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  • Tradition reimagined at the Dinesen Country Home

    Tradition reimagined at the Dinesen Country Home

    January 27, 2025January 26, 2026

    Tradition and modernity come together at the Dinesen Country Home, with rustic-minimalist interiors from Danish design duo Mentze Ottenstein…

  • 9 amazing places to stay in the Nordic Arctic

    9 amazing places to stay in the Nordic Arctic

    January 22, 2025February 3, 2026

    The best hotels and hideaways across northern Finland, Sweden and Norway’s arctic regions – all with stunning design, a deep connection to nature and a strong sense of place…

  • New design finds | January 2025

    New design finds | January 2025

    January 13, 2025January 26, 2026

    Minimalist design finds this month include home textiles, ceramics, lamps and furniture, all with beautiful pared-back style and many with Japandi influences…

  • Eight minimalist kitchen ideas from Nordiska Kök

    Eight minimalist kitchen ideas from Nordiska Kök

    January 6, 2025January 27, 2026

    Inspiration for minimalist kitchens from Swedish brand Nordiska Kök’s 2025 trend report, from layout tricks to new material and colour combinations…

  • Minimalist design in the desert: Hotel Aire de Bardenas & the Bardenas Reales natural Park, northern Spain

    Minimalist design in the desert: Hotel Aire de Bardenas & the Bardenas Reales natural Park, northern Spain

    January 3, 2025February 3, 2026

    My review of Aire de Bardenas – a minimalist design hotel on the edge of the beautiful semi-desert Bardenas Reales Natural Park in Navarra, northern Spain…

  • This year’s Christmas decorations – minimalist elegance with glass, bows & earthy tones

    This year’s Christmas decorations – minimalist elegance with glass, bows & earthy tones

    December 5, 2024January 27, 2026

    This year I’ve used fluted glass baubles, paper stars, bows, pine cones and fir to create my neutral, minimalist Christmas decor…

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[AD - PR products] Summer light falling across the [AD - PR products] Summer light falling across the dining room and our lovely Carl Hansen Wishbone chairs from @hollowaysofludlow. I've been working down here for the past few weeks as it stays cooler than the office upstairs, and they really are comfy enough to sit on for hours at a time. Bring on long, cosy meals and board games in here once the nights start drawing in!

#neutralhomedecor #scandinaviandecor #minimalinterior #minimalistdiningroom #cottagerenovation
The hills on the edge of Bath - like everywhere el The hills on the edge of Bath - like everywhere else, they're looking both beautifully golden and scarily parched at the moment. We've had several wildfires around here over the past couple of weeks, so I'm longing for some rain. And although I don't like to wish time away, please bring on autumn! 

#bathengland #theprettycities #bathskyline #thisprettyengland #visitbath
One of the things I love most about our house is t One of the things I love most about our house is the natural light, but it does have one downside. We face directly east-west, so in summer there's always strong light coming from one direction or another - and some rooms like the main bedroom shown here are dual-aspect, so they get it all day long. It's starting to cause UV damage to furniture and surfaces, even with the curtains closed for much of the day. I think we're going to have to look at adding UV-reducing film to the windows, while we save up to get them replaced properly. If you've used it yourself and have any thoughts on whether it actually makes a difference then I'd love to know!

The photograph on the wall, by the way, is one of my own images that I had printed out and framed. It was taken nearby, on a foggy morning not longer after we moved in, and it's one of my favourites. 

#cottagerenovation #neutralbedroom #naturallight #rusticminimalism #cottageinterior
This is the question we get asked whenever we say This is the question we get asked whenever we say we've downsized. We've also had some weird comments from people who assume that just because we've moved to a smaller house, we must be struggling financially. 

I hate the way the size of your home has somehow become a marker of success, and bigger isn't always better. I can understand people searching for more space if they have a growing family, but we don't. Instead, we made a conscious decision to reduce our mortgage, free up some budget for renovations, and give ourselves some breathing room for the future. 

So no, we won't be extending our little cottage. We don't want or need a bigger house just for the sake of it, and to be honest we consider ourselves lucky to own anywhere at all, given how difficult it is to buy a property nowadays. It would only mean more to clean, anyway! 

Here's to everyone else making the most of the home they have, no matter what its size or their circumstances. 

#cottagerenovation #cotswoldscottage #smallhome #cottagelife #downsizing
A few snippets from Bath, London and home during a A few snippets from Bath, London and home during a burning-hot July, some taken on my phone, others on my big camera. It's been a busy month, but a good one. I'm looking forward to a slightly slower August, and hopefully some rain for the parched landscape. 

#summermood #bathuk #cotswolds #summerlight #cornersofmyworld

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