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  • Improving home air quality with the Tag Ultrasonic humidifier from Duux | These Four Walls blog

    Improving home air quality with the Tag Ultrasonic humidifier from Duux

    February 2, 2022February 1, 2022

    [Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with Duux, but all words and opinions are my own] Living in a Victorian house with a ground-floor damp issue (one of the…

  • The 'Frame' collection from Kristina Dam Studio | These Four Walls blog

    The ‘Frame’ collection from Kristina Dam Studio

    February 1, 2022January 31, 2022

    Normally the first week of February would see me heading off to Sweden for the Stockholm Furniture Fair – one of the biggest trade shows in the design calendar. That’s…

  • Cosy reading nook in a minimalist beige and white bedroom, with Carl Hansen & Søn' timeless RF200 table lamp and CH25 chair | These Four Walls blog

    The RF200 table lamp – versatile design for spaces large & small

    January 12, 2022January 10, 2022

    [Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with Carl Hansen & Søn] For the next instalment in my ongoing partnership with Carl Hansen & Søn, I’m focusing on the latest…

  • Runo - a new Finnish hotel from interior designer Joanna Laajisto | These Four Walls blog

    Runo – a new Finnish hotel from interior designer Joanna Laajisto

    January 10, 2022

    I’m starting the week with a bit of interiors and travel inspiration courtesy of Runo – a new boutique hotel designed by Helsinki-based Joanna Laajisto. It recently opened its doors…

  • Merry Christmas!

    Merry Christmas!

    December 17, 2021

    After a rollercoaster year, today is my last working day of 2021. But before I put on my out of office and take a couple of weeks off, I want…

  • Minimalist Christmas table styling with evergreen foliage centrepiece, tapered white candles, black plates and beige linen tablecloth and napkins | These Four Walls blog

    Minimalist Christmas table styling with festive foliage

    December 14, 2021

    [Advertisement – this post features PR samples] With 10 days to go, I’m putting the finishing touches in place for Christmas. I’ve planned the menu, started baking, added a few…

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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
[AD - PR products tagged] The view that makes me h [AD - PR products tagged] The view that makes me happy every time I come in through the front door (until I get to the bottom of the stairs, which is where the extent of our cottage renovation currently stops!). 

#diningroomdesign #cottagerenovation #rusticminimalism #neutralhomedecor #simplehomestyle
Back in May I spent three fantastic days exploring Back in May I spent three fantastic days exploring Bergen with my friend Becky, and I've finally got around to putting together a city guide. 

Norway's second-largest city and one-time capital is known as the ‘gateway to the fjords’, and many people fly in and head straight back out again on a cruise. But it’s a place that’s well worth exploring, either as part of a wider itinerary or as a destination in its own right. Sandwiched between mountains and sea, it's a wonderful mix of history, culture and scenery, with a Unesco-listed Hanseatic harbourside, plenty of art galleries, a thriving food scene, and pretty wooden houses that creep up the slopes of its famous seven hills. 

Here are my top 12 things to see and do in Bergen, including restaurants, viewpoints, museums and more. Save this post for your future travels, and find my full Bergen guide on the blog. 

#visitbergen #visitnorway #travelblogger #travelphotography #divineworldplaces

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