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  • Sleeping in a heatwave with cooling bamboo bedding from Laud

    Sleeping in a heatwave with cooling bamboo bedding from Laud

    July 11, 2025January 23, 2026

    My review of Luff Sleep bamboo-silk bedding from UK bedding specialists Laud: what does it look like, is it good for your skin and does it really help you stay cool in a heatwave?

  • Highlights from 3 Days of Design 2025 | The New Works Residence

    Highlights from 3 Days of Design 2025 | The New Works Residence

    July 9, 2025January 23, 2026

    Another of my top picks from Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design: the New Works showroom, this year styled as the brand’s interpretation of a boutique hotel…

  • Highlights from 3 Days of Design 2025 | Echoes of Texture by Linie Design & Karimoku Case

    Highlights from 3 Days of Design 2025 | Echoes of Texture by Linie Design & Karimoku Case

    July 4, 2025January 23, 2026

    The ‘Echoes of Texture’ exhibition by Linie Design and Karimoku Case brought Japandi style, soft minimalism and a new collection of rugs to 3 Days of Design…

  • Highlights from 3 Days of Design 2025 | Carl Hansen & Søn’s new showroom

    Highlights from 3 Days of Design 2025 | Carl Hansen & Søn’s new showroom

    July 2, 2025January 26, 2026

    Another top pick from this year’s 3 Days of Design – classic and contemporary Danish design at Carl Hansen & Søn’s new Copenhagen showroom…

  • Highlights from 3 Days of Design 2025 | Gestures of Home & Apartamento Secreto

    Highlights from 3 Days of Design 2025 | Gestures of Home & Apartamento Secreto

    June 27, 2025January 26, 2026

    The first of my highlights from 3 Days of Design 2025: minimalist decor, sculptural shapes, warm muted tones and natural materials at the Gestures of Home and Apartamento Secreto exhibitions…

  • Demystifying biophilic design with my latest book, Bring The Outside In

    Demystifying biophilic design with my latest book, Bring The Outside In

    June 12, 2025January 26, 2026

    Introducing my latest book: Bring The Outside In – Biophilic Design for a Naturally Beautiful Home…

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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

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