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  • Plácido y Grata – a new minimalist design hotel in Seville

    Plácido y Grata – a new minimalist design hotel in Seville

    October 11, 2021

    When I was 17 and studying A-Level Spanish (I later went on to do a university degree in it), I persuaded my parents to choose Seville for our annual family…

  • The Vipp Farmhouse – a rustic-contemporary Danish retreat

    The Vipp Farmhouse – a rustic-contemporary Danish retreat

    July 16, 2021July 15, 2021

    Fancy a bit of escapism to end the week? I certainly do, so let me introduce you to the Vipp Farmhouse – the fourth addition to the Danish design brand’s…

  • Postcards from the North Devon coast | These Four Walls blog

    Postcards from the North Devon coast

    May 20, 2021January 22, 2026

    Last week Chris and I took a few days off work and headed to the North Devon coast for a much-needed break. It’s only a two-hour drive from our home…

  • The Bolder - a pair of spectacular guest cabins high above a Norwegian fjord | These Four Walls blog

    The Bolder – a unique place to stay high above a Norwegian fjord

    February 5, 2021February 4, 2021

    Every now and then images of a project which takes my breath away land in my inbox, and I get so excited that I end up rejigging my blog schedule…

  • A cosy stay at Cynefin Retreats, Herefordshire | These Four Walls blog

    A cosy stay at Cynefin Retreats, Herefordshire

    November 4, 2020November 3, 2020

    Last week I shared a few tips on what to see and do in the beautiful county of Herefordshire, so for the second post from our recent trip I thought…

  • An autumn break in Herefordshire

    An autumn break in Herefordshire

    October 30, 2020October 30, 2020

    [Advertisement – this post is based on a press trip, but all words and opinions are my own] Earlier this month, Chris and I headed to Herefordshire for a much-needed…

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Some moody flower photos, taken at @gchalfield (al Some moody flower photos, taken at @gchalfield (always one of my favourite National Trust places) last weekend. We're gradually gathering inspiration for our little cottage garden, and slightly wild-looking white blooms will definitely feature (these are some of my favourites - climbing roses, Japanese anemones, guara). It's a next-year project though, as replacing our leaking bathroom and fixing our broken drain will have to take priority. #gardeninspiration #cottagegardenflowers #flowerphotography #moodyflowers #naturephotography
Some stills of our beautiful new kitchen with time Some stills of our beautiful new kitchen with timeless slim-framed Shaker units and oak interiors from @nordiskakok. The room isn't very big (3.4 x 3.2m), but it is roughly square - a big change from the narrow galley-style kitchens we've had in the past. We've kept the layout largely the same as it was, partly because it makes sense and partly because it meant we didn't have to spend money moving services around and could instead focus our budget on the units themselves. We did get rid of the upper wall-hung cabinets though, replacing them with a long open shelf that makes the space feel much larger and airier, and hid our boiler inside a tall worktop-mounted cupboard. On the other side of the room, we replaced a huge radiator with a smaller one, making space for an integrated fridge-freezer and a full-height cupboard with pocket doors. The latter is perhaps my favourite feature in the whole kitchen, as the doors slide back into the frame and don't stick out into the room. This gives us valuable prep and storage space that we can open up or hide away as needed, with a fully usable section of worktop inside. The pocket doors also freed up enough floor space in the centre of the room for a small freestanding island unit. I liked the idea of something rustic made from gnarled wood, to reflect the countryside setting and provide an element of contrast with the smooth units and worktops. It took a lot of internet searching, but eventually I found a salvaged prep table that’s exactly the right size. We’re planning to add a couple of stools where we can sit down with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, but we haven’t found the right ones yet. #shakerkitchen #shakerkök #cottagerenovation #cottagekitchen #moderncountrykitchen Shaker kitchen | Cottage renovation | Neutral kitchen | Minimalist interiors | Cottage kitchen | Pocket doors | Minimalist kitchen | Freestanding island unit | Kitchen renovation | Rustic minimalism
Pics from a wonderful day out in Shaftesbury in Do Pics from a wonderful day out in Shaftesbury in Dorset, and a beautiful drive down through Cranborne Chase to get there. We had a wander down the famous Gold Hill, explored the ruins of Shaftesbury Abbey, had a delicious pub lunch and accidentally bought three candles in @thebotanicalcandleco. See if you can spot me in one of the photos... #thisprettyengland #visitdorset #shaftesbury #visitengland #dorsetlandscape
Here it is: our finished kitchen! The kitchen we Here it is: our finished kitchen! The kitchen we inherited when we bought the house was tatty and dated, with broken appliances, ripped lino, chipped laminate worktops and cracked unit fronts (some of them literally looked like they'd been kicked). Now, it's a calm yet cosy room that channels the soft, rustic-minimalist mood that we're gradually adding throughout our little cottage. We've used timeless slim-framed Shaker units from @nordiskakok, which we've paired with white-pigmented oak interiors, quartz worktops and splashbacks with subtle veining, a long open shelf and a freestanding island unit made from salvaged wood. I'll share more details in a future post, but here are some before-and-after photos showing how the space has changed. We put most of our renovation budget into it, which means some other projects will have to wait, but we now have the kitchen we've always dreamed of and we couldn't be happier with it. #cottagekitchen #shakerkitchen #minimalistkitchen #cottagerenovation neutralhomedecor Shaker kitchen | Cottage kitchen | Minimalist interiors | Cottage renovation | Neutral kitchen | Soft minimalist interiors | Rustic minimalism | Neutral home decor | Freestanding island unit | Open kitchen shelves
[AD - PR products] Summer light falling across the [AD - PR products] Summer light falling across the dining room, our oak @quickstepfloors flooring and our lovely Carl Hansen Wishbone chairs from @hollowaysofludlow. I've been working down here for the past few weeks as it stays cooler than the office upstairs, and the chairs really are comfy enough to sit on for hours at a time. Bring on long, cosy meals and board games in here once the nights start drawing in! #neutralhomedecor #scandinaviandecor #minimalinterior #minimalistdiningroom #cottagerenovation

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