Travel – Apartment Apothecary

katy 11th April 2017

Our first holiday as a family

Cooey! How is everyone? It’s been a while, hasn’t it? You know all that stuff people say about babies being time consuming, well it’s all true. Mimi is twelve weeks old now and it’s been the fastest twelve weeks of my life and yet we have done very, very little asides from feed, sleep, change nappies, play, go to an occasional music session or swim lesson and repeat; life has become unrecognisable to what it was before.

We had a rough start with lots of feeding issues but we’ve got those sorted out now and Mimi has become such a dreamy baby, always smiling and wanting to play and she sleeps – I still can’t believe our luck to have a baby who sleeps through the night at such a young age and I am keeping everything crossed that this sleep spell does not get broken any time soon. The reason I’m telling you all this? Well, a couple of weeks ago we felt ready to slowly emerge from the baby bubble and get back into the real world by taking our first trip away together to celebrate my first Mother’s day.

I suppose I was a bit nervous that going away with a baby would be no fun or more like hard work than anything else but I had nothing to worry about. We were invited to stay at one of the many beautiful homes managed by Unique Home Stays and after much deliberation (so, so difficult to choose as they are all stunning – I really want to go here and here too!) I chose the magical wooden cabin, Firefly, located in a small hamlet in Cornwall for our first trip away as a three (well, four including Otto). I mean, just look at it…

Wooden cabin holiday home in Cornwall for a couple with a dog

The kitchen in Firefly cabin, available to rent through Unique Home Stays.

The cabin began life as stables set in a wild flower meadow on the owner’s farm. They set to work to completely transform it in to an authentic woodcutter’s cabin. Clad with 750 old scaffolding boards and reclaimed materials the cabin looks and feels amazing – as soon as we stepped foot inside it felt like the building was giving us a great big hug, helped by the hamper of goodies, cream tea, fully stocked store cupboard and the ready laid open fire.

The design of the cabin is very clever as it feels so warm and cosy for the colder months (I hate feeling cold at home so I was very pleased that it was toasty warm throughout our stay) yet it is perfect for the warmer months too with the massive barn style doors that open up from the main living area onto the porch with two different seating areas and a BBQ.

The house is filled with interesting vintage finds that give the space real character and make it feel like a real home, not just a soulless holiday house. The kitchen was very well equipped and because we had the baby we stayed at home in the evenings and cooked up some yummy dinners.

Mimi must have appreciated how comfortable and welcoming the bedroom was as she did her first night of twelve hours of sleep here – the best present I could have asked for on Mother’s Day! It also gave us the chance to sleep properly in the wondrous bed covered in beautiful linens – delish. There were even linen dressing gowns.

The bathroom in the cabin was one of my favourite bits of the design. With a concrete sink and bath and the shower clad in corrugated iron I initially thought it would be cold and hard but the skylight flooded the room with light and the heating and weathered wood kept it wonderfully warm. Such a cool design.

Otto loved our ‘cabin in the woods’ just as much as we did and he even got his own bed, bowls and treats to welcome him. If you are not doggy people though you would never in a million years know that any dogs had ever been there – the place was spotless.

Cornwall is always a wonderful place to visit and we were super lucky as we got the sun but the beaches were almost completely empty as it was low season – perfect! We arrived on Friday and headed to Crantock beach so that we could all stretch our legs after the long car journey and then to the local farm shop for supplies.

Crantock beach.

On Saturday we went to Padstow for fish and chips at Rick Stein’s restaurant as well as a trip to Port Isaac, which is so beautiful (emergency sun hat purchased for Mimi whilst we were there).

Padstow

We also stopped by Porthcothan beach, which is where my mum spent all her childhood holidays with her father and brother. It’s all so lovely and unspoilt and I bet it hasn’t changed much since the days she visited there.

Porthcothan beach

It was such a special time with our little girl visiting the sea for the first time and being able to watch her soak up new sensations. Just the most perfect way to spend my first Mother’s Day.

On our way home on Monday we stopped at Watergate Bay for brunch and a dog walk along the beach and it is absolutely stunning; the type of place that makes you gasp when you see it for the first time. Sand stretching out forever and the blue skies were unbelievable. We really didn’t want to leave.

Watergate Bay

Thank you so much to Unique Home Stays for our stay at the incredible Firefly cabin; we loved our time there and made such precious memories of our first trip away together. I want to relive it again and again (and I simply must have my own cabin one day, natch!).

