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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 - the flooring is a PR product] We've had a br [AD - the flooring is a PR product] We've had a break from renovating over the past couple of months, focusing on enjoying the finished ground-floor rooms rather than starting on any others. But that's about to change, as work on our bland, tatty and dated bathroom kicks off on Monday. We had originally planned to leave it until next year, but the bath has started leaking through the ceiling of our newly painted living room so we've brought things forward.

It's a small space and there isn't really any other way to lay it out, but otherwise we'll be giving it a total overhaul. We're going for a timeless, pared-back look with a hint of rustic cottage charm, mixing tongue-and-groove panelling with beautifully imperfect Zellige tiles and a linen shower curtain. We'll be using the @quickstepfloors pale oak 'Cascada' flooring that we're fitting throughout the house (it's totally watertight and ideal for bathrooms), and adding some much-needed storage by concealing the toilet cistern within a built-in floor-to-ceiling cupboard. The taps and shower will be the same gunmetal finish that we've used in the kitchen, as I love the way it patinates and ties in with the overall palette. I'm also thinking of painting the bathroom in a darker colour than we've used elsewhere - probably @farrowandball's stony 'Light Grey', which we chose for the front door. 

Swipe through the carousel to see my digital and physical mood boards for the bathroom, and a peek at what it looks like at the moment. 

Flooring: @quickstepfloors [PR product]
Tiles: @bakedtiles 
Taps and shower: @abiinteriors_uk 
Shower curtain: @fermliving 
Wall lamps: @corstonarchitecturaldetail 
Mirror, travertine accessories and towel: Zara Home
Vase: already owned

#cottagerenovation #interiormoodboard #bathroomrenovation #neutralhomedecor #minimalistbathroom 

Batheoom renovation | Neutral bathroom decor | Cottage bathroom | Minimalist bathroom | Bathroom panelling | Neutral interior | Neutral home | Soft minimalist home | Simple interiors
The pocket-door cupboard is perhaps my favourite f The pocket-door cupboard is perhaps my favourite feature of our new kitchen. We dithered about having the pocket doors as they're more expensive than normal ones, but I'm so glad we decided to go for them. They're perfect for a small-ish kitchen like ours, as they slide back into the frame when open rather than jutting out into the room. That makes the kitchen so much easier to use and circulate around, and it's freed up enough floor space for a little freestanding island unit in the centre. 

We've added a section of worktop inside the cupboard to give us some handy extra prep space, and we can open it up or hide it away as needed. It's turned out to be particularly useful when we've prepared food in advance and need to shut it away from a curious and rather greedy cat...

#shakerkitchen #cottagekitchen #minimalistkitchen #cottagerenovation #neutralhomedecor 

Minimalist cottage interior | Shaker kitchen | Cottage kitchen renovation | Scandinavian kitchen | Soft minimalist interiors | Neutral home | Neutrak kitchen inspiration | Pocket doors
Scenes from Avebury Manor, taken a couple of weeks Scenes from Avebury Manor, taken a couple of weeks ago. It's always the little details - the way the light falls, the texture of an old wall - that draw my eye in historic houses like this. And the gardens (currently home to an outdoor sculpture exhibition) are beautiful. 

@avebury_nt 

#visitwiltshire #bitsofbuildings #nationaltrustuk #wiltshireuk #thisprettyengland
I’ve always loved the cosy warmth and soothing glo I’ve always loved the cosy warmth and soothing glow of a real flame, and a working fireplace was high on the wish-list when we moved from the city to the countryside. We haven't installed a wood-burner or a gas fire though - instead we've opted for a bioethanol stove, which uses a liquid plant-based fuel. Here's why... 

#bioethanolfire #cottageinterior #cottagerenovation #minimalistcottage #cosyseason

Minimalist cottage interior | Cottage renovation | Bioethanol stove | Bioethanol fireplace | Cosy minimalism | Soft minimalist home | Minimalist living room | Neutral home decor | Autumn home decor
Do not adjust your phone screens: this is rainbow Do not adjust your phone screens: this is rainbow colour on my grid. And with good reason. 

This is the 'Moments of Light' installation, created by @brucemunrostudio to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hospice charity @dorothyhousehc, located just down the road from me in the village of Winsley. I was lucky enough to be invited to the preview yesterday evening before it opens to the public today, and it's utterly beautiful - poignant, moving and mesmerising to watch. 

'Moments of Light' is running until 31st December, and if you're local or just visiting the area, I'd urge you go along. You can book a timeslot online and it's free of charge, but of course donations to help this vital organisation and the thousands of people it cares for every year across Bath, Wiltshire and Somerset are very welcome.

#momentsoflight #visitwiltshire #visitbath #hospicecharity #dorothyhousehospice

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