The February Edit

Cosy cottagecore essentials - from floaty dresses & denim barn jackets to Indian quilts & decorative butter dishes (plus, the cottages to live out your bucolic dreams)

As I slowly compiled this month’s Edit (I add to it as things catch my eye throughout the month) I couldn’t help but notice an emerging theme — so I stuck to it. February’s Edit is very much the cosy cottagecore edition, packed with everything from floaty dresses, snuggly knits and denim barn jackets to Indian quilts, pretty floral artwork and decorative butter dishes; everything you need to kit out and cosy up at home to live out your bucolic dreams. And what country cottage collection would be complete without a couple of recommendations of cottages to book for a late winter or early spring getaway? And what better timing than Megan Rose Murray’s characterful cottages edit (featuring many of my favourites) being published on CN Traveller’s website just last week?

All of my Edits are filled with the curiosities of the internet that I genuinely love, from clothes and beauty to interiors and travel. But this one really is a little bit of me. I effortlessly see myself adorned in a pouffy white cotton dress, red knitted cardigan pulled over the top, settling down into one of the armchairs in one of the cottages on this list with a copy of Life Inside a Cottage. We’re planning a big renovation of the downstairs of our house this year, and although I don’t live in a cottage (my house was built in the 1930s and is very boxy with big windows overlooking the hills at the front and woods at the back) I want to re-create that snug, warm and welcoming ambiance I associate with cottages. Once the work is done, I’ll slowly be adding bursts of bright colour, unique artwork and layered patterned textiles throughout — the horse-themed ceramics and colourful quilts mentioned below are at the top of my list.

Make yourself a brew, settle down in your own favourite armchair and transport yourself away to your dream country cottage (or perhaps be inspired to book a weekend away?) with my February Edit.

Where better to start the cottagecore edit than with a book that will make you want to sell up and move? Life Inside a Cottage (publishing 23rd April) was written by Nell Card (senior editor at Inigo and The Modern House, where I spend many an hour wishing I was rich) and freelance creative director and stylist, Rachel Vere. Following an introduction examining the enduring allure of cottages, the book profiles the homes of artists and creatives, filled with inspirational photographs. It’s going to sit in pride of place on my book shelves, for me to pick up and consult as I decorate our home.

My favourite Instagram account at the moment is the joyful feed of Cottage on the Coast, a 1908 cottage on the Mendocino coast of California owned by four friends. If I was planning a trip to California right now, this is exactly where I’d want to stay. It’s simple yet charming, perched so close to the coast you’ll taste salt water on your lips when you step outside. But besides how utterly picturesque the cottage is, there’s just something so exuberant about how the friends behind it portray their time there. Candlelit dinner, cloudy day beach roams, early morning pyjama lounging, and bath tub sharing with wine and books — gah, I just want to step into my screen. Not to mention their lush recent collaboration with fave perfume brand, ffern. Book via Airbnb.

I’m completely head-over-heels in love with Beyond Nine’s Bea denim jacket. It’s that perfect denim barn jacket I’ve been searching for for years, that would be so effortless to throw on over absolutely everything. Layer it up during the winter months with warm knits, then use it as a light layer the rest of the year. I adore its loose, boxy fit and all those pockets, perfect for everything from your phone and wallet to foraging wild flowers or just shunning a bag and carrying all your essentials. It’s definitely an investment piece, but one that I’m seriously considering treating myself to this spring.

Perhaps a bit of a random inclusion, but I can’t stop thinking about this Pasadena bathroom designed by Rearth Design. I love everything from the murky colour palette to the dark marble shower to that cosy little reading nook — but it’s the bathtub placed right in front of those big windows that I can’t get enough of. In my dream cottage, I’d do exactly that: add a tub with a view, where you can soak for hours reading a book and gazing out at the countryside. Dreamy.

Small British brand, Elwin caught my eye late last year, when I stumbled upon an Instagram post and fell in love with their timeless knitwear. This vibrant red Ada cardigan is my favourite piece, which I envision snuggling up in all year round either thrown on over a white poplin dress or with a simple t-shirt and jeans. Knitted in the round (no seams) and crafted from super-soft lambswool, its boxy cropped silhouette is exactly what I’ve been looking for. All in all, the perfect, timeless cardigan!

