Wood, white walls and nothing extra: cozy cottage in England

English photographer and blogger Sarah Tasker was inspired by the aesthetic of white interiors in her teenage years when she spent long hours browsing magazines about English homes. That's when she first repainted her blue teenage bedroom and fell in love with white walls forever.

Years later, when Sarah was searching for suitable housing for her family with her husband and young daughter, she came across a cottage in one of the rural areas of Yorkshire. The former owners couldn't sell it for years: something always put potential buyers off. But the couple immediately understood that this was exactly what they needed! After purchasing and moving in, Sarah set to work redecorating the house according to her preferences.

According to Sarah, the interior was overloaded with color, an abundance of textiles and décor. The unusual pine kitchen in a country style from the 1950s used to serve as a shop counter and was originally dark reddish-brown in color. Sarah decided to repaint it first, without sanding or even preparing the surface. However, this now gives the kitchen a unique texture, slightly vintage, which is exactly what the owner loves.

Next, they whitewashed the walls, cleared the ceiling beams and made them darker and more expressive. The floors were left as they were.

With the textiles on the windows, Sarah said goodbye to almost everything in an uncompromising manner. First of all, some windows are decorated with stained glass, which already adds to their visual weight and décor. Secondly, Sarah is convinced that the lack of natural daylight caused by heavy use of curtains makes white walls and floors look dull and yellowish.

The beds in the master and guest bedrooms were custom-made, part of the furniture was bought at local stores and markets, while some chairs, lamps and accessories were purchased from small handmade studios.

There is no single unnecessary item in the interior of this house – everything that appears here is planned for years of use. It’s unlikely to be called stinginess – rather, it's a special approach, a desire not to let anything extra into your life and surround yourself and your family only with what is truly important.

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