Inside cleaning guru Mama Mila's 1970s family pad in Portsea

It’s a glorious weekend on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula when we find Australia’s Queen of Clean, Chantel Mila Ibbotson – aka Mama Mila to her more than 2 million Instagram followers – very much in her happy place.

For the home hacks guru, organisational expert, interior stylist and mum of two, relaxation is assured at her family’s breezy Portsea home. And the fact that the 1970s abode frequently hosts Ibbotson’s entire extended family makes it the ultimate retreat for the social media star.

Daylight streams into the airy yet textural sanctuary that epitomises laidback beachy style. While the five-bedroom house has been modernised to accommodate a gleaming stone kitchen and luxe bathrooms, it stays faithful to its seventies roots.

Indeed, there’s something distinctive about the home: its soaring raked ceilings, exposed brick walls and lashings of crisp white paint, not to mention the fact that the house showcases a decidedly offbeat feature at the heart of its sunlit living domain.

“Many years ago, the home was owned by a man who really loved sailing, so he built a massive wooden boat with a mast and sail in the middle of the house,” says Ibbotson. “Over the years, the boat was painted and refurbished and then converted into a bar – and it’s still here today! It’s very functional, but remains true to his amazing vision.”

It is quirky yet has surprisingly practical features, such as the boat-bar, along with the large-scale prints and artworks lining the walls, that bring colour and interest to the house.

“We were fortunate that the previous owner had already renovated the house, but we were able to make it our own with new decor,” says Ibbotson.

Here, Ibbotson was in her element – breathing beautiful new life into the home with statement pieces that are pared-back yet stylish. There’s the milky-hued leather sofa from Samsara Furniture, the timber and rattan coffee table from Eureka Furniture and the tactile stripey rug sourced at Unique Loom.

“I styled the home with a neutral coastal look,” she says. “As we wanted the home to be a place we could all enjoy together, the spaces needed to feel calm and relaxed.”

To Melbourne-based Ibbotson and her husband Robbie, parents to daughter Mila, 7, and son Aston, 5, it’s a case of packing up the car and heading to the beach house every chance they get.

“My parents bought the house in late 2021 as a place for all of us – my sister and brother – to come together with our families and use,” Ibbotson says. “About 12 of us can comfortably stay at the home, and we particularly love coming together to celebrate milestones. We had my sister’s engagement party here and set up a beautiful long table – and we always have Christmas here.”

As for her top tip to deck out a home for any occasion, big or small, Ibbotson says it begins in your own backyard.

“Look to your garden for styling the table,” she says. “See what elements you can bring in from outside. My parents have olive trees in their backyard, and I love to use a couple of branches as centrepieces on the table. It’s a simple but effective way to create a beautiful environment within the home.”

It was early 2020, and the pandemic had just taken hold around the globe, when Ibbotson, who has a marketing and property management background, began posting her home cleaning hacks online. Yet the 34-year-old, now also the author of The Dream Clean and founder of her own product line, Mama Mila Home, never imagined the direction her life would take.

“It’s definitely been quite a journey,” she smiles. “The reason I started making homemade sprays and switching over to more eco-friendly products was that my daughter Mila was diagnosed with asthma. At the time, I started experimenting safely with DIY recipes within my own home to clean the bathroom and kitchen and remove stains off clothing without harsh chemicals.

“When we went into the first COVID lockdown and we were all confined to our homes, I started sharing tips and hacks of what I was doing in the house, organically, online. The page started gaining popularity, and it’s just grown and grown into the community we have today.”

But there’s still one question that must be asked of Ibbotson. What’s the secret to maintaining an eternally spotless house with young children?

“The kids are quite good,” she laughs, “but after dinner each night, we’ve got into a routine that we call our ADT – After Dinner Time. It’s just a few minutes where we come together as a family to do a bit of a tidy-up of the kitchen and the toys. We put on a fun playlist, and everyone gets involved. It’s that age-old saying of ‘many hands make light work’, but it’s so true.”