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  • Neutral interior with blossom branches, minimalist sideboard styling, soft grey-green walls and abstract art | The best scented candles for spring | These Four Walls blog

    The best scented candles for spring – updated for 2026

    March 9, 2026March 9, 2026

    21 of the best scented candles to refresh and fragrance your home this spring, from delicate florals to uplifting green blends…

  • Home tour | An Art Nouveau townhouse in The Hague

    Home tour | An Art Nouveau townhouse in The Hague

    February 25, 2026May 14, 2026

    A peek inside a sensitively restored Dutch home with sophisticated, considered interiors by Holly Marder of Avenue Design Studio…

  • Our cottage renovation – an update

    Our cottage renovation – an update

    February 20, 2026February 20, 2026

    It’s three months since we moved into our 19th-century stone cottage on the edge of the Cotswolds. Here’s a renovation progress update, plus details of what we have planned next…

  • Vipp’s latest guesthouse: a minimalist mountain retreat in Austria

    Vipp’s latest guesthouse: a minimalist mountain retreat in Austria

    February 16, 2026February 16, 2026

    Set high in the Austrian Alps, Vipp’s latest bookable guesthouse combines pared-back Scandinavian style with plenty of local character…

  • Synaesthesia: the unusual reason behind my love of neutral decor

    Synaesthesia: the unusual reason behind my love of neutral decor

    February 9, 2026February 10, 2026

    I share my personal experiences of synaesthesia, how it shapes my decor choices, and why I find the ‘beige is boring’ narrative frustrating and offensive…

  • Embracing the beauty of winter in my new home town

    Embracing the beauty of winter in my new home town

    February 2, 2026February 9, 2026

    Winter is a season of beauty, and I’ve been capturing foggy, frosty mornings in and around the West Country town of Bradford on Avon that I now call home…

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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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