Katy x

katy 16th July 2016

Finding inspiration from holiday homes

I often get asked where I find interiors inspiration and there is a great source that I always forget to mention, which is holiday homes. I’m pretty sure I have said this before but accommodation is always one of my top priorities when planning a holiday because interiors is what I love. Being in a lovely cottage, a beautiful hotel or a rustic villa makes my time away so much more special than staying somewhere generic. I love exploring a new interior and dreaming up ways I can recreate the look at home – I find it really inspiring.

This summer we have had a lovely break in Norfolk with friends but I don’t think we will manage to get away just the two of us so I am having to make do with swooning over the most beautiful holiday house that I have found on Unique Home Stays +44 (0) 1637 881183 and I also recently saw it on Helen’s beautiful Instagram after her recent stay. So much inspiration to be taken from this fresh, simple, natural interior of this gorgeous Cornish coastal home, Delphin…

White clapperboard coastal houses are my absolute favourite, reminding me of little New England towns that I would like to visit one day. I love the light and space of this home: filled with white walls and limed floors with more than a touch of Scandi design. Look at that view!

The clever use of natural materials for the dining chairs, kitchen stools, shelves and jute mats bring a bit of warmth to the white interior and help to bring the beautiful outdoors in.Wouldn’t you love waking up to this kitchen on holiday?

The design of the house makes the most of the gorgeous natural light; everything being focused around the picture windows and nothing blocking the view. A few home comforts for chillier days make this the perfect all year round home.

A touch of blue in the bedroom reflects the colour of the sea and you can enjoy the views from all rooms, including the lovely outdoor space.

Isn’t it dreamy? I’m pretty sure I would return from here and have to recreate the exact look in my own home!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone. We are on major wedding prep here – wish us luck!

Katy x

*All images with kind permission of Unique Home Stays +44 (0) 1637 881183

katy 26th March 2016

Babington house

Hope you are all having a wonderful long weekend. I’m just dropping in briefly to share a few snaps I took at Babington House after we spent a long break there last weekend. It was my first visit but I’ve already decided that I want to get married there (we still haven’t set a date after getting engaged about three years ago so we could be talking ten year’s time at this rate) mainly based on the fact that you get the run of the house and all your guests stay with you – cool, no?

Whenever I go away the accommodation is always top of my priority list and Babington did not disappoint. We stayed in the stable block, which had a living room with a mezzanine bedroom and the most beautiful bathroom (I LOVE a good bathroom because mine at home is so boring). The grounds were glorious as Spring blooms were blossoming and the Cowshed Spa was the icing on the cake (we spent every morning in there and in the gorgeous heated outdoor pool). Too good and I wish you all had a sister as generous as mine to take you there.

Next time we want to stay in the cabin that you can see above. And then the time after that I’m thinking a walled garden room. And then… ok, maybe time to stop fantasising. But I do mean it about getting married there. Take a peek at a wedding at Babington House that Katharine Peachey shot – dreamy.

Anyhoo, back to the hot cross buns…

Katy x

*Image of pool and Cowshed Spa from the Babington House website. All other pics sneakily taken by me because you’re not really meant to use your camera there – sssshh!

katy 27th October 2015

Blogger tour of Leipzig

I was invited to Leipzig last weekend, a city in the east of Germany, to join a small group of bloggers to explore the city and the Designers’ Open. The region of Saxony has been undergoing a process of renewal over the last twenty five years, since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and I was honoured to be asked to come and experience it for myself. Having been a history teacher for many years and knowing so much about the German Democratic Republic it was fascinating to not only see this part of Germany but to find out more about its movement and progress. It’s almost unthinkable that twenty five years ago I wouldn’t have been able to enter the city, let alone leave. However, Leipzig has always been a centre of culture, a city of books and fairs with a mix of striking architecture seeped in history – so much to see and do!

I joined Carole, a fellow blogger from London, and Mia, who lives in Leipzig and is the editor of a very successful blogzine, Alabaster Maedchen. We spent our time meeting designers, seeing their work and discovering what lies at the heart of this vibrant cultural hub.

My highlight of the trip was the tour of the Spinnerei: an old cotton factory dating back to 1884 that is now filled with exhibition space and makers’ workshops. The buildings themselves were perfect examples of industrial architecture and as the door opened on studios, workshops and pieces of art I could feel the exciting energy of this special place. The workshop of Saxony Ducks was my dream workspace and their creations in the softest wool were stunning and I couldn’t resist an advent calendar based on the tales of the Brothers Grimm from graphic designer Katja Zwirnmann. The buildings have been beautifully restored to maintain all of the character of the original cotton factory, yet allow the artists to exhibit, make, develop and inspire: such an important project and reflective of the progress and creativity of the city.

