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  • 23 of the best minimalist outdoor wall lamps

    23 of the best minimalist outdoor wall lamps

    July 21, 2023February 17, 2026

    Minimalist outdoor wall lamps for timeless garden and entryway style, including mains-wired and solar-powered options for all budgets…

  • 8 stylish places to stay in the eastern Algarve, Portugal

    8 stylish places to stay in the eastern Algarve, Portugal

    July 18, 2023February 17, 2026

    The best boutique hotels, B&Bs, holiday villas and apartment rentals for fans of minimalist design in Portugal’s beautiful eastern Algarve…

  • Profile | Sculptor Katrine Blinkenberg

    Profile | Sculptor Katrine Blinkenberg

    July 11, 2023February 9, 2026

    A chat with Danish sculptor Katrine Blinkenberg about inspiration, connection, asking for help, and how we all have the potential for creativity…

  • Home tour | A rustic-minimalist restoration in Ibiza

    Home tour | A rustic-minimalist restoration in Ibiza

    July 7, 2023February 17, 2026

    Minimalist design with a sense of place: located in Ibiza’s rural interior, this restored finca combines Nordic style with rustic charm…

  • Highlights of 3 Days of Design 2023 | The best of the rest

    Highlights of 3 Days of Design 2023 | The best of the rest

    July 5, 2023February 10, 2026

    More interesting exhibitions and launches from this year’s 3 Days of Design, including minimalist furniture, sustainable textiles, abstract sculptures and reissued Scandinavian classics…

  • Highlights of 3 Days of Design 2023 | Japandi style

    Highlights of 3 Days of Design 2023 | Japandi style

    June 30, 2023February 17, 2026

    A look at two collaborative brands that embody Japandi design, with a focus on clean lines, minimalist forms, natural materials and neutral colours…

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[AD - press stay] Earlier this week I showed you S [AD - press stay] Earlier this week I showed you Sessile, the room we stayed in at @holmsomerset. Now here's a peek at some of the others, which I got to have a quick look at between guests. They're all gorgeous, but Elm was a standout with its four-poster bed, arched niches, egg-shaped bathtub and gently warm colour palette. I also loved Osier, with its fireplace and lovely natural light, and the cosy Hornbeam, tucked beneath rafters in the loft. 

If you fancy treating yourself to a stay at HOLM this autumn and winter (and I would wholeheartedly recommend it), there are mid-week deals starting from £149 per room, Christmas 'Stay & Dine' packages from £496 (the festive menu launches on 23rd November), and various walking experiences. I particularly like the idea of a relaxing Twixmas stay, or coinciding with the Wednesday and Friday morning yoga sessions. 

Thanks again to @curatedspacesclub and the whole team at HOLM for our fantastic visit. We absolutely loved it. 

#boutiquehotels #ukstaycation #uktravel #winterbreaks #countryescape

Somerset travel | UK boutique hotels | West Country places to stay | Somerset places to stay | UK minibreaks | Country hotels | UK travel | Restaurants with rooms | Stylish places to stay | Autumn breaks | Winter breaks | Twixmas travel ideas
Yep, the pumpkins are everywhere in our house... Yep, the pumpkins are everywhere in our house... 

Last year's Halloween was marred by house-move stress (although I was lucky enough to go to the live recording of the Uncanny Halloween special with @tiffanygrantriley after winning audience tickets in the ballot), so this year I'm making the most of it. Chris and I are going to see the new Ghosts film on Thursday, we have a table booked at our favourite haunted local restaurant for Saturday lunch, and we're having spooky candlelit drinks and nibbles on Saturday evening. I can't wait! 

#pumpkinseason #halloweendecorations #naturalhalloweendecor #autumnhomedecor #seasonalhomedecor 

Minimalist Halloween decorations | Pumpkin display | Halloween styling | Autumn home | Shaker kitchen | Minimalist cottage interior | Neutral home | Cottage kitchen
[AD - press stay] A favourite of mine to bookmark [AD - press stay] A favourite of mine to bookmark for a relaxing West Country getaway: beautiful restaurant with rooms @holmsomerset in the pretty village of South Petherton. 

I've eaten at HOLM a couple of times before and I've always wanted to go back for an overnight stay. Last week Chris and I got the chance, and it definitely lived up to expectations. The interiors are gorgeous - calm, cosy and softly minimalist, with tactile plaster walls, vintage mid-century modern furniture, abstract artworks and handcrafted pieces by local makers. The seven guest rooms are all named after trees (we stayed in Sessile, shown in the first few photos here) and come with lots of treats, including super-comfy beds, snuggly linen throws and homemade cookies; some also have freestanding in-room tubs and four-poster beds. 

Downstairs is a candlelit dining room and bar, warmed by a fire in autumn and winter and spilling onto a lavender-fringed terrace in spring and summer. The food from Chef Director @nicholasbalfe and his team is delicious, with tasting menus and à la carte options based around local, seasonal produce. This time around we sat at the informal 'chef's counter', watching activity in the open kitchen as we tucked into Westcombe cheddar fries with pickled walnuts, trout tartare, goats' curd-filled pasta with girolles, local venison and more. The wine was excellent, too - especially as we were lucky enough to have our visit coincide with one of the regular wine-tasting events!

Thanks to everyone at HOLM for a wonderful stay (the perfect break from renovation chaos at home!) and to @curatedspacesclub for organising it. We'll be back, for sure.

#boutiquehotels #ukstaycation #uktravel #somersethotels #countryescape

Somerset travel | UK boutique hotels | West Country places to stay | Somerset places to stay | UK minibreaks | Country hotels | UK travel | Restaurants with rooms | Stylish places to stay
I'll be honest: renovating with a chronic health c I'll be honest: renovating with a chronic health condition (and living in said renovation at the same time) isn't easy, and after an entire weekend and a Monday evening of DIY, I feel like I'm dragging my limbs through mud today. But I'm really enjoying the journey of making this little cottage our own. We still have a lot to do (the guest bedroom, landing, stairs, windows and garden haven't yet been touched, and the primary bedroom is only half-finished), but I'm so proud of what we've achieved so far. This house had been unloved for so long, and I feel like we're giving it the soul and heart it deserves. When I walk into completed rooms like the kitchen, I still have to pinch myself that they're ours! 

#cottagerenovation #shakerkitchen #softminimalistinterior #minimalistkitchen #neutralktichen

Minimalist cottage interiors | Cottage renovation | Beige Shaker ktichen | Cottage kitchen | Neutral home decor | Neutral kitchen inspiration | Open kitchen shelves | Kitchen renovation
[AD - features PR products*] Pumpkins are taking o [AD - features PR products*] Pumpkins are taking over every room in our house... 

I'm determined to make the most of autumn this year. It's possibly my favourite season, but I struggled to enjoy it last year because we were in the middle of house-move stress and worried our entire chain was about to collapse. In fact by October 2025 it had dragged on for six months and was really starting to affect my health - not an experience I ever want to repeat! 

[*Our beautiful Wishbone chairs were a PR product from the lovely people at @hollowaysofludlow.]

#pumpkinseason #autumnhomedecor #diningroomdecor #neutralhomedecor #cottageinterior 

Autumn styling | Halloween decorations | Minimalist cottage interior | Dining room decor | Neutral dining room | Autumn foliage

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