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  • My minimalist Christmas decor – the first few touches

    My minimalist Christmas decor – the first few touches

    November 29, 2021November 28, 2021

    I don’t normally start decorating the house for Christmas until December, but with the weekends falling the way they do – and with the days getting increasingly gloomy – I…

  • Minimalist Christmas decorations in blush pink, beige and grey | Three colour scheme for timeless Christmas style | These Four Walls blog

    Three nature-inspired colour schemes for timeless Christmas style

    November 23, 2021August 11, 2022

    I often get design inspiration from nature, and it’s no different when it comes to Christmas. So, to give you some ideas for your own festive decor, I’ve put together…

  • 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…

  • Simple, Scandinavian-inspired Christmas decorations (+ giveaway!) with Cox & Cox | These Four Walls blog

    Simple, Scandinavian-inspired Christmas decorations (+ giveaway!) with Cox & Cox

    November 7, 2018June 20, 2019

    [Advertisement – this is a paid partnership with Cox & Cox, but all words and opinions are my own] I know it’s only November, but there’s a distinct chill in…

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We had to prune our acer as it was getting very ta We had to prune our acer as it was getting very tall and scraggly, so I couldn't resist bringing some branches inside to display. And here's a sneak peek at our newly renovated bathroom - I'm so happy we decided to go for a darker colour. I just have the door and door frame to paint and then I'll share the whole space.

#acer #autumnfoliage #seasonalhomedecor #autumnhomestyle #autumnbranches
[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 'HYLTARP'
'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

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