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  • CH24 'Wishbone' chair | Why it's worth investing in authentic design rather than fakes | These Four Walls blog

    Why it’s worth investing in authentic design rather than fakes

    April 29, 2020July 22, 2021

    [Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with Nest.co.uk, but all words and opinions are my own] I have a confession: years ago, when I was a lot less clued…

  • Home tour - a soothing Scandinavian-style sanctuary in Dublin | These Four Walls blog

    Home tour | A soothing Scandinavian-style sanctuary in Dublin

    April 27, 2020April 27, 2020

    It’s time for another home tour, and today I’m taking you on a virtual visit to Ireland for a look around the beautiful abode of Ida Thun. Originally from Sweden,…

  • Creating an alfresco lounge with Cane-line outdoor furniture | These Four Walls blog

    Creating an alfresco lounge with Cane-line outdoor furniture

    April 22, 2020September 18, 2020

    [Advertisement – this is part of an ongoing partnership with Cane-line, but all words and opinions are my own] Well, our garden makeover has had to go on hold –…

  • Room Design Service | These Four Walls

    Introducing my new interior design service

    April 20, 2020September 18, 2020

    I’ve been asked numerous times over the years whether I offer a design service to help people create the kind of simple, timeless and relaxed interiors that I write about…

  • Top tips for creating a cosy kitchen | These Four Walls blog

    Top tips for creating a cosy kitchen

    April 17, 2020September 18, 2020

    [Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with Kenwood, but all words and opinions are my own] I don’t know about you, but with restaurants closed and restrictions in place,…

  • Home tour - a sophisticated turn-of-the-century Stockholm apartment | These Four Walls blog

    Home tour | A sophisticated turn-of-the-century Stockholm apartment

    April 6, 2020

    Fancy starting the week with some more real-home inspiration from Sweden? Then feast your eyes on this stunning Stockholm apartment, which has recently come up for sale. It’s decorated throughout…

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I always think pears are the prettiest of the autu I always think pears are the prettiest of the autumn fruits, and I love the way they look displayed in this vintage stone bowl. Just don't ask me to put them in a crumble or anything similar - I love cosy season, but I don't have much of a sweet tooth and find cooked desserts and stewed fruits far too stodgy! Any pears I get go into salads, pasta or risotto with cheese. 

#cottagekitchen #cottagekitchendecor #neutralkitchen #autumnishere #autumnhomestyle 

Shaker kitchen | Cottage renovation | Autumn home decor | Autumn kitchen styling | Autumn fruits | Kitchen details | Neutral home decor | Cottage interior | Modern country kitchen
[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

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