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  • Vipp’s latest guesthouse: a minimalist mountain retreat in Austria

    Vipp’s latest guesthouse: a minimalist mountain retreat in Austria

    February 16, 2026February 16, 2026

    Set high in the Austrian Alps, Vipp’s latest bookable guesthouse combines pared-back Scandinavian style with plenty of local character…

  • Synaesthesia: the unusual reason behind my love of neutral decor

    Synaesthesia: the unusual reason behind my love of neutral decor

    February 9, 2026February 10, 2026

    I share my personal experiences of synaesthesia, how it shapes my decor choices, and why I find the ‘beige is boring’ narrative frustrating and offensive…

  • A new home and a new renovation project: plans for our 19th-century stone cottage

    A new home and a new renovation project: plans for our 19th-century stone cottage

    November 25, 2025February 9, 2026

    Why we’ve moved out of Bristol to the beautiful town of Bradford on Avon, and our plans for the renovation of our 19th-century Bath-stone cottage…

  • 10 elegant Christmas decor ideas with bows

    10 elegant Christmas decor ideas with bows

    November 15, 2025January 22, 2026

    Bows are a timeless way to elevate your festive styling. Here are 10 elegant and easy-to-replicate ideas for using them in your home this Christmas…

  • The best scented candles for Christmas & winter

    The best scented candles for Christmas & winter

    November 10, 2025March 9, 2026

    A round-up of the best scented candles for Christmas and winter, evoking everything from mulled wine to frozen forests to cosy log fires…

  • New design finds | November 2025

    New design finds | November 2025

    November 6, 2025January 23, 2026

    Materiality is the theme this month, with storage furniture, home textiles, innovative upholstered chairs and more…

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We had to prune our acer as it was getting very ta We had to prune our acer as it was getting very tall and scraggly, so I couldn't resist bringing some branches inside to display. And here's a sneak peek at our newly renovated bathroom - I'm so happy we decided to go for a darker colour. I just have the door and door frame to paint and then I'll share the whole space.

#acer #autumnfoliage #seasonalhomedecor #autumnhomestyle #autumnbranches
[AD - includes PR products] Details from the end o [AD - includes PR products] Details from the end of the living room that didn't get completely pumpkin'd for Halloween. The pumpkins are now going to be gradually eaten over the next few weeks to make way for Christmas decorations. And speaking of Christmas, we need to decide where to put the tree - it went in the corner shown here last year, but now we have a bigger sofa I don't think there's enough space. 

Sofa: Ikea 'HYLTARP'
'CH25' chair: @carlhansenandson*
Coffee table: @thedancingwoodman 
Oak plinth: @laredoute_uk 
Audo Copenhagen 'Reverse' table lamp: @hollowaysofludlow* 
'Daphine' floor lamp: @lumina_italia
Throw: @elvangdenmark
Artwork: @sarah_cocolapine 
'Ripple' candleholder: @newworksdk*
Beige vase: @cooeedesign 
Vintage urn: flea market 
Paint: 'Slipper Satin' by @farrowandball 

(*PR products)

#cottagerenovation #cottageinteriors #softminimalisthome #neutrallivingroom #minimalistlivingroom

Neutral living room | Cottage living room | Warm neutral decor | Renovated cottage interior | Minimalist interiors |  Rustic minimalist decor
Snippets from a wonderful Halloween weekend, inclu Snippets from a wonderful Halloween weekend, including a riverside walk, a visit to the always-atmospheric village and abbey of Lacock, and our little town's annual fireworks display. The last slide is when my phone camera refused to focus, but I quite like the effect! 

#halloween #cosyseason #visitwiltshire #autumntrees #englishcountryside 

Wiltshire villages | Lacock village and abbey | Bradford on Avon | Autumn landscape | Autumn colours | Autumn foliage | Wiltshire countryside | Autumn countryside | Halloween decorations
I've just settled down in front of the bioethanol I've just settled down in front of the bioethanol stove for a cosy Friday evening, so in honour of Halloween tomorrow, let me tell you a (true) fireside ghost story...

When I finished university back in 2005 I moved in with Chris, who owned a small end-of-terrace house in north Bristol. The adjoining house was empty at the time - it had been lived in by an elderly lady, but she'd died before I arrived. I never met her, but Chris told me she was lovely and often popped in to water his plants when he was away. A few months later her house was bought by a young couple, and we became good friends with them. 

I never saw anything odd in our own house, but I often got the feeling someone was there. I'd often be home alone with both our cats next to me, and I'd get the sense there was someone moving about upstairs or in the next room. 

After a couple of years Chris and I bought a new home together and moved to a different bit of Bristol, and eventually our friends from the house next door moved too, relocating to a totally different part of the country. We stayed in touch with them, and it was only years later that I happened to mention the strange feelings I'd had. It turns out they'd often experienced similar things in their house, and a visiting family member staying on their sofabed had once woken in the night to find an old lady standing on the stairs looking down at him.

I like to think it was Chris' kind former neighbour, still keeping an eye on her home and occasionally drifting over to check on his, just as she had in life.

#ghoststory #halloween #cottagerenovation #livingroomdecor #fireplacedecor
[AD - press stay] Earlier this week I showed you S [AD - press stay] Earlier this week I showed you Sessile, the room we stayed in at @holmsomerset. Now here's a peek at some of the others, which I got to have a quick look at between guests. They're all gorgeous, but Elm was a standout with its four-poster bed, arched niches, egg-shaped bathtub and gently warm colour palette. I also loved Osier, with its fireplace and lovely natural light, and the cosy Hornbeam, tucked beneath rafters in the loft. 

If you fancy treating yourself to a stay at HOLM this autumn and winter (and I would wholeheartedly recommend it), there are mid-week deals starting from £149 per room, Christmas 'Stay & Dine' packages from £496 (the festive menu launches on 23rd November), and various walking experiences. I particularly like the idea of a relaxing Twixmas stay, or coinciding with the Wednesday and Friday morning yoga sessions. 

Thanks again to @curatedspacesclub and the whole team at HOLM for our fantastic visit. We absolutely loved it. 

#boutiquehotels #ukstaycation #uktravel #winterbreaks #countryescape

Somerset travel | UK boutique hotels | West Country places to stay | Somerset places to stay | UK minibreaks | Country hotels | UK travel | Restaurants with rooms | Stylish places to stay | Autumn breaks | Winter breaks | Twixmas travel ideas

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