The team behind Thatched Cottage Cotswolds have created a beautifully cool country holiday cottage with sophisticated brass details throughout. Quintessentially British complete with thatching, classic period features and located in the picturesque Cotswolds, it’s a perfect home away from home.

We spotted some beautifully styled Jim Lawrence products amongst the sweet wooden panelling and stone walls, and wanted to delve a little deeper into this stylish cottage décor. We spoke to owner Vicky about the quirks of period homes and how to stay in tune with a cottage feel without becoming twee…

The first room we spotted of yours was the perfectly quaint double bedroom with shutters, beams and our dainty Curtis Spotlights. What made you choose these lights over a pendant or other styles?

When we were designing thatched cottage I knew the look we wanted to create. The cottage walls are mostly sloped so having the chance to add some panelling was very exciting too as I adore panelling. It has totally transformed that room. The tongue and groove in the kitchen actually slopes with the wall which I love!

I chose the Single Curtis Spot Lights because they perfectly fitted in with the beautiful panelling as a backdrop.
I particularly liked the traditional twist of the fabric covered wire, and they also can be angled to work perfectly as a bedside lamp.

The cottage is a 17th century property, how does the history of the building effect your interior design choices?

To be the custodian of these beautiful buildings as we are, it’s always the feeling of the building as well as the look: a quintessentially cottage feel but not twee. I think if a house looks good naked you’ve done well. A focus on floors, walls, windows and doors etc. I wanted to keep it light, timeless and uncluttered but cosy. A serene colour palette. I’m a huge fan of light white interiors adding colour with picture, cushions and throws.

Period homes have their quirks, so which room was the most challenging to style and why?

Probably the sitting room. The quirk here is the shape. Originally there would have only been one room up and down, with a ladder to reach the room upstairs. With the addition of stairs some years ago, this narrowed the room somewhat, so positioning furniture was key. Having a sofa and a separate reading nook works really well here, as the inglenook dominates the room that end which is a feature in itself. We added some old tin buckets re-purposed for wood and kindling, plus our gorgeous Harrods box found in an antique shop fits perfectly for a cosy coffee table. It’s a great place to sit in the evening enjoying the fire and a glass of wine, or to cuddle up on the sofa and watch a film.

What are the main perks of your charming Cotswolds location?

We are in Whichford, a small village famous for its pottery so have regular visitors attracted to the area. There is a classic car meeting every third Thursday of the month too, and fortunately still a thriving village pub which is a rarity now in lots of villages. It’s perfect if you like peace and quiet: no street lights and no traffic! The dulcet tones of the nearby St Michaels church are very soothing and feel classically English countryside.

Was it always your intention to set up the cottage as a holiday destination?

Yes, we love the area so much and will be using it ourselves more as our children grow up and we have more spare time.

In your opinion, what are the three key ingredients for creating the perfect home away from home?

A great bed, great bedlinen and a great shower. And bath… That’s four! Having travelled extensively in my time at BA these were the most important aspects of creating a home from home feel and this is where we started.

And you definitely chose a good bath! Talk us through the design process for that heavenly bathroom of yours.

I have always loved the idea of a bath in the bedroom so having the opportunity when we renovated the cottage was a dream come true. It is not for everyone, but when you are on holiday it’s perfect. A bit different. A lovely little luxury. The single Barbican Pendant Light by the entrance is perfect too, we hooked it over to the side and it gives the perfect glow while relaxing in the roll top bath. A great spot to relax after a days exploring!

Of course we love your lighting choices, but where do you find inspiration for the rest of the décor?

My inspiration comes from the looks that I love on Pinterest and Instagram. There’s some incredible talented people out there and these platforms have transformed the way we all live and design houses. For me personally I think stay away from trends, traditional and timeless elegance is key. Less is more.

Thatched Cottage looks ideal for a cosy getaway in the autumn and winter months with its gorgeous fireplace. How do you recommend refreshing home interiors for the lighter summer months?

The summer months are really about throwing open the shutters to a garden abundant with shrubs, jasmine, honeysuckle and roses, feeling like the outside is coming in. The scent of these plants is gorgeous. We have added some beautiful slightly bonkers flowery armchairs  (a collaboration with Joules) for the summer months. In winter we have lovely leather chairs for a more muted palette.

