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  • A soothing beige & green guest bedroom makeover | These Four Walls blog

    A soothing beige & green guest bedroom makeover

    July 2, 2021July 2, 2021

    [Advertisement – this room features PR products from Crown, Fredericia and Quick-Step. As always, words and opinions are my own] We’ve finally completed the remaining bits of our first-floor renovation,…

  • Profile | Ceramicist Reesha Zubair

    Profile | Ceramicist Reesha Zubair

    June 29, 2021January 22, 2026

    Today I’m continuing my series of interviews with independent designers and artists by talking to ceramicist Reesha Zubair, whose work has captivated me ever since I first stumbled across her…

  • Design project: a warm yet minimalist living room in white, beige and walnut, with String shelving and contemporary modular sofa | These Four Walls blog

    Design project | A minimalist living room in beige, white & walnut

    June 23, 2021June 24, 2021

    It’s not often I get to share my finished client designs. Many people (understandably) are reluctant to have their homes featured online, and in any case lockdown has made it…

  • Home tour - a Scandi-inspired Victorian renovation in London | These Four Walls blog

    Home tour | A Scandi-inspired Victorian renovation in London

    June 21, 2021June 21, 2021

    I’m always impressed by people who renovate period properties to make them suit their needs, taste and lifestyle, without losing any of their original character in the process. It’s a…

  • How to design a lighting scheme that works for you

    How to design a lighting scheme that works for you

    June 17, 2021June 17, 2021

    Along with layout (which I’ve covered here), lighting is one of the trickiest aspects of interior design – and one I frequently get asked for help with. In fact when…

  • Home tour - a beautiful combination of warm wood & cool grey | These Four Walls blog

    Home tour | A beautiful combination of warm wood & cool grey

    June 8, 2021June 7, 2021

    In the last couple of years grey seems to have largely been replaced by beige as the neutral of choice, but I still think grey interiors can be beautiful –…

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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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