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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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A few people asked how effective the flame on our A few people asked how effective the flame on our bioethanol stove is, so here's a peek - and I reckon it's pretty good. Obviously you don't get the lovely woodsmoke smell that you have with wood-burners, but you can always recreate that with a scented candle - 'Smoke' by @essenceandalchemy, 'Tinder Box' by @thebotanicalcandleco and 'Winter Embers' by @charlesfarrislondon are ideal. And of course no smoke means no nasty particles in the air... #cosyseason #autumnhome #cottageliving #cottagerenovation #neutrallivingroom Bioethanol fire | Cottage living room | Rustic minimalist interior | Neutral home decor | Cosy home | Soft minimalist decor | Minimalist home | Cottagr renovation
[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

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