Get their look: Fireside cottage Christmas

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A post shared by Rachel | thepinkcottage (@thepinkcottageadventure)

I’ve held out for as long as I could! It’s December… I’m coming to terms with the fact that Christmas is just a few weeks away. Everyone’s Instagram squares are full of Christmas crafts & decorations; welcoming wreaths on front doors, advent calenders on the go, tastefully trimmed trees, home-made mince pies, puddings and sloe gin. I’ve just not got my act together this year – nothing has been prepared!

This week’s house is one of the most like our own that we’ve ever featured… we too have garlands of hops hanging from our old beams, we’ve also re-purposed a vintage steamer trunk as a coffee table (and make good use of the storage it affords inside). We have brown leather armchairs, enamel chamber sticks and brass candleholders, wicker baskets and woollen throws…

…and this image is most likely what we’ll be doing on the 25th of December – enjoying a cosy fireside cottage Christmas day.

We’ll be spending this Yuletide ‘à deux’ or ‘à trois’ if you include Barley the Weimaraner. At 4 months old, it will be his very first cottage Christmas, and he’s already discovered that he loves sitting in front of a warming fire!

Get their look

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Wooden tree ornament

White Wee Willie Winkie candle holder

Vintage steamer trunk

Singer treadle sewing machine

Tea light houses

Winter evergreen wreath

Dried hops garland

Fireview stove

Wooden tree ornament

White Wee Willie Winkie candle holder

Vintage steamer trunk

Singer treadle sewing machine

Tea light houses

Winter evergreen wreath

Dried hops garland

Fireview stove

Price Points: Fire guards

Fire guards

Last week, we ordered a puppy gate for our expectant arrival. This week, we decided that we’d have to order another canine safety accessory; that’s when we went in hunt of fire guards.

We have two wood burning stoves in this cottage and we’re coming into the season where they’re going to be put to use. They have secure, glass doors, so they don’t spit embers out into the room. However, it may take a young puppy a while to realise just how hot and dangerous they can be. To prevent any catastrophes, and until he learns to keep well away, we’ll place a barrier in front of them while they’re chuffing away.

Because storage is at a premium, one that is able to collapse down and fold away when not in use is preferred. I’m completely in love with the antique one from Etsy, it would look fabulous in our house!

Shaylee steel fireplace tool: £31.99, Wayfair
53cm (h) x 50cm (w) x 16.5cm (d)
Ivyline surround fire screen: £98.00, John Lewis
71cm (h) x 50.5cm (w) x 24cm (d)
Antique fire guard: £150.00, Etsy
Approximate measurements 77cm (h) x 120cm (w) x 47cm (d) (when opened)

shop fire guards

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Antique fire guard
£150.00

Ivyline surround fire screen
£98.00

Shaylee steel fireplace tool
£31.99

Antique fire guard
£150.00

Ivyline surround fire screen
£98.00

Shaylee steel fireplace tool
£31.99

Antique fire guard
£150.00

Ivyline surround fire screen
£98.00

Shaylee steel fireplace tool
£31.99

Antique fire guard
£150.00

Ivyline surround fire screen
£98.00

Shaylee steel fireplace tool
£31.99

Antique fire guard
£150.00

Ivyline surround fire screen
£98.00

Shaylee steel fireplace tool
£31.99

Price Points: Moisture meters

Have you turned the heating on yet? We’ve had the radiators on a couple of times in the past week or so. We mainly have the wood-burning stove chuffing away in whatever room we’re spending most of our time, rather than heating the entire house.

We also have our new Esse stove that needs feeding with logs a few of times per day. Its instruction manual stresses how important it is to only use dry material. Wood that is too wet can ruin the stove and coat the flue and create build-up. It’s recommended that you use logs with no more than 20% moisture content.

The only way to be absolutely certain that your fuel is dry enough is to test it with a moisture meter. It’s the same tool that surveyors use to test walls for rising and penetrating damp. Simply stick the prongs into the centre of the log and the LED display will tell you if the wood is ready to be used.

Moisture meters are relatively inexpensive – £15 to £30 in general. We actually bought #1; it’s affordable and comes with spare pins and battery. A small price to pay to ensure that our stove and wood-burning stoves are being treated with care and heating the house effectively and efficiently.

Dr. Meter digital wood moisture meter with 2 spare sensor pins and one 9V battery: £16.99 Amazon
Faithfull damp & moisture meter LCD display Faidetdamp: £18.00, Travis Perkins
Brennenstuhl moisture detector MD: £20.39, Machine Mart

shop moisture meters

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.