a cosy cottage & what makes a home from home

I am obsessed with all things cosy.  Never mind that it’s July – give me a cosy cottage, a cup of tea and a good book, and I’ll be happy.  (As long as there’s WiFi, too).  Cosiness makes me happy, and is the no.1 thing I keep my eye out for when looking for a place for a mini break.  So when the opportunity arose to spend a few days in a lovely, cosy cottage in Pembrokeshire with Coastal Cottages, you bet I jumped at the chance.  Can you blame me?  I basically spent the whole time saying ‘yep, I could definitely live here’ and planning where I’d keep my cereal, so I guess you could say I liked our cottage just a wee bit.

Warning that I’m probably going to use the words ‘cute’ and ‘cosy’ an irritating number of times in this post, so ummm… sorry about that.  I do love me some cute and cosy.

For this post I thought I’d share a few things that make a cottage oh so perfect for me – I’m sure some of you would agree!

— Personal touches.  I LOVE staying somewhere with an interesting history and unique features – the whole experience feels so much more personal than any hotel stay.  I’m an absolute sucker for a cute story and knowing where everything’s come from.  According to the information book, Rock House had been in the family for years and recently been restored, with things like the chair belonging to the owners’ mother and the blinds being their first venture into crafting.  We all know how much I love a handcrafted item.

— Modern traditional styling.  The general feel of a place is obviously down to personal taste, but my favourites are always modern with a traditional feel.   Old beams and original stone walls but with a fab shower and kitchen, yes please.  This particular cottage had lots of bespoke features and amazing attention to detail.  My tall self doesn’t mind ducking through short doorways for that!

— A mini library.  Never mind if I’ve brought my own book, I’ll still have a nosy through yours.  Books make a house feel more like a home (away from home), and it can be a great introduction to authors that you wouldn’t normally pick up or by.

— A log burner. OK so lighting a fire proved far more difficult than I expected (why won’t you burn, kindling?) but I’m fairly sure that’s down to my own dimwittery.  A log burner just gives the whole room such a warm, comforting feeling at any time of year.  We all know that you can’t rely on the sunshine in the UK so might as well embrace the cosy!  Chuck on a few cosy checked blankets and you’re sorted.

— A spot to peoplewatch.  Never was there ever a more addictive pastime than peoplewatching, agreed?  We spent a good part of this trip out and about, and most of the time we did spend at the cottage it was raining, so we didn’t get chance to make the most of the peoplewatching spots on this occasion.  But it’s certainly something my nosy self looks out for.  The Herbrandston village carnival started on the day we left, too, dammit!  We could’ve joined in (watching, that is, not dressing up).  If peoplewatching leads to more conversation, all the better.

— Excellent brew making facilities.  Because 3 days without tea or coffee just isn’t happening.  I was actually really impressed with how well this kitchen was kitted out for a small space – it doesn’t feel cramped or lacking at all!

— Light and bright inside.  I really dislike being in dark and dingy rooms (my future house will be decided based on the size of its windows, seriously) – so anything, light, bright, and white is a winner for me.  Give me all the roof windows!  You get me, ‘grammers, don’t you?

— WiFi.  Because what’s the point in cosy if you can’t binge Netflix and YouTube, huh?

How about you, what makes your holiday accommodation feel like a home away from home?

Our stay at Rock House was complimentary thanks to Coastal Cottages, however all words, opinions, and love of cosy cottages are my own.  Thanks to Coastal and to the owners of Rock House for making our mini break happen!

Lily Kate x

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