Our bedroom is relatively small with a sloping ceiling on one side and two doors and a window on the other walls, resulting in only one possible location for the bed. I imagine this is pretty common for most people with ‘normal’ houses and whilst most people would choose to create a focal point behind the bed, when you have a sloping ceiling behind the bed, that is hard to do.
Read MoreThere is so much information online nowadays about every DIY project under the sun - to the point where it can become overwhelming as you scroll from one YouTube tutorial to another. However, if you’re taking on a renovation project or have some tasks you’d like to tackle yourself and you’re wondering how to get started, here’s a list of the tools I use the most.
Read MoreThis is a controversial topic and before we begin, I’m not going to pretend to be an expert in restoring houses nor am I someone who will slap paint here, there and everywhere without any consideration. However, our homes are for us to live in and enjoy. They are not monuments to a bygone era and they are not a relic of the past. Yes, we need to make wise choices regarding their maintenance (letting material breathe etc) but I’ve never been a purist and therefore the answer to the paint or no paint on the exposed wooden beams has never been black and white for me.
Read MoreI’ve wanted to write about living in a money pit for a while and have written two versions of this post already today which swiftly got deleted. This week we’ve been in our home for three years and I always share a yearly update on the budget at this time but thought a more generic overview may be a little more helpful. It may be that I’ve been ill and feeling burnt out this week (more on that later,) so my words aren’t formulating in the way I want them to, or more likely, that talking about anything financial is very emotive and nuanced and sometimes even triggering. Add in talking about a financial burden which stems from a place of huge privilege and this blog post really could be a baptism of fire.
Read MoreLike many home projects, the journey to a new bathroom downstairs felt like a very long one. We lived with a carpeted (yes, that’s right, carpet) bathroom for 2 and a half years in a dark and miserable space with a cramped layout and a toilet that never wanted to flush. Then the project itself took over six months due to various reasons including suddenly realising our bathroom upstairs was leaking also (reveal for that one coming soon,) and our contractor booked in for the job became very poorly and ending up in hospital the week before he was set to start the work.
Read MoreWe’ve been living in our 400 year old thatched cottage for almost three years now, and, as it’s a relatively rare roof type for houses in the UK, feel like I can give a little insight into our experience so far.
In fact, there are only 35,000 thatched homes in the UK, of which 24,000 are listed, which means that thatched homes make up for just 0.1% (and unlisted thatched homes, likes ours, make up for 0.04%). There are many pros and cons to living and owning a home with a thatched roof, but it is undoubtedly the aesthetic that draws most people in to their charms. The unique, soft, country look, can certainly appear whimsical and romantic and the perfect backdrop for a wild cottage garden or a glisteningly white snowy day.
However, are they as magical to live with as they appear in a photograph?
Read MoreFor years I’ve looked at the sad space (half-landing) on our stairs knowing we weren’t using it to it’s full potential. I spent months and months looking for second hand bookshelves but unsurprisingly, could never find a piece that was exactly the right size and shape for such a specific area. We also couldn’t afford to have one made and installed by a carpenter so I was really excited to find DIY Alcove Cabinets.
Read MoreLooking for kid’s bedding sets is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack… there are some gorgeous sets out there but you have to search few a lot of Barbie and Marvel characters to get there. So let me save you time and share my top 15 single duvet covers from as little as £11.
Post contains affiliate links. Prices are accurate as of date published - 30th January 2023.
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