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  • Ferm Living's new showroom & concept store | These Four Walls blog

    Ferm Living’s new showroom & concept store

    June 30, 2020

    Today I’m taking you on a virtual trip to Copenhagen, where one of my favourite Danish brands, Ferm Living, has just opened the doors to its brand-new showroom and concept…

  • The TypeO Loft - a brand-new B&B in Skåne | These Four Walls blog

    The TypeO Loft – a minimalist one-room B&B in Skåne, southern Sweden

    June 19, 2020

    Today I have a bit of travel inspiration to help tide us over until we can head off on holiday in real life: a peek inside the just-launched TypeO Loft…

  • Rustic minimalism in Italy with Tine K Home | These Four Walls blog

    Rustic minimalism in Italy with Tine K Home

    May 18, 2020May 18, 2020

    Fancy heading off to a sun-drenched Italian villa? I certainly do – and although we might not be able to travel very far in person at the moment, we can…

  • ALIUM - a brand-new Copenhagen gallery | These Four Walls blog

    ALIUM – a brand-new Copenhagen gallery

    April 1, 2020April 1, 2020

    Travel might be out of the question for most of us at the moment, but today I want to share some inspiration for when we can start exploring again –…

  • Exploring Finnish Lapland in winter | These Four Walls blog

    Exploring Finnish Lapland in winter

    February 14, 2020

    [Advertisement – this post is based on a press trip, but all words and opinions are my own] Few places have captured my heart the way Finnish Lapland did. I…

  • A stay at Design Hotel Levi in Finnish Lapland | These Four Walls blog

    A stay at Design Hotel Levi in Finnish Lapland

    February 11, 2020February 11, 2020

    [Advertisement – this post is based on a press trip, but all words and opinions are my own] I’ve spoken before about my love of travelling to cold destinations, and…

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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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