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  • Minimalist garden inspiration from Design Of - and my top garden design tips | These Four Walls blog

    Minimalist garden inspiration from Design Of + top garden-design tips

    April 12, 2021

    I’ve long been a fan of Swedish brand Design Of. Founded by Johanna Haglund (whose beautiful new-build house I featured last year), it began life in 2014 and makes sleek solid-steel…

  • The joy of spring blossom | These Four Walls blog

    The joy of spring blossom

    March 10, 2021January 22, 2026

    When I interviewed textile artist Charlotte Wakefield earlier this week, her comments about rediscovering the joy in what you do really struck a chord. I’m lucky to do something I…

  • Simple Christmas table styling with dried foliage and grasses | These Four Walls blog

    Simple Christmas table styling with dried foliage and grasses

    December 11, 2020

    Christmas is going to be a smaller, more intimate affair for many this year, and it certainly will be for us. A couple of very important people will be missing…

  • How to make an asymmetrical Christmas wreath | These Four Walls blog

    How to make an asymmetrical Christmas wreath

    December 1, 2020

    Making wreaths is one of my favourite things to do in the run-up to Christmas. There’s something very mindful about getting stuck into seasonal crafts, and surrounding yourself with winter…

  • Adding some festive sparkle with Georg Jensen's 2020 'Christmas Collectibles' | These Four Walls blog

    Adding some festive sparkle with Georg Jensen’s 2020 ‘Christmas Collectibles’

    November 24, 2020November 24, 2020

    [Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with Georg Jensen, but all words and opinions are my own] I generally opt for a pared-back look at Christmas, with lots of…

  • How to create a cosy outdoor haven this winter | These Four Walls blog

    How to create a cosy outdoor haven this winter

    November 13, 2020August 11, 2022

    It’s that time of year when I’d normally be putting the garden furniture away for winter, but it’s 2020 so of course things are a little different. Ongoing restrictions mean…

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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 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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