Last but not least…what’s the next step for the Thatched Cottage?

The next step for Thatched cottage is to continue to be an inspiration for others. The amazing feedback we have from a followers on Instagram is heart warming, having inspired many other home owners doing up similar properties. We’d love to be featured in a Homes magazine one day, but our intention was to offer a boutique hotel room in a whole cottage was our ultimate goal which I feel we have hopefully achieved.

We think it’s safe to say Thatched Cottage has exceeded this goal – but why not find out for yourself? Book a stay in this idyllic Cotswold’s location here. To follow their décor journey, take a peek at their Instagram @thatchedcottagecotswolds.

Single Curtis Spotlight, Monkey Tail Forged Window Latch, Barbican Pendant, Bletchley Roll Top Soap Basket

To stay up to date with Jim Lawrence, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. To view our full lighting collection, visit our website. Happy shopping!

There’s certainly a cosy french farmhouse feel to your home, but woven together with a love for a darker, eclectic Victorian influence. Where do you source most of your inspiration?

The inspiration definitely comes from the old pieces we buy rather than online or magazines. When we bought the cottage it had a fitted eighties kitchen which we ripped out. We then bought an old shop counter at the auction and then another 3! It was great fun putting together an unfitted kitchen. We even used an old Victorian workbench to put the kitchen sink on!

What influenced your decision to go for dark walls?

We first went very dark grey in our bedroom ten years ago using a Sanderson paint called Battlement. I’d seen an image of a dark room in a grand old house and loved it. We loved the bedroom so much that the kitchen soon followed and then the lounge. Virtually the whole house is dark and moody now but I’m currently redecorating the kitchen with black woodwork and white walls with the lounge to follow.

Cheltenham Wall Lights in Antiqued Brass, Cushion Cover in Natural Entomology fabric, Beeswax Candle

With Christmas around the corner we thought it fitting to shows some appreciation for our dedicated and, it goes without saying, very stylish customers. We usually focus on one home in our Beautiful Home series, but at this festive time of giving made us want to share out the love!

We’ve been inundated with beautiful imagery of our lights and home accessories worked into Christmas décor, and with such an abundance of interior and exterior inspiration, we wanted to share it all with you…

Emma of @thelittlestonecottage never fails to amaze with her chic modern country style. Here she pairs our Antiqued Brass Heart Knocker and the Shaftsbury Front Door Knob with cotton, eucalyptus and pine cones for a subtle but delightfully rustic stylish welcome.

We’re no strangers to the beauty of the Cotswolds, but Pollyanna of @the_old_school_house always stops us in our scrolling tracks when she posts shots of this showstopping entrance. The powder blue door helps her wreath to sing! Our Ava Porch Light will illuminate the space perfectly – a gorgeous ‘welcome home’ sight on these chilly winter nights.

A pair of Wall Mounted Hackney Lanterns are a wonderful match for a traditionally festive exterior. There is something extremely inviting and cosy about this country entrance from the @yorkshirepartridge, we can smell mince pieces and mulled wine already!

Sian of @interiorbliss_design is always wowing us with her innovative styling, and her Christmas looks are no different! It goes to show that wreaths are just as pretty indoors and out, however you choose to interpret them! Get the look with our Antiqued Brass Pendant Lampholders.

This one is just missing a dusting of snow… Deborah sent this in on Facebook and the Polished Heart Knocker has never looked so at home. We’d be tempted to leave this up all year round!

A divine colour palette, all year round. You’ll recognise this front door because we love posting it so much… Emmy of @emmyhomeinteriors always seems to dress up her door frame with the most vibrant foliage, and with Christmas here she has made no exception. The Peacock Lantern in Antiqued Brass is a permanent fixture that looks like it was designed just for her…

Another Facebook-sourced masterpiece! Alison’s Antiqued Brass Granary Light oversees our Polished Knocker and Scrolled Handle, lit up by pops of deep green and red completing this very ‘Jim Lawrence’ Christmassy home…

Keep an eye out for more like this on our Instagram. Have you got some shots you’d like to share? Please follow us @JimLawrenceMade and tag us in your Christmas interior and exterior pictures. We can’t wait to see… To shop our outdoor lighting and door furniture, visit www.jim-lawrence.co.uk. Merry Christmas!

