Instagram, interior design, and how to avoid becoming a QVC tribute: an interview with Tina Tombs

It started out as an Instagram account to document a house renovation. 40,000 followers later, meet the accidental influencer behind Pastel Dreams. We caught up with Tina on what it’s like to work with brands like Dunelm, Wilko and Lenor, and how she selects the companies she works with.

Hi Tina, how did you become involved in the world of social influencing? Was it a conscious decision, or something that just happened naturally over time? 

I started an Instagram account to document the renovation of my first owned home. I’d always loved interior design and the idea of putting my stamp to something, and this house was the perfect opportunity to do so! When we moved in there was no kitchen or bathroom for example, all the woodwork was green gloss and the bedrooms had tiled lino on the floors! I love before and afters and I wanted a way to look back on what we achieved here. I had no idea about social influencers and until I’d been using the platform a few months I never really saw any. The home interior community on Instagram is huge and I soon met some great people and eventually got the chance to work with some amazing companies!

As your following has increased and your profile has raised, have you become more selective in the brands you work with, and if so, how do you make these decisions?

Social Influencing is a great way for brands to advertise, from huge well-known companies such as Wilko, Dunelm and Shark, to small independently run businesses. It’s great fun working with companies, but it really is a lot of work. You have to make sure you are capturing the right videos and photos for the company, whilst showing your followers the benefits of the product. I will only work with companies and products I genuinely like and would use myself, so I do have to be selective in what I represent. Having a higher number of followers you do get contacted by a lot of businesses who want you to promote their products, so you also have to make sure that you don’t turn into a QVC tribute! Of course, I feel really lucky to be contacted by anyone at all, but it would be impossible for me to say yes to everyone due to the time it takes to create good content to do the products justice. 

Are there any particular companies you'd love to work with or social campaigns you admire? Equally, are there any you wouldn't work with, or particular policies/behaviours/products that would put you off a collaboration?

There are loads of companies I admire and would love to work with! When Dunelm asked me to work with them for example, I was so excited! I’ve loved and shopped in Dunelm for years so it really was a big deal for me! The only things that would put me off a collaboration is if I couldn’t be myself when reviewing a product, or if a company wanted to control the content I produced so it wasn’t my voice. I also have to like the product myself; honesty is always best and I couldn’t rave about something on my channel if I didn’t actually like it.

How do you balance a career, your social media work and having a new baby?!

I’m on mat leave so luckily I’m not working at the moment. Nora is probably more popular on my Instagram than I am! Since I announced my pregnancy on Instagram and shared that journey, I’ve met some amazing parents online who I speak to regularly. It’s heartwarming that so many people have a genuine interest in my life and what I get up to (usually nonsense) and I love that my followers love Nora.

Tell us more about your trip recently with the Laundry Dream Team! 

Being offered the chance to work with P&G on a campaign was amazing! I visited their Innovation Centre in Brussels to learn about the science behind their different laundry products, how they are made and tested etc. It was really interesting to see how much thought goes into laundry products - something we all use everyday! I met some really lovely people too! I’m a part of the Sensitive Skin team which is perfect for us as a family with Nora needing gentle products. I even wash Tilly’s bedding in Fairy now!

And finally, what do you wish you'd known earlier on in your journey?

I don’t think there is anything I’d change necessarily, it’s been an amazing journey for me so far. Meeting people within the Instagram community has been a highlight for me - I’ve made friends for life!

I’ve been to a few different events such as the Wilko Summer in July in Soho, and a showroom opening for BDIF Kent and have met some fellow instagrammers in person which is always fun as you feel like you already know them! 

Those who I speak to regularly as well as my followers have been a real lifeline to me and hopefully I’ve been the same for them. I know if I ask for advice on my stories for example, my followers will message me with genuine care and interest. I do share almost everything about my life on Instagram which in a way is cathartic for me, but I do genuinely have that same care and interest in others. I like to know that something I have shared could help somebody else.