Home Visit: Daniella Guevara Muñoz’s Colourful Bungalow Pairs Mexican Art With Coastal Charm

From the Esplanade, the red-roofed bungalow looks unassuming. It’s one of the suburb’s oldest houses, softened by the salt air and framed by a wide verandah facing the sea. Step inside and you’re met with colour, texture and warmth that instantly feels like a reflection of the bungalow’s residents: La Popular Taqueria chef Daniella Guevara Muñoz and her husband Kor-jent van Dijk.

“I would describe my home as eclectic, but with a lot of Mexican touches,” Guevara Muñoz says. “I’ve always loved embroideries, woven textiles, and colour – that’s how I bring a bit of Mexico into my home.”

Guevara Muñoz and van Dijk have lived here since 2018. When they first saw the house, it had been vacant for years. “Kor said, ‘This house is horrible!’ But I saw the potential. I thought, ‘It’s got character; we can make this a home.’”

The front hallway, filled with trailing plants and sunlight, opens into a dining room anchored by antique emerald-green cabinets, a timber dining set with patterned chairs and an oversized paper lantern hanging above.

The lounge room – one of Guevara Muñoz’s favourite spaces – is bold and relaxed, with a deep-blue velvet couch and soft grey armchair, both scattered with plush cushions. Vintage rugs cover the floor and a rattan lightshade dangles from the ornate ceiling. 

Art fills the home. Andy Warhol’s Marilyn shares a wall with an Aussie print by Peter Drew, while a hand-embroidered tapestry from the Tenango de Doria region in Hidalgo adds texture. 

The rest of the house follows suit – art and souvenirs sweep across walls and congregate in corners. A beaded puma from Nayarit – one of the chef’s favourite pieces – catches the light beside Indigenous art and maps. Marine prints, a nod to the couple’s shared background in marine biology, take pride of place. A wooden Mexican folk art Ferris wheel adds a playful touch. “Nothing here matches, but everything has a story.”

The kitchen might be small, but it’s the heart of the home – a retro blend of soft blue cupboards, black-and-white checkered flooring, and objects that speak to Guevara Muñoz’s roots and passions.

Mexican clay pots and mugs made by her sister line kitchen shelves, a comal pan rests on the stove and a wooden tortilla press built by van Dijk leans on the counter.

It’s here that every recipe from her debut cookbook Provecho was created. “I wanted to show people that you don’t need a restaurant kitchen to make authentic Mexican food. It can be done at home.” 

Out back, the garden is as abundant as the house itself. Tomatillos grow beside herbs and silverbeet; two beehives hum in the corner beneath a sprawling olive tree. “The garden is very important for us,” she says. “Kor and I love spending time out here.” 

In summer, the front porch overlooking the ocean becomes a gathering place for friends, barbeques and long dinners. “We love when people come and feel at home.”

For Guevara Muñoz, food and home are inseparable. Provecho, which means “enjoy your meal”, celebrates that connection. When asked what she hopes people feel when they cook from Provecho, she says, “I want people to feel like they’re in Mexico, even if they’ve never been there. To feel they’re cooking something truly traditional – that’s it.”

Name: Daniella Guevara Muñoz.

Lives: In a beachside bungalow in Semaphore, Adelaide.

Since: 2018.

With: Her husband, Kor-jent van Dijk.

What’s your favourite room in the house? 

The front porch and the living room. After work, we always sit here together. I have my chair and Kor has the couch.

What’s your favourite item in the house? 

The Tenango embroidery hanging in the living room.

What do you love about your neighbourhood? 

The beach and the community around it.

Where do you get your homewares?

Antique shops, auctions and op shops. Most of the art and crafts are from my travels.

Can you describe the feel of the home? 

It’s an eclectic coastal heritage home with a bohemian traveller feel. It’s intuitive, layered and deeply personal. For me, it’s less about following design rules and more about curating a feeling.

The house itself is beautiful and already has a lot of character, so we decided to embrace the patina rather than cover things up: a bit of wear on the furniture, sun-faded paint, uneven textures. It’s all part of the charm. The result feels lived-in and soulful, with a sense of continuity between eras and cultures. It’s a home that evolves and changes.

What has been your approach to decorating the home?

We’ve been decorating over time, mixing antiques and second-hand finds with art, folk art and textiles from Mexico and Australia. Each object earns its place because it’s loved and meaningful, not because it matches.

Provecho: Real Mexican Food at Home is out now.