From a career in PR to floristry and now interior styling, Leoma has all the key ingredients for a successful Instagram – and that is exactly what Style The Clutter is. We found her account after Leoma tagged us in some beautiful shots of her updated boot room using our hooks, and are now avid followers of her delicious home updates.  An eclectic mix of old and new, Style The Clutter gives us a tour of Leoma’s home, influenced by traditional rustic French style and mixed with clean contemporary Scandinavian design.

Leoma, we want to ask what drew you to this house, but it is obviously a stunning space! What features in particular sealed the deal for you?

I was instantly drawn to the high ceilings and beautiful period features along with the well balanced layout. Moving a bit further outside of London meant we were getting more internal space and a bigger garden too, so that was a massive drawing point.

When did you decide to depart the floristry world and move into interiors?

It sort of just happened! While I was pregnant with my son I struggled to keep on top of the floristry, as is was very physically demanding, so I focused more on the house. I also started helping a few friends out with their projects and it all took off from there… Since then I have done further projects all through word of mouth and of course I can’t seem to stop tweaking my own home, which is something I absolutely love doing.

What encouraged you to document the renovation progress online?

I was quite housebound when my son was born as he suffered from allergies, so I just started taking pictures of our home and bits that I was working on at the time. I wish I had documented more form the beginning, but we had already lived in the house for 1 year before I started Instagramming so had already done a lot of work to it.

You describe your home style as traditional rustic with a scandi twist, where does this influence stem from?

I went through a more contemporary phase in our last property however I have always loved mixing old with new, our current home lends itself to this style beautifully. However thinking about this more in depth, I think the traditional rustic side stems from my upbringing. My mother is French and loves antiques, as did my great grandfather who was a collector. I remember being wowed by his barn full of grandfather clocks and beautiful armoires as a child and used to love exploring through all his treasures.

How do you tap into adding your own personality into a home?

I think this is something that has happened organically over time. Colour, accessorizing, textures and pattern play a major part and say a lot about personalities and individual style. As I have got older I am a lot more confident using quite daring tones, especially as a colour pop within a room for example, painting just the inside of a door bright pink, in fact I can get quite carried away…

We love the branch feature above your dining table – inspired! This must be influenced by your floral background?

My floral background definitely comes out over Christmas and that was how the branch came about, as Christmas trees in that specific room always tend to die very quickly, due to the underfloor heating. I decided to hang a branch over the table and decorate it for the season, however it has now become a permanent feature and been up for 8 months, I love tweaking it each season and for family celebrations.

Which has been your favourite room of the house to design?

The utility/laundry room was the most satisfying, originally a very annoying dead space as its very narrow and quite small. It took me a while to figure out what to do with it, I even considered taking out a wall! However through creating a wall to wall coat rack with a storage bench below and cabinets on the other side with lots of shelving, it has totally transformed the room and it now works so well. For storage and as a second entrance to the house.

Which has been the most challenging?

The room we now have as a play room was quite challenging as it was a through room with no windows except for a glass door going into another room. The chimney had been blocked up, so it really didn’t have much to it. So we decided to open up the chimney and put in a stove, we took out the doors this opened up the whole area into the orangery/kitchen which works really well giving a nice flow to the house. I then brightened it up with fun kids accessories and a pink sofa, its’s now such a nice airy room for the children to play that will turn into more of a snug area when they get older.

If you could go back and give advice to yourself before starting up the project, what would it be?

I wish I had lived in the house longer, instead of making rushed decisions before we moved in. It’s always a good way of getting a feel for the space, however I sometimes think if you don’t go for it, you never will. So it’s about finding a balance between the two and perhaps not rushing so much and having a little mull… I also think it’s good to go for things that you really like and that will last and be timeless rather than a trend or something you are not sure about.

Last but not least, what is next for ‘Style The Clutter’ in 2018?

What next… I have started to revamp rooms/homes all through word of mouth for clients, which is very exciting! I also might open a little online shop at some point focused on styling the clutter, but this is still very much in the pipeline as I Iove being a mummy too, so I’m trying to work out a balance.

