realising that I didn’t have to do what school drilled into me, I was quite happy to hop from one interest to another until I came across the job that made me the happiest.

5 A seminal moment was... definitely meeting my husband. I met him two months after arriving in Australia, and he has treated me like a queen every day since.

6 I never thought I would... create a dollhouse that has sparked so much interest! It was such a fun project to work on and to have people wanting to join in on the fun.

7 I've learnt to... keep positive.  After spending most of my teens unhappy, my mum has helped me focus on the positive in life rather than the negative. There is always someone worse off than myself, sadly, so it’s just about rolling with the punches and taking them in my stride.

8 I know... I’m a good mum. It took a while to figure this out, but I give them all I can and they are happy, so that’s what counts!

9 I share because... I have met so many wonderful people, who are a huge support and inspiration to me. A few have turned into real-life friends - that live just down the road! If it wasn’t for Instagram I would have never met these wonderful ladies.

10 If I had an unexpected morning to myself I would... still get up early - I’m a morning person - work on teepees, then go out to breakfast with a friend and enjoy it without chasing or cleaning up after a toddler!

image courtesy of linzi macdonald