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  • Home tour | A Brutalist-inspired renovation in East London | These Four Walls blog

    Home tour | A Brutalist-inspired Victorian renovation in East London

    May 30, 2022March 10, 2026

    This once-cramped Victorian terrace has been transformed into a serene, multifunctional and light-filled space inspired by Brutalist architecture…

  • A relaxed seaside stay in Mousehole, Cornwall

    A relaxed seaside stay in Mousehole, Cornwall

    May 27, 2022March 10, 2026

    My review of Morvoren – a stylish self-catering cottage rental with sea views and simple coastal interiors in the harbour village of Mousehole, Cornwall…

  • Top tips for choosing patio doors

    Top tips for choosing patio doors

    May 25, 2022March 10, 2026

    Everything you need to consider when choosing patio doors: opening type, frame material, thermal performance and more…

  • Calming neutral bedroom with minimalist beige lounge chair from Danish design brand Muuto's Oslo seating series | New finds - May 2022 | These Four Walls blog

    New finds | May 2022

    May 6, 2022March 10, 2026

    Design finds this month include minimalist art, sustainable furniture from a new British name, relaunched 1971 icons and a twist on a contemporary classic…

  • 21 of the best statement pendant lamps for minimalist spaces

    21 of the best statement pendant lamps for minimalist spaces

    May 4, 2022March 10, 2026

    Pendant lamps often form the focal point of a room. Here are 21 designs that make a statement without overwhelming minimalist decor…

  • Biophilic design – 10 easy ways to connect your home with nature

    Biophilic design – 10 easy ways to connect your home with nature

    April 26, 2022March 10, 2026

    Biophilic design improves wellbeing by creating happier, healthier spaces connected with nature. Here are 10 simple ways to incorporate it in your home…

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[AD - PR product] A new candle discovery - 'Night' [AD - PR product] A new candle discovery - 'Night' by @koadescentedcandles. It's a deep, lingering blend of dark rose, oud wood, leather and oak that's prefect for this time of year, when the evenings start to draw in. I love the steel vessel too - it fits beautifully into our living room, where I've played on contrast by mixing cool metals with gnarled wood and other natural materials. 

This is just one of my picks of the best scented candles for autumn, which I've updated for 2026 with some new finds alongside old favourites. You can see the full selection on my blog. 

#autumnhome #candleseason #cosyseason #neutralhomedecor #softminimalstyle 

Cottage living room | Neutral living room | Rustic minimalist decor | Cottage renovation | Neutral home | Beige interiors | Autumn styling | Scented candles
I've hung the dried autumn wreath I made last year I've hung the dried autumn wreath I made last year on our front door, and it looks so pretty next to the Bath stone walls.

We also have a visitor on the door - a little moth, which has camouflaged itself perfectly against the paint and has been quite happily sunning itself all day. 

#autumndecorations #autumnhome #autumnwreath #falldecorating #cottagecorestyle 

Cottage renovation | Bath stone cottage | Front door style | Autumn decor | Autum home style | Seasonal styling | Seasonal living | Cottage life
[AD - features some PR products, which are marked] [AD - features some PR products, which are marked] You've seen the kitchen and the dining room, and now it's time to share the living room - the missing link in our newly renovated trio of downstairs rooms.

This room appealed to us the moment we viewed our little cottage, as it has two windows and gets lovely light. But it was also the trickiest space to get right: not only is it a through space, it had also been stripped of most original features, leaving it looking bland and soulless. 

The first thing we did was build a new stud-wall chimney breast and commission a Bath stone fireplace from @christopheremerystone. It gives the room a much-needed focal point using a local material (the same as the house is constructed from, in fact), and we've added a clean-burning bioethanol stove to help create a calm, cosy sanctuary.

Swipe through the photos and captions for more... 

#cottagerenovation #neutrallivingroom #minimalistlivingroon #cottagedecor #softminimalism

Cottage renovation | Neutral living room | Cottage decor | Soft minimalist interiors | Neutral interiors | Neutral decor | Simple interiors | Stone fireplace | Beige living room 

The doors to the dining room and kitchen are in one corner, so we set up an inviting seating zone away from the main traffic area, with the furniture slightly pulled out from the walls and anchored by a large rug. The space by the doors hasn’t gone to waste, as we’ve added a slimline console table (which sat in the hallway in our previous house).

Sadly neither of the sofas that we had in our previous living room were the right size for this one, and the larger of the two wouldn’t even have fitted through the narrow doorway. So, the hunt was on for a new one. I really liked the idea of a linen slipcover design to fit with the rustic-minimalist aesthetic, and IKEA’s ‘HYLTARP’ model proved ideal. It’s long enough for both of us to sprawl out in comfort, and it comes as a self-assembly flatpack so there were no worries about how to get it inside! I also like the fact that the covers are removable, meaning we can take them off to wash them, replace them if they wear out or even change them entirely if we fancy a new look. 

We've
A beautiful September sunset sky snapped from our A beautiful September sunset sky snapped from our front door yesterday evening. I'm starting to sense hints of the seasons changing around me, and it's wonderful after that long sweltering-hot summer! 

#sunsets_captures #thisprettyengland #visitwiltshire #septembermood #cotswolds
Some moody flower photos, taken at @gchalfield (al Some moody flower photos, taken at @gchalfield (always one of my favourite National Trust places) last weekend. We're gradually gathering inspiration for our little cottage garden, and slightly wild-looking white blooms will definitely feature (these are some of my favourites - climbing roses, Japanese anemones, guara). It's a next-year project though, as replacing our leaking bathroom and fixing our broken drain will have to take priority. 

#gardeninspiration #cottagegardenflowers #flowerphotography #moodyflowers #naturephotography

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