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  • Profile | Jewellery designer Michiel Bosman of aēr

    Profile | Jewellery designer Michiel Bosman of aēr

    June 22, 2026June 15, 2026

    I chat to Dutch jewellery designer and photographer Michiel Bosman about creativity, finding inspiration and the meaning behind his latest collection, ‘Harvest’…

  • The best scented candles for summer | These Four Walls blog

    The best scented candles for summer

    May 27, 2026May 27, 2026

    The best scented candles for summer, updated with a few new discoveries for 2025…

  • Neutral interior with blossom branches, minimalist sideboard styling, soft grey-green walls and abstract art | The best scented candles for spring | These Four Walls blog

    The best scented candles for spring – updated for 2026

    March 9, 2026March 9, 2026

    21 of the best scented candles to refresh and fragrance your home this spring, from delicate florals to uplifting green blends…

  • Embracing the beauty of winter in my new home town

    Embracing the beauty of winter in my new home town

    February 2, 2026February 9, 2026

    Winter is a season of beauty, and I’ve been capturing foggy, frosty mornings in and around the West Country town of Bradford on Avon that I now call home…

  • Six ideas for minimalist, sustainable gift wrapping

    Six ideas for minimalist, sustainable gift wrapping

    December 8, 2025February 9, 2026

    Easy ways to create beautifully wrapped, pared-back Christmas gifts without generating lots of waste…

  • 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…

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[AD - features PR products] After months of floori [AD - features PR products] After months of flooring, sanding, priming, painting and juggling different trades, the ground floor of our little cottage is pretty much finished. And that means I can finally reveal some completed rooms!

I'm starting with the dining room, as it’s the first space you enter after coming into the house through our tiny vestibule (I’m not sure it even counts as a hallway) and it sets the tone for the calm, cosy mood we want to create throughout.

We wanted a rustic-minimalist style: pared-back yet textural, with subtle nods to the countryside setting. 

Like the rest of the cottage, the dining room has beautiful light. It faces west, so it’s illuminated by a golden glow later in the day, but it also gets morning light from the east-facing living room behind. And the ground floor as a whole has a wonderful sense of flow: each room leads directly to the next, creating the ideal balance between separation and connection, openness and cosiness.

To enhance the light and the sense of flow, we’ve painted all walls, ceilings and woodwork in one colour, @farrowandball's ‘Slipper Satin’. It’s a chalky off-white that’s neither too cool nor too warm, and it interacts brilliantly with everything from bright sunshine to flickering candlelight.

We’ve also used the same pale oak engineered hardwood flooring throughout the ground floor. It’s the ‘Wintry Forest Oak’ colourway from the @quickstepfloors ‘Cascada’ range, which is extra-matt for a soft, organic look. We’ve laid it continuously, with no thresholds between rooms, to lead the eye seamlessly from one space to the next.

[PR product]

The ground-floor layout did present some challenges, though. The dining room essentially acts as a transit space from the front door to the rest of the house, so we had to leave clear paths to move through it while also ensuring it has a defined function of its own. To achieve this, we positioned the table towards one corner of the room and anchored it within the wider space with a large jute rug.

We also moved the pendant light to hang over the table rather than in the centre of the room and added a big linen shade from @baileyshome. This creates an intimate d
So how is everyone doing in the heat? It's been un So how is everyone doing in the heat? It's been unbearably hot and humid here all week, and I don't manage well in this kind of weather anymore (neither does Loki, as you can see). But we've also had tremendous storms, with some of the heaviest rain and most intense thunder I've ever experienced on Monday evening.

#summermood #naturephotography #sunsetsky #lightandshadows #chasinglight
Time to do another post sharing a little bit about Time to do another post sharing a little bit about myself, as a lot has changed since the last one - not least a house move and a new renovation project! 

I'd love to know more about you, if you feel like sharing a fact or two in the comments below... 

#cottagerenovation #interiorsblogger #travelblogger #freelancewriter #softminimalstyle
A sink full of greenery for a photoshoot. Luckily A sink full of greenery for a photoshoot. Luckily it's survived the heat so far. My peonies and the now-molten candle in the (incredibly bright west-facing) window haven't! 

#shakerkitchen #neutralkitchendecor #neutralhomedecor #cottagerenovation #summerkitchen
One of our favourite things during our holiday in One of our favourite things during our holiday in North Wales the other week was sitting back and watching the ever-changing mountain view from our accommodation (Hinterland Cabin, booked through @uniquehomestays). Rolling clouds, hovering birds of prey, fiery sunsets... It was even beautiful in the pouring rain. We felt like we had our very own eyrie perched high above the world.

#northwales #visiteryri #naturephotography #uktravelblogger #walestravel

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