Decor 101

[Advertisement – this post references a PR product] I haven’t posted anything for the past couple of weeks because something big has been happening behind the scenes: we’ve moved house! And not only that, we’ve relocated from Bristol to the beautiful market town of Bradford on Avon, set just outside Bath on the edge of the Cotswolds . Chris and I had lived in quirky, creative Bristol for 30 and 24 years respectively, and we will always have a soft spot for it. But for a while we’d found ourselves craving somewhere quieter and more rural, and when we realised we were spending most weekends trying to escape the city rather than making the most of it, we knew it was time for a change.  Bradford on Avon suits us perfectly. It’s where my parents have lived since 2020, but we’d been drawn towards it long before they arrived. It’s picture-postcard pretty, with a cluster of higgledy-piggledy Bath-stone cottages and elegant Georgian townhouses rising up a hillside from the banks of t...

When it comes to Christmas decor, bows have been having a real moment over the last couple of years. Now I’m normally averse to fleeting trends, but I like festive bows and I don’t think they’re going to date – they’re a simple, timeless way to elevate your seasonal styling, and they can be adapted to pretty much any space and taste . If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re like me and veer towards pared-back neutrals, minimalist decorations and nature-inspired interiors. So, here are 10 elegant and easy-to-replicate ideas for using bows in your home this Christmas. On the Christmas tree Last year I tied bows straight around the branches of my Christmas tree , using narrow satin ribbon with long tails that dangled down like icicles. You could opt for a more opulent look with velvet, create a more structured bow shape with thicker ribbon, or even replace the traditional tree-topper with a large bow tied or wired around the upper trunk. If you want to make things even easi...

Winter is almost here and Christmas won’t be far behind, so it’s time for my annual round-up of the best seasonal scented candles, updated for 2025 to include new discoveries alongside some old favourites. Below are spicy scents inspired by mulled wine and baking, fresh green scents that evoke fir trees and frozen forests, nurturing scents to ground and comfort , and smoky and sophisticated scents that are ideal for cocktails or late nights by the fire. I’ve also included lots of options that aren’t specific to the festive period to help you get through the cold months ahead – and to ensure there’s plenty of choice for those who don’t mark Christmas. I’ve focused largely on independent makers who use natural wax, and I’ve avoided anything too heavy or cloying. I hope you find something that appeals!  ‘ARKTIS’ candle by Skandinavisk (£35 for a standard jar, £48 for a large two-wick one or £19 for a small one; also available as a reed diffuser) – a blend of woods, s...

It’s time for my regular round-up of product launches, and there’s a bit of a theme to November’s selection: materiality. The below designs range from storage furniture to home textiles to upholstered chairs, but they all showcase and celebrate the materials they’re made from – some natural, others recycled and highly innovative. Read on for details … The ‘Harmon’ series from Fronteriors x Avenue Design Studio I’m kicking things off with Fronteriors, which makes stylish fronts to customise IKEA’s standard ‘PAX’ wardrobe system, ‘METOD’ kitchen system and ‘BESTA’ storage system. It has just unveiled a beautiful collaboration with Holly Marder, founder of Netherlands-based Avenue Design Studio, whose work has featured in both my books and whose gallery I shared here . Called ‘Harmon’, the collaboration is not a collection as such but rather a method of arranging contrasting finishes to transform everyday cabinetry into an elegant composition of pattern and precision. It was insp...