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  • 15 of the best minimalist desks

    15 of the best minimalist desks

    March 26, 2020February 23, 2022

    It’s time for another ‘best of’ round-up, and with so many people based at home at the moment, I thought it would be useful to dedicate this month’s edition to…

  • Home tour | A sleek yet gently eclectic Stockholm apartment | These Four Walls blog

    Home tour | A small yet stylish Stockholm apartment with sweeping views

    March 24, 2020

    As promised, it’s back to normal blog service this week. I think we’ll all be in need of a bit of distraction over the coming months and I have plenty…

  • Coronavirus - how to help & where to find help | These Four Walls blog

    Coronavirus – how to help & where to find help

    March 20, 2020September 18, 2020

    Normal blog service will resume on Monday (I think we all need a bit of continuity and escapism at the moment), but first I want to end my week of…

  • 25 ideas for making the most of your leisure time at home | These Four Walls blog

    25 ideas for making the most of leisure time at home

    March 18, 2020September 18, 2020

    Millions of us around the world are now facing weeks and perhaps even months stuck at home as various restrictions come into force. It’s a daunting prospect – even for…

  • My top tips for working from home | These Four Walls blog

    My top tips for working from home

    March 16, 2020September 18, 2020

    What strange and unsettling times we find ourselves in. As people all over the world grapple with the impact of the current situation, many are finding themselves working from home…

  • A small urban garden makeover on a budget - mood board and plans | These Four Walls blog

    A small urban garden makeover on a budget | Mood board & plans

    March 12, 2020April 24, 2020

    The long, drawn-out process of renovating our house (five years and counting!) continues, and after finishing the living room, dining room, hallway and kitchen, the next area in line for…

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[AD - PR products] Summer light falling across the [AD - PR products] Summer light falling across the dining room and our lovely Carl Hansen Wishbone chairs from @hollowaysofludlow. I've been working down here for the past few weeks as it stays cooler than the office upstairs, and they really are comfy enough to sit on for hours at a time. Bring on long, cosy meals and board games in here once the nights start drawing in!

#neutralhomedecor #scandinaviandecor #minimalinterior #minimalistdiningroom #cottagerenovation
The hills on the edge of Bath - like everywhere el The hills on the edge of Bath - like everywhere else, they're looking both beautifully golden and scarily parched at the moment. We've had several wildfires around here over the past couple of weeks, so I'm longing for some rain. And although I don't like to wish time away, please bring on autumn! 

#bathengland #theprettycities #bathskyline #thisprettyengland #visitbath
One of the things I love most about our house is t One of the things I love most about our house is the natural light, but it does have one downside. We face directly east-west, so in summer there's always strong light coming from one direction or another - and some rooms like the main bedroom shown here are dual-aspect, so they get it all day long. It's starting to cause UV damage to furniture and surfaces, even with the curtains closed for much of the day. I think we're going to have to look at adding UV-reducing film to the windows, while we save up to get them replaced properly. If you've used it yourself and have any thoughts on whether it actually makes a difference then I'd love to know!

The photograph on the wall, by the way, is one of my own images that I had printed out and framed. It was taken nearby, on a foggy morning not longer after we moved in, and it's one of my favourites. 

#cottagerenovation #neutralbedroom #naturallight #rusticminimalism #cottageinterior
This is the question we get asked whenever we say This is the question we get asked whenever we say we've downsized. We've also had some weird comments from people who assume that just because we've moved to a smaller house, we must be struggling financially. 

I hate the way the size of your home has somehow become a marker of success, and bigger isn't always better. I can understand people searching for more space if they have a growing family, but we don't. Instead, we made a conscious decision to reduce our mortgage, free up some budget for renovations, and give ourselves some breathing room for the future. 

So no, we won't be extending our little cottage. We don't want or need a bigger house just for the sake of it, and to be honest we consider ourselves lucky to own anywhere at all, given how difficult it is to buy a property nowadays. It would only mean more to clean, anyway! 

Here's to everyone else making the most of the home they have, no matter what its size or their circumstances. 

#cottagerenovation #cotswoldscottage #smallhome #cottagelife #downsizing
A few snippets from Bath, London and home during a A few snippets from Bath, London and home during a burning-hot July, some taken on my phone, others on my big camera. It's been a busy month, but a good one. I'm looking forward to a slightly slower August, and hopefully some rain for the parched landscape. 

#summermood #bathuk #cotswolds #summerlight #cornersofmyworld

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