I have a soft spot for beautiful textiles, and a long-time adoration of Indian kanthas (quilts). I recently discovered Parisian brand, Simrane and immediately made a wish list of almost everything on their website — their curtains and clothing are beautiful, but it’s their quilts I really have my eye on. Block printed by the same families of craftspeople in India they’ve worked with since 1970, their quilts bring both colour and pattern to your bed or sofa. It’s almost impossible to choose a favourite, but I love the idea of choosing a contrasting colour to bring an extra dimension to your room or picking up on the colours in a design to subtly match to an artwork.

Located just outside Edinburgh, Penicuik Estate has been calling to me for sometime now. Boasting a collection of houses and cottages designed by Fantoush, the characterful hideaways here are all unique, encouraging guests to return time and time again to discover them all. Alongside soaking up those gorgeous interiors and soaking in their large bathtubs, guests can roam the estate, brave wild swims, bake in the wood-fired sauna and even hire a private chef to cater their stay. The sixteen-bed main house is a feast for the eyes for larger gatherings or celebrations, while Palladian spa house, Eskfield would be my choice of the cottages for that orangery-style living room, massive tub, and private spa.

When Lucy Williams x Pelican House released their first collection entitled Havens last year, I was smitten. Three more designs have just been added to the beautifully designed range of hand-crafted rugs, inspired yet again by Lucy’s most beloved places: England, Wales and Greece. Yet more year of the fire horse inspiration here, as it’s folk art inspired Frith, inspired by the English countryside’s pastoral beauty and adorned with horse motifs that I’ve fallen in love with. Not surprising, as it was Acres, again inspired by folk art and the English countryside that I fell in love with from the debut collection.

I can’t stop thinking about this utterly (butterly) perfect butterdish, which has sadly already sold. Lucy McCall’s small batch ceramics remind me of old English and Swedish folk art. Using slab and hand-building methods, Lucy creates folklore inspired, colourful ceramics that often feature cowgirls and horses — perfect to commemorate the year of the fire horse. Everything is a one-off and tends to sell quite quickly, so it’s worth keeping an eye on her Instagram to find out when she’ll be releasing new work. Once my new kitchen is complete, I’ll be trying to get my hands on one of her treasures to place in pride of place.

This dress. This beautiful, beautiful dress (which is sadly out of my price range, or I’d already be wearing it). Christy Dawn’s Simoneta dress is the exact dress I envision myself wearing over my favourite months of spring and summer. Throw a colourful cardigan, denim barn jacket or fun knitted vest over it to layer, or just let it sing on its own. It’s perfection in dress form, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I imagine it will fly out, so if you’re similarly besotted but have a bigger bank account than me, don’t dawdle.

I’ve only recently discovered Diane Forbes’ artwork, and I couldn’t be more smitten. Of course, her work features my most favourite subject (beautifully painted flowers), but the colour combinations and her whimsical style really appeal to me. This piece in particular would bring so much life into a room. Diane’s works include the intricate layering of textures, drawing from Japanese cut-paper collage for unique, breathtaking pieces of art.

Spring Cottage in the heart of the Cotswolds is high up on my list of bucolic getaways I’d love to visit for a cosy staycation. It’s just the right side of chintzy, with the cutest canary yellow gingham curtains adding so much cheer to its kitchen. Also, a piano in the kitchen is something I would never have thought of, but am now obsessed with. I love the idea of cooking while my partner plonks away on the keys. Cotswolds hotels tend to be a little too stuffy for me, so I love the idea of staying in this cosy little den and getting to know this part of the English countryside better on my own terms.

I love everything Studio Ren designs, and have several of her pieces on regular rotation in my wardrobe. She’s recently released her spring/summer collection (although all her pieces are timeless) and the stand-out garment for me is this simple prarie skirt embellished with a fun little trim. I only ever buy clothes that I’d wear over and over again, all year round, and can easily see this being a cornerstone of my wardrobe for years to come.

I’ve had Napiers apothecary saved on my Google Maps for Edinburgh for a while now (side note: I’m really itching for an Edinburgh trip, there are so many places I want to eat, drink and shop) so I instantly clocked when my photography peer Sarah Kelley paid a visit there recently and picked up this Neroli Blossom Water. If you know me, you know that neroli is one of my absolute favourite scents, and I also love a toner. I’d be spritzing this on my pillow and cushions just as much as my face, carrying that uplifting fragrance throughout my home (/imaginary cottage).

