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  • Scandinavian dreaming with Skandinavisk's new Eau de Toilette collection | These Four Walls blog

    Scandinavian dreaming with Skandinavisk’s new Eau de Toilette collection

    November 9, 2020

    [Advertisement – this is a paid collaboration with Skandinavisk, but all words and opinions are my own] Oh how I long to head off to a little island somewhere in…

  • A relaxed summer celebration with Georg Jensen's 'Bernadotte' collection | These Four Walls blog

    A relaxed summer celebration with Georg Jensen’s ‘Bernadotte’ collection

    August 7, 2020August 6, 2020

    [Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with Georg Jensen, but all words and opinions are my own] It’s my 37th birthday tomorrow (I’m not sure how that happened –…

  • Craft kits & online workshops to try at home

    Craft kits & online workshops to try at home

    June 12, 2020February 9, 2021

    Recently I’ve found myself yearning to do something creative just for the sake of it. I used to spend hours drawing and painting, but nowadays any creativity tends to be channelled…

  • The best scented candles for staying at home | These Four Walls blog

    The best scented candles for staying at home

    April 3, 2020September 18, 2020

    At this time of year I’d normally publish my annual round-up of the best scented candles for spring. But, with so many of us around the world under restrictions of…

  • Coronavirus - how to help & where to find help | These Four Walls blog

    Coronavirus – how to help & where to find help

    March 20, 2020September 18, 2020

    Normal blog service will resume on Monday (I think we all need a bit of continuity and escapism at the moment), but first I want to end my week of…

  • 25 ideas for making the most of your leisure time at home | These Four Walls blog

    25 ideas for making the most of leisure time at home

    March 18, 2020September 18, 2020

    Millions of us around the world are now facing weeks and perhaps even months stuck at home as various restrictions come into force. It’s a daunting prospect – even for…

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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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