Discovering Leipzig | Simply Saxony | Designers' Open 2015 | Spinnerei

Leipzig’s Spinnerei

The space that captured my imagination most was Claudia Biehne’s porcelain studio. Paper-thin porcelain bowls, vases and sculptures whose beauty lay in their fragility and each so unique in its shape and form. Claudia explained the design process, which just added to how precious each creation was. I absolutely love seeing the workspace of creatives so this was such a treat.

Discovering Leipzig | Simply Saxony | Designers' Open 2015 | Handmade ceramics

Porcelain pieces by Claudi Biehne

We spent all of Friday at the Designers’ Open, a great chance to explore and talk to designers to find out more about the concepts behind their designs. The exhibition space was filled with hand made ceramics, furniture, lighting, fashion and graphic design: a stage for new trends and a market place for new designs. I found a few products, including a kitchen unit that I’m still dreaming about, that I would have snapped up there and then if I didn’t have a teeny weeny baggage allowance.

Discovering Leipzig | Simply Saxony | Designers' Open 2015 | Concrete furniture

Concrete furniture and homewares by Betoniu

I loved these lamps made of concrete and coloured twine, handmade over several days by Oliver Schilf in his living room. I’d want three of these hanging in my kitchen!

I immediately fell for these stacking bowls painted with a traditional Japanese blue. Aren’t they beautiful in their simplicity?

The clever and sleek design of these milk jugs with a small sugar bowl stacked on top is brilliant.

We saw more designers around the city at a number of design ‘spots’. The Grassimuseum in the centre of the city hosted several projects by university students and more inspiration.

We were incredibly lucky to be shown the city by the lovely Mia, Alex and Anja – there’s nothing better than a bit of insider knowledge when discovering a new place and great to get an insight into daily life in the city. They took us to see the lakes, just a ten minute bike ride from the city centre, that is a popular spot in the summer but incredibly beautiful at this time of the year with the Autumnal colours of the woods that surround the water.

It was so wonderful to spend the weekend with such great people. Mia is one of the most interesting and generous people I have met in a long time and she and her partner, Alex, looked after us so well, taking us to good restaurants (we ate so well), to must-see spots and introduced us to some other local bloggers. Mia and Alex, you must come to London soon! Claudius and Anja were both so warm and went to great lengths to make sure we had the best possible experience. It was also really great to spend time with Carole and we had so much fun together – I can’t wait to come round for dinner, Carole! We also stayed in a hotel that I would highly recommend called Arcona Living Bach 14.

This is a place on the move, an ever-changing scene rich in culture and ready to change people’s perception of this part of the world. I loved meeting such generous people, discovering new designers and absorbing as much of the city as possible; I’m pretty sure it won’t stay the same for long and I look forward to seeing what its future holds.

Katy x

*This post was written in collaboration with Simply Saxony.

katy 2nd October 2015

Postcards from Wales and The Cotswolds

I don’t normally share photos of us out and about but we managed to capture a couple of days of sunshine and joy so I couldn’t help myself. Although, if you’re not keen on the outdoors or dogs, this probably isn’t the post for you – no offence taken 😉

So, on our recent trip to Wales we woke up on the Saturday morning and the beautiful kitchen was completely bathed in sun so we asked Dorian, who owns The Welsh House, which beach he would recommend for the day. He immediately suggested Barafundle Bay so we jumped in the car and an hour later there we were, coats abandoned in the car in favour of bare feet and t-shirts. It’s a National Trust sight and there are two beaches that you can walk to from Stackpole Quay, as well as a sweet tea room and garden (Barafundle Bay is the first and it is only about fifteen minutes walk from where you can park your car and then there is another larger beach if you carry on walking or you can drive to it).

The blue sky, bright, clean water and soft, fine sand were all heavenly and it could not have been more perfect – other than Otto drinking so much sea water that he vomited all over the floor of the tea room on the way home!

On our way down to Wales we decided to break the journey in half and stay at a dog friendly B&B for the night in Didmarton, in The Cotswolds. We had been here before a couple of years ago when we stayed at The Folly and it was then that we discovered the most amazing walk from the gatehouse in Didmarton down a three mile long avenue towards Badminton House. It was even better at this time of year with the sun shining and the grass long and green. We seem to always think in terms of finding the best dog walks these days and it doesn’t get much better than this. Total and complete freedom and so much joy. I think I’ll always remember this moment in time.

Happy weekend!

Katy x