Wilton Lantern in Matt Black, Walcot Glass Pendant in Antiqued Brass, Chandler Coat Hook in Antiqued Brass

To see her full home transformation follow Leoma on Instagram. Read more about the work behind the pictures on her blog.

‘Natali in Norfolk’ is the Instagram account of Natali Pendleton, documenting her interior design and fashion choices from her luxury country lifestyle in Norfolk. We loved Natali’s dramatic bedroom design featuring Jim Lawrence lights and sockets, and needed to take a closer look at the rest of the beautiful building. In the process of a big renovation, Natali has given us an insider look into her gorgeous Georgian home.

Susi Bellamy’s vibrantly abstract designs are marbled with clashing colours that are certain to liven up your home. Her cushion prints, shades and wallpapers are vivacious and arresting – much like her own interior decor. After noticing Susi had used one of our wall lights on an explosive stucco wallpaper in an Instagram post, we soon fell into the rabbit hole that is exploring her whimsical home.

The Old Piggery in Broom, grazing the edge of the beautiful Cotswolds, caught our eye on Instagram thanks to its cosy modern country vibe. We were thrilled to spot our cottage wall lights featured in this delightfully cosy barn conversion, and even more excited when host Vanessa Taylor agreed to feature on the blog. The open plan kitchen/dining/sitting room has a vaulted ceiling with original exposed beams, an oak floor and a log burner for those chillier days. A perfect country getaway.

Believed to date back to the 16th century, this period space with its carefully curated décor is available to enjoy on Airbnb. We spoke to Vanessa to find out where her love for interiors originates from, why she started up the project and what it takes to be a great host in your own home.

‘Restoring Lansdowne’ is a stunning, dramatic Instagram account documenting the renovation and styling of Kristine Hall’s London home. The Victorian townhouse, first built in 1901, exudes contemporary scandi glamour thanks to Kristine’s stylish touch. After spotting our favourite Holborn lights in her grey and antiqued brass tinged bathroom, we simply had to get in touch to further explore this unique home.

We spoke to Kristine about her beautiful restoration and what it takes to find your own individual style.

At first sight we loved your bathroom, then fell head over heels after viewing the rest of the house. How would you describe your interior style?

Thank you! Our home is a mashup of lots of different styles that I love – midcentury modern, a slight industrial edge, scandi monochrome minimalism, maybe a little 70’s glam thrown in for good measure. My style probably leans towards a more masculine look in general…well, apart from the pink dressing room. I suppose that one’s pretty girly.

I enjoy trying out different looks from one room to the next, but I hope that by carrying certain elements through the house I’ve kept it all feeling cohesive – velvet upholstery, rich wood tones, dark greys, black and brass accents. It was also important to me that the design was sympathetic to the age of the property, so we restored or reinstated original features wherever we could, from the wide pine floorboards, plaster coving and cast iron fireplaces to restoring the original panelled doors and skirting boards.

I’d like to think that when someone walks in they find it calming, sophisticated and comfortable, with lots of interesting things to look at.

What encouraged you to document the restoration progress online?

Well everyone loves a good before and after, don’t they? I was initially encouraged by a good friend to set up an Instagram account to document the project and I’m so glad I did. When your ‘kitchen’ has consisted of a microwave and kettle in the corner of your lounge for two months and you’re washing dishes in the bath, or there’s rainwater gushing into your freshly decorated bedrooms during a loft extension …being able to look back at how far you’ve come at those moments helps to keep you sane.

There’s also an amazing community of renovators and interior design lovers on Instagram, and it’s been a great source of inspiration and DIY know-how. When the going gets tough, it’s amazing having access to so many ultra-talented people with beautifully renovated homes who know exactly what you’re going through.

We like to think an interior design project is always evolving, because personal tastes and needs also ebb and flow, but how long has it taken you from starting the restoration to where you are now?

