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  • Hotel Petra – &Tradition’s new design-themed stay in Copenhagen

    Hotel Petra – &Tradition’s new design-themed stay in Copenhagen

    July 22, 2025February 3, 2026

    A look inside Hotel Petra – a new Copenhagen design hotel, bar and restaurant from Danish brand &Tradition…

  • A spring minibreak on the North Norfolk Coast

    A spring minibreak on the North Norfolk Coast

    April 25, 2025February 3, 2026

    How to spend a short break in the beautiful village of Cley next the Sea on the North Norfolk Coast, plus my tips for other things to see and do in the local area…

  • Vipp Todos Santos – a fusion of Mexican & Scandinavian style

    Vipp Todos Santos – a fusion of Mexican & Scandinavian style

    February 14, 2025January 23, 2026

    The latest addition to Vipp’s collection of bookable guesthouses blends minimalist Scandinavian design with nods to its stunning Mexican setting…

  • 9 amazing places to stay in the Nordic Arctic

    9 amazing places to stay in the Nordic Arctic

    January 22, 2025February 3, 2026

    The best hotels and hideaways across northern Finland, Sweden and Norway’s arctic regions – all with stunning design, a deep connection to nature and a strong sense of place…

  • Minimalist design in the desert: Hotel Aire de Bardenas & the Bardenas Reales natural Park, northern Spain

    Minimalist design in the desert: Hotel Aire de Bardenas & the Bardenas Reales natural Park, northern Spain

    January 3, 2025February 3, 2026

    My review of Aire de Bardenas – a minimalist design hotel on the edge of the beautiful semi-desert Bardenas Reales Natural Park in Navarra, northern Spain…

  • A wintry woodland stay at TreeHouse Retreats, West Sussex

    A wintry woodland stay at TreeHouse Retreats, West Sussex

    November 28, 2024January 30, 2026

    A cosy getaway at TreeHouse Retreats – a cluster of contemporary treehouses on the Cowdray Estate in the South Downs National Park, West Sussex…

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[AD - includes PR products] Details from the end o [AD - includes PR products] Details from the end of the living room that didn't get completely pumpkin'd for Halloween. The pumpkins are now going to be gradually eaten over the next few weeks to make way for Christmas decorations. And speaking of Christmas, we need to decide where to put the tree - it went in the corner shown here last year, but now we have a bigger sofa I don't think there's enough space. 

Sofa: Ikea 
'CH25' chair: @carlhansenandson*
Coffee table: @thedancingwoodman 
Oak plinth: @laredoute_uk 
Audo Copenhagen 'Reverse' table lamp: @hollowaysofludlow* 
'Daphine' floor lamp: @lumina_italia
Throw: @elvangdenmark
Artwork: @sarah_cocolapine 
'Ripple' candleholder: @newworksdk*
Beige vase: @cooeedesign 
Vintage urn: flea market 
Paint: 'Slipper Satin' by @farrowandball 

(*PR products)

#cottagerenovation #cottageinteriors #softminimalisthome #neutrallivingroom #minimalistlivingroom

Neutral living room | Cottage living room | Warm neutral decor | Renovated cottage interior | Minimalist interiors |  Rustic minimalist decor
Snippets from a wonderful Halloween weekend, inclu Snippets from a wonderful Halloween weekend, including a riverside walk, a visit to the always-atmospheric village and abbey of Lacock, and our little town's annual fireworks display. The last slide is when my phone camera refused to focus, but I quite like the effect! 

#halloween #cosyseason #visitwiltshire #autumntrees #englishcountryside 

Wiltshire villages | Lacock village and abbey | Bradford on Avon | Autumn landscape | Autumn colours | Autumn foliage | Wiltshire countryside | Autumn countryside | Halloween decorations
I've just settled down in front of the bioethanol I've just settled down in front of the bioethanol stove for a cosy Friday evening, so in honour of Halloween tomorrow, let me tell you a (true) fireside ghost story...

When I finished university back in 2005 I moved in with Chris, who owned a small end-of-terrace house in north Bristol. The adjoining house was empty at the time - it had been lived in by an elderly lady, but she'd died before I arrived. I never met her, but Chris told me she was lovely and often popped in to water his plants when he was away. A few months later her house was bought by a young couple, and we became good friends with them. 

I never saw anything odd in our own house, but I often got the feeling someone was there. I'd often be home alone with both our cats next to me, and I'd get the sense there was someone moving about upstairs or in the next room. 

After a couple of years Chris and I bought a new home together and moved to a different bit of Bristol, and eventually our friends from the house next door moved too, relocating to a totally different part of the country. We stayed in touch with them, and it was only years later that I happened to mention the strange feelings I'd had. It turns out they'd often experienced similar things in their house, and a visiting family member staying on their sofabed had once woken in the night to find an old lady standing on the stairs looking down at him.

I like to think it was Chris' kind former neighbour, still keeping an eye on her home and occasionally drifting over to check on his, just as she had in life.

#ghoststory #halloween #cottagerenovation #livingroomdecor #fireplacedecor
[AD - press stay] Earlier this week I showed you S [AD - press stay] Earlier this week I showed you Sessile, the room we stayed in at @holmsomerset. Now here's a peek at some of the others, which I got to have a quick look at between guests. They're all gorgeous, but Elm was a standout with its four-poster bed, arched niches, egg-shaped bathtub and gently warm colour palette. I also loved Osier, with its fireplace and lovely natural light, and the cosy Hornbeam, tucked beneath rafters in the loft. 

If you fancy treating yourself to a stay at HOLM this autumn and winter (and I would wholeheartedly recommend it), there are mid-week deals starting from £149 per room, Christmas 'Stay & Dine' packages from £496 (the festive menu launches on 23rd November), and various walking experiences. I particularly like the idea of a relaxing Twixmas stay, or coinciding with the Wednesday and Friday morning yoga sessions. 

Thanks again to @curatedspacesclub and the whole team at HOLM for our fantastic visit. We absolutely loved it. 

#boutiquehotels #ukstaycation #uktravel #winterbreaks #countryescape

Somerset travel | UK boutique hotels | West Country places to stay | Somerset places to stay | UK minibreaks | Country hotels | UK travel | Restaurants with rooms | Stylish places to stay | Autumn breaks | Winter breaks | Twixmas travel ideas
Yep, the pumpkins are everywhere in our house... Yep, the pumpkins are everywhere in our house... 

Last year's Halloween was marred by house-move stress (although I was lucky enough to go to the live recording of the Uncanny Halloween special with @tiffanygrantriley after winning audience tickets in the ballot), so this year I'm making the most of it. Chris and I are going to see the new Ghosts film on Thursday, we have a table booked at our favourite haunted local restaurant for Saturday lunch, and we're having spooky candlelit drinks and nibbles on Saturday evening. I can't wait! 

#pumpkinseason #halloweendecorations #naturalhalloweendecor #autumnhomedecor #seasonalhomedecor 

Minimalist Halloween decorations | Pumpkin display | Halloween styling | Autumn home | Shaker kitchen | Minimalist cottage interior | Neutral home | Cottage kitchen

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