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  • Room reveal: our minimalist cottage kitchen

    Room reveal: our minimalist cottage kitchen

    August 27, 2026September 18, 2026

    Our newly finished kitchen combines beige Shaker units with marble, oak, bronze and rustic wood for a timeless and elegant cottage aesthetic…

  • Stylish countryside hotels & pubs for cosy getaways in the West Country & Cotswolds

    Stylish countryside hotels & pubs for cosy getaways in the West Country & Cotswolds

    March 13, 2026September 2, 2026

    Ten stylish rural places to stay in the West Country and Cotswolds, all with cosy rustic-minimalist interiors, delicious food and lots of character…

  • 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…

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[AD - PR product] The flooring was the first thing [AD - PR product] The flooring was the first thing we chose for the renovation of our little cottage. We knew we wanted to use the same flooring throughout, to enhance the sense of flow that we love so much and to make what's actually quite a small home feel a little bigger than it is. The 'Cascada' hardwood flooring from @quickstepfloors was the perfect solution, as it's watertight and so can be used in every room, even the kitchen and (when we get to it) the bathroom. We chose a pale oak colourway called 'Wintry Forest Oak’. It has a light and airy appearance, but there are visible knots and tonal variations that lend it character – perfect for a rural cottage setting and the rustic-minimalist aesthetic we’re aiming for. What’s more, it’s finished with an extra-matt lacquer, which gives it a natural look and a lovely tactile feel, and a protective coating to guard against stains, scratches, dirt and dust. We've already fitted the flooring downstairs, where we've laid it continuously, with no thresholds between the various rooms, to lead the eye seamlessly from one space to the next. It's also in the main bedroom and the home office, and I can't wait to install it in the remaining areas. It looks beautiful, it feels fantastic underfoot, and it's coped with all sorts of spillages, from red wine to coffee. It's also withstood everything Loki the cat has thrown (and thrown up!) on it! #cottagerenovation #rusticminimalistinteriors #woodenflooring #neutralhomedecor #simplehomestyle Stone cottage renovation | Oak flooring | Waterproof flooring | Pet-friendly flooring | Soft minimalist interiors | Neutral interior | Cottage aesthetic | Cottage living room | Minimalist living room
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

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