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  • Home tour - a Copenhagen house brimming with vintage Danish design | These Four Walls blog

    Home tour – a Copenhagen house brimming with vintage Danish design

    October 25, 2019October 23, 2019

    [Advertisement – this post is based on a press trip, but all words and opinions are my own] Today I have more from my recent trip to Copenhagen with Georg…

  • A visit to Georg Jensen & a look at the new 'Helix' collection | These Four Walls blog

    A visit to Georg Jensen & a look at the new ‘Helix’ collection

    October 23, 2019

    [Advertisement – this post is based on a press trip, but all words and opinions are my own] You might have seen on Instagram that I was recently invited over…

  • Home tour - a cosy Stockholm apartment in soft shades of grey | These Four Walls blog

    Home tour – a cosy Stockholm apartment in soft shades of grey

    October 21, 2019

    I feature a lot of beautiful homes on this blog, but every now and then one comes along that makes me think: ‘If I was starting my house again from…

  • Profile - sculptor Kristiina Haataja | These Four Walls blog

    Profile – sculptor Kristiina Haataja

    October 18, 2019

    Even if you don’t recognise the name, chances are you’ve seen the work of Stockholm-based artist Kristiina Haataja on Instagram in recent weeks. Known for her clay figures and heads,…

  • A guide to wooden kitchen worktops | These Four Walls blog

    A guide to wooden kitchen worktops

    October 16, 2019October 16, 2019

    [Advertisement – this post features gifted products, but all words and opinions are my own] Ever since I posted photos of my finished kitchen makeover, I’ve had lots of questions…

  • Home tour - a thatched Danish house with a contemporary interior | These Four Walls blog

    Home tour | A thatched Danish house with a contemporary interior

    October 10, 2019October 7, 2019

    Many of the home tours I feature are the work of Copenhagen-based Norm Architects, and with good reason – I’m continuously inspired by the way the buildings they design are…

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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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