If I’m sharing the cottages I’d love to stay in, despite this not being a recent discovery, I have to include Rogue’s Cottage in Deal, as it’s been on my wish list for ever so long. This beautifully decorated two-bed seaside cottage is an absolute dream — Ottoline wallpaper, patchwork quilts, paint-box walls, chequerboard tiles, and a huge copper tub all combine to create the holiday home of dreams. The Kent coast has long been tempting me, so perhaps this summer is the time to finally book a bit of a road trip and spend a couple of days besotted with Rogue’s Cottage’s decor.

Here’s a short review of everything I’ve been reading lately. Affiliate links below.

Gliff by Ali Smith — I read this for the second time immediately prior to reading Ali Smith’s new book, Glyph which is a companion novel. Plus, it was my January read for my local book club. I don’t know why I haven’t picked up any of Smith’s previous work, as I love how she writes and now want to read it all! Out of these two, I think I preferred Gliff; the story has stuck with me more and I was quite disappointed at first that Glyph didn’t return to the same characters. Despite the characters being new and the link between the two being more tedious than I first thought, both books play around with language and involve sibling relationships and horses. Gliff’s dystopian landscape definitely appealed to me more than Glyph’s story which is set very much in the present day.

Night Babies by Lucie McKnight Hardie (ARC) —I flew through this! Lucie McKnight Hardy is fast becoming one of my favourite authors; I’ve loved all three of her books. Her writing somehow captures natural landscapes and a sense of place perfectly, which also being intensely creepy and menacing. Folk horror at its absolute best! Set predominantly in the Brecon Beacons, Night Babies focuses on a couple who are uprooted from their house in the suburbs and have to move into a chapel on their friend’s land. I don’t want to give too much away, but there’s a growing sense of dread throughout and I felt genuinely scared on the last few pages.

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight — I have real mixed feelings about this book. There was so much potential for this to be a great story, but it felt like it needed a really heavy edit. The main plot is a Brideshead-esque story of a stranger being absorbed the lives of a wealthy family living in a grand old house in the Scottish countryside, which I was definitely invested in — but there were so many distractions. The POV of the protagonist was often interrupted by side characters in a way that felt confusing and irrelevant. Too much time was taken up with sub-plots of university friends that didn’t add anything to the story. The author and protagonist are Canadian, and several things mentioned that were supposed to be in Scotland (names of magazines and sweets, for example) seemed to be Canadian and not Scottish. The time the book was set in was really vague but seemed to be the mid-2000s, but this needed more grounding. I think with a really tight edit, I would’ve loved this book, so these small nigly bits really bugged me!

Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle — I first read this fantasy novel a few years ago, and recently acquired its sequel, Stranger Skies by Pascale Lacelle after spotting that the final book in the trilogy (Infinite Shores) will be released in April. I’m not big into fantasy novels, but love a little escapism every now and again. This series really drew me in as all the magic is tied to the cycles of the moon, which I LOVE. The characters are nuanced and interesting, the world-building is detailed and brilliant, and the plot is keeping me thoroughly hooked. At the time of writing this, I’m halfway through the second book and already eagerly anticipating the third.

As for what I want to read next — March looks like a very busy month for new releases! I have my eye on a huge list of books being released next month, although I’m going to resist and only allow myself to purchase one or two for now (I need to focus on getting through the huge pile of books I already own and stock up on paperbacks for my upcoming travels). New releases that are tempting me next month include: Almost Life by Kiran Milwood Hargrave, Under Water by Tara Menon, Body Double by Hanna Johansson, Celestrial Lights by Cecile Pin and In Bloom by Liz Allan.

Apologies for being quiet on here recently. You may have caught my note from last week, but I’ve been fighting writer’s block this month. I start writing a newsletter and fall out of love with the topic halfway through. It only seems to be with my personal writing — I just don’t feel inspired, probably because I haven’t actually travelled anywhere for a while now. But ideas are brewing, commissions are being negotiated, and trips are being planned. There’s so much to come this year that I’ll struggle to write about it all here! Just, please, bear with me.

Also, I’ll be writing more diaries of my work and travels from April (I’m hoping to make this a monthly feature), so if that’s why you’re here, hang tight! In the meantime, you can read my previous diaries here.

Emma xx