Although my husband always looks slightly panicked when I say this, our home definitely will continue to evolve and that’s the joy of it really. But the hard graft is definitely over for us on this property. It’s taken over 5 years to get to this stage because we did as much of the work ourselves as possible, and renovated in stages as time and budget allowed. We first renovated the bedrooms one at a time at evenings and weekends, and then brought in some professional muscle to overhaul the kitchen. Some of the most time-consuming tasks were the stripping the original staircase and woodwork, and doing the painting/decorating – at this point I’d be quite happy not to see another paint brush for a very long time.

Where do you source most of your inspiration?

My starting point is always the space itself – how we want to use it, how we want to feel when we’re in it, the architectural features and natural light. I find inspiration in the usual places like Instagram, Pinterest and magazines, but also tend to find unique pieces that I love – lighting, furniture, art – and then design a room around them. It’s really important to me that our home is practical for our lifestyle. So the challenge is always to make it fit for purpose and beautiful, within budget.

With interior trends expanding and changing with a turnover as fast as fashion, how do you tap into adding your own personality into a home?

I think some of it comes down to patience and waiting until you can find (or afford) really special pieces that you absolutely love, whether it’s furniture, lighting or accessories. We had empty corners and battered old flat-pack furniture for years because I wanted everything we bought for the house to really add something, to earn its floor space. I found a tiny 1940’s wardrobe online that’s a perfect fit for our master bedroom alcove. It’s really simple but has great lines and a lovely patina. It wasn’t expensive but everyone comments on it and it really completes the room. And I try not to impulse buy – if I still love it in a month or two there’s hope I’ll love it in 5 or 10 years too.

Your hashtag #sassyhomestyle occupies many a style bloggers’ caption. In your opinion, what are the key ingredients for a ‘sassy home’?

Yes, it’s great fun co-hosting the #sassyhomestyle hashtag alongside three super talented fellow interior design lovers. For me it’s about creating really unique spaces and being totally unapologetic about it. It’s brilliant seeing the creative solutions that people come up with, whether it’s tiny spaces, tight budgets or rented properties that can’t be permanently altered.

Greys and petrol blues aren’t for the faint of heart! You haven’t held back when decorating the rooms in dark colours. What tips can you give to our readers thinking about making the leap to the dark side?

There’s no easier way of adding drama than with some dark paint. We are fortunate to have lovely large windows and a good amount of natural light – sunshine on a dark wall can be so beautiful. But equally if you have a room that doesn’t get much light, sometimes going with it and choosing a dark colour can work better than trying to fight it. I find muted, dark colours really soothing and it’s also a great way to add instant character to a room that doesn’t have many features.

In most of our rooms I’ve paired dark walls with lighter (or white) ones as I like the contrast. For example, at the end of our kitchen I used some leftover dark grey paint in the alcoves – it adds another dimension and emphasises the interesting shapes and roof line, without making the room feel any darker.

Renovating a house is a tall order! What drew you to this house in particular?

My husband already owned the house when we met, but I loved it as soon as I saw it. It wasn’t appealing on the surface…at all! But I could see the potential under the swirly 70’s shag carpet and the opportunity to essentially start from scratch and really make the place our own was the dream. It had some beautiful original features like sash windows, cast iron fireplaces and lovely proportions, and the option of building up into the loft spaces was a draw too. And I had been living in a flat in the City so the idea of having a garden was exciting.

If you could go back and give advice to yourself before starting up the project, what would it be?

I’d give myself a better idea of what to expect of a long-term renovation and recommend having a plan for managing the stress of it all. Sleepless nights, diet and exercise routines out the window, financial pressures, minor building disasters, dust and noise, thousands of decisions – it’s a lot to take on and it can really put strain on relationships too. It was 100% worth it, but if I had more realistic expectations of the day-to-day realities from the start, maybe it would have been a little less overwhelming.

Last but not least, what is next for you and Lansdowne in 2018?

I’m in the process of setting up my own interior styling business, so that’s pretty exciting. We have a few small things yet to do on the house, like alcove shelves, and I’m looking forward to spending some time on the garden in spring. We’re also going to build a bin shed. Glamorous, I know. But otherwise 2018 is all about enjoying the home we’ve created, now that it’s finally finished. I’m sure we used to have some hobbies so I’ll probably try to remember what those were!

Follow Kristine’s interior transformation on Instagram at @restoringlansdowne. To see more of our unique bathroom lighting, browse here.