Skip to content
  • HOME
  • BlogExpand
    • Interiors
    • Travel
    • Seasonal living
    • West Country & Cotswolds
  • About
  • Work with me
  • PortfolioExpand
    • Interiors & seasonal living
    • Travel, nature & location
  • My booksExpand
    • Bring The Outside In
    • The Soft Minimalist Home
  • The Edit
  • Contact
Instagram Pinterest Threads
  • ‘The House’ – a muted, minimalist retreat from Ask og Eng

    ‘The House’ – a muted, minimalist retreat from Ask og Eng

    October 9, 2023February 3, 2026

    A look around a beautiful Norwegian home that combines muted, minimalist decor with warm earthy tones – and you can stay in it!

  • New design finds | October 2023

    New design finds | October 2023

    October 5, 2023February 3, 2026

    My minimalist design finds this month include stunning lighting, beautiful furniture, and sustainable paint made from a surprising ingredient…

  • Profile | Lesley Bramwell of Essence + Alchemy

    Profile | Lesley Bramwell of Essence + Alchemy

    September 18, 2023February 4, 2026

    I chat to Lesley Bramwell of Essence + Alchemy about the power of scent, the inspiration behind her wonderful candles and her journey with aromatherapy…

  • 8 ideas for minimalist flower arrangements

    8 ideas for minimalist flower arrangements

    September 8, 2023February 17, 2026

    Inspiration and tips for simple yet striking arrangements of flowers and foliage, from sculptural branches to pared-back ikebana-inspired displays…

  • Autumn-winter 2023 design news | Part 1

    Autumn-winter 2023 design news | Part 1

    September 6, 2023February 17, 2026

    A look at three new interiors collections that embody minimalist, multifunctional design that enhances everyday life: New Works, Muuto and Northern…

  • The VLA61 ‘Monarch’ chair – sculptural beauty meets functional design

    The VLA61 ‘Monarch’ chair – sculptural beauty meets functional design

    August 25, 2023February 5, 2026

    The latest addition to Carl Hansen & Søn’s range of timeless Danish design is a beautiful, comfortable and versatile chair by modernist architect Vilhelm Lauritzen…

Page navigation

Previous PagePrevious 1 … 15 16 17 18 19 … 111 Next PageNext

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

A heatwave combined with fibromyalgia and the peri A heatwave combined with fibromyalgia and the perimenopause isn't exactly fun... Along with iced coffee, here are four tried-and-tested things that are getting me through the soaring temperatures in the UK this week: 1. Temperature-regulating bamboo bed linen from @laud_sleep. It's super-soft, easy to care for and it really does keep me cooler on hot, sticky nights. 2. The @duux ' Whisper Flex' fan, which is quiet and energy-efficient yet very effective. It can be adapted to sit on the floor or a table, and it has a remote control. It's also portable and rechargeable, so you can use it in areas without a nearby plug socket. 3. 'Birch Water & Neroli' cooling facial mist from @findubiety, which I take with me everywhere during summer. It smells and feels wonderful, and all profits go to support my local hospice charity @dorothyhousehc. 4. My traditional Spanish fan, which I've had since I lived in Spain in my early 20s. It's now very tatty and missing a few rungs, but it still does the job. I sometimes get strange looks when I whip it out on the bus in the UK, but it works so I really don't care! For full disclosure, I've worked with Duux and Laud in the past, but this isn't a paid or sponsored post and I haven't been asked to share it. These are items that I use myself on a daily basis in weather like this, and I thought other people might find them helpful, too. #heatwave #uksummer #summermood #simplehomestyle #seasonalliving
They say the journey is as important as the destin They say the journey is as important as the destination, and that's certainly true of my trip to Bergen in Norway with my friend Becky earlier this month. Rather than fly straight there, we decided to use it as an opportunity to do something that's been on my bucket list for a while - a classic itinerary dubbed 'Norway in a Nutshell', which goes from Oslo to Bergen by public train, boat and bus (including two of the most scenic railways in the world). It was a spectacular experience encompassing mountains, plateaus, fjords, lakes and waterfalls, taking us from spring to winter and back again. Here's a taster from the many photos I took along the way, but there's much more on the blog - including tips on how to book tickets, where to sit on the trains for the best views, and where to stay overnight if you have more time than we did and want to split it over more than one day. It's a journey that will linger in my memory for a long time, and one I'm very glad I got to do. #visitnorway #norwayinanutshell #fjords #divineworldplaces #postcardplaces
More kitchen progress! The cabinet that sits on to More kitchen progress! The cabinet that sits on top of the worktop (which hides the boiler and some storage) is now finished, and the perfect little freestanding island unit has arrived (I wanted something quite gnarled and rustic to contrast with the pale units). We're just waiting for the window blind to arrive and for the electrician to come out and install the pendant light, and the whole room will be done. Scroll through to see a 'before' shot - it's a big change! #cottagerenovation #minimalistkitchen #shakerkitchen #neutralkitchens #simpleinterior
From a beautiful evening mooching around Oslo wate From a beautiful evening mooching around Oslo waterfront last week. I was in Norway for a short break with a friend, and we were treated to an amazing spring sunset. It made a wonderful start to our trip, and also an opportunity to catch up with the fabulous @dimakaterina. Our stay in the Norwegian capital was only very brief, though, as early next morning we headed off to do something that's been on my bucket list for a long time. More on that (and a full blog travel guide) later in the week... #visitoslo #norwaytravel #theprettycities #divineworldplaces #sunsets_oftheworld
Photos from a spring visit to Great Chalfield Mano Photos from a spring visit to Great Chalfield Manor, a 15th-century National Trust property not far from our new home. It's a beautiful, fairytale kind of place, especially at this time of year when the blossom and wisteria blooms. And see if you can spot the image where I may have captured a ghost... I mean, it was probably just a smudge on my camera lens, but a ghost is a far more interesting explanation. And intriguingly it didn't show up on the frames taken a second beforehand and a second afterwards... #thisprettyengland #wisteriahysteria #visitwiltshire #springgarden #visitthecotswolds

DISCLAIMER

This site occasionally contains paid-for content, gifted products and affiliate links. All such content is clearly marked.

Simple, relaxed living at home & beyond

Instagram Pinterest Threads

Copyright 2026 © Abi Dare

  • Privacy Policy
Scroll to top
  • HOME
  • Blog
    • Interiors
    • Travel
    • Seasonal living
    • West Country & Cotswolds
  • About
  • Work with me
  • Portfolio
    • Interiors & seasonal living
    • Travel, nature & location
  • My books
    • Bring The Outside In
    • The Soft Minimalist Home
  • The Edit
  • Contact
Cart Shopping Cart 0
This site uses cookies to give you the best possible web experience. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with this.