dowlerjameshouse (2024)

21/10/2023

(Kind of an ad, I’ll explain).

Candle warmers are my new obsession and so perfect for those expensive candles that you don’t want to burn but do want to smell. They also give the most beautiful warm glow and gently warm the wax so that it melts and releases the scent.

This was technically from a paid partnership with but it was was a photography partnership and I’m not obligated to post but I did get the products as part of the collaboration (if that all makes sense). I just think you’ll all love them!

They did gave me a discount code to share with you all which is DJH15 for 15% off!

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01/10/2023

I’ve had a bit of a backlog of things I’ve wanted to post recently but this was something I knew I deserved a spot.

Last Saturday I went to a Design Master class at the beautiful home of

I was so incredible to see her stunning house and to hear the way that she talks about design. I have been a huge fan of Abi for years now and I’ve consumed so much of her content that I was concerned that I might not learn anything new. I came away with six pages of notes and a list of action points for the house. I’m super excited to get started on these when I am back from NYC next week! 🗽

21/09/2023

Posting every day so far is going really well. I’ve actually lost four followers ✨(maybe it’s me).

Either way I’m crawling to the end of this week. Hang in there friends!

20/09/2023

You’ll never guess where I am off to on Saturday? It’s finally time for my design masterclass with and I simply cannot wait.

Here’s four of my favourite AA sculptures 🩶

19/09/2023

A bit of nothingness for a Tuesday.

I personally think that Tuesdays are so much worse than Mondays because on Monday you at least know what to expect 🤷🏽‍♂️

This was a fresh flower bunch that I bought from Aldi and then just hung upside for a few weeks until they dried out. I do like a dried flower bouquet 💐

18/09/2023

Hopefully this might bring a little joy to your Monday. A little Black Labrador that was definitely not bribed with treats to sit nicely for a photo 👀

Can you believe that Dougal has been with us for nearly two years?! He just lights up our days. I cannot even walk past him without telling him how cute he is or giving him a squidge.

Swipe for baby Dougs ➡️

17/09/2023

I haven’t posted in months 😅. I think I just got in my head and started to believe that each post had to be better than the last and I got caught up with the likes and engagement rate so it was easier to just give up.

I think that a lot of my followers were people who created home accounts in lockdown and then abandoned the accounts when life got busy again so my engagement just went 📉 when things got back to normal which was really disheartening.

It’s not all about the likes, I genuinely love interiors, it affects my mood so much and in order to keep progressing with the house, I’ve decided to try being consistent for 30 days by posting every day 😅. Well, at least five times a week. They won’t be funky or well put together reels and will likely just be stills but this is more about creating a habit for me.

This is a little autumn vignette, it’s all from except the dried fruits.

09/04/2023

Happy Easter! This is my first post in two months. I fell out of love with Instagram a little but I was just doing my skincare and looked at the upstairs hallway and fell in love with the house again. Snapped a quick photo and then also found a before so swipe for that.

We still have a way to go but it's mainly finishing touches and some room colour changes.

12/02/2023

Giveaway time 📖🏆

I haven’t done one of these for a while but I’ve have felt so much joy from my books recently that I wanted to do an interiors/coffee table book themed giveaway!

You’ll all know that I love Abigail Ahern so I’m giving away two books on how to master maximalism! Everything and Masterclass worth £60 😁

PRIZE:

2 x Abigail Ahern Interior Books
Masterclass and Everything

How to Enter:

FOLLOW:
Aaron 🏡 | Interior Decor]

LIKE this post

SHARE this post to your stories for an extra entry (don't forget to tag Aaron 🏡 | Interior Decor] so I can see it!)

TAG your friends (one tag per comment and each one will count as an entry)

The small print

- Instagram and Abigail Ahern are not affiliated with this competition
- This competition is only open to people who live in the UK
- You will only be contacted by this account if you win, I will never ask you for any bank details. Your address and email would be the only thing I ask for.

Entries will be counted until midday on Sunday 26th February and the winner will be announced by Monday 27th February.

21/01/2023

Good morning 😘

I’ve been a bit quiet on the feed. With it being no spend and dry Jan I’ve just been taking some time to work on my mental space.

I’ve been selling a lot too and it’s been really nice seeing things leave the house without me immediately buying more to replace it.

This weekend will be another chilled on. It’s my 30th in May and I think I’ve decided I want to be on holiday so I’m going to do some holiday planning and then also do some planning for finishing touches for some rooms.

Have a lovely weekend 😁

29/12/2022

Happy what ever day it is.

With all the excitement of Christmas I forgot to tell you that Matt got me the camera that I wanted! I’m feeling incredibly lucky 😁

Canon came out the winner when I put a poll up so I went for the Canon M50 ii.

These are the first few shots, I’m still learning now to use it but having so much fun with it so far.

I moved around the study yesterday so it’s a little more spacious and I already have so much more mental clarity because of it.

26/12/2022

I hope everyone had a lovely day yesterday 🖤

This is probably the last photo of the tree that I’ll get away with this year so felt right to feature our little one.

I’ve been thinking a lot about goal setting for next year and I keep coming back to the idea of living a ‘soft life’. To enjoy moments without taken them too seriously and follow my heart in what makes me happy. To just show up as my authentic self instead of other peoples ideas of me.

Hustle culture really done a number on me this year and I’m a little knackered so instead of setting myself huge goals, I’ve decided to focus on friends, family, health and happiness.

Oh. . . also to get hair as shiny as Dougal.

23/12/2022

ad. Twas the night before the night before Christmas.

Now I don't usually make a habit of sitting in the garden in peak winter. Still, something is always magical in the air a few days before Christmas. You can just feel a certain electricity. I can almost picture Santa's Sleigh zooming across the sky. Hey ho (ho, ho), only two more sleeps.

21/12/2022

ad. It's feeling pretty magical in the Dowler-James Household. All of the wrapping is done, the fairy lights are on most of the evening. I am patiently waiting for the weather to warm up so that I can get back out and enjoy (and work on) the garden.

13/12/2022

Swipe for lights 🚦🌲

I haven’t shown you this tree just yet but I am obsessed with it. This is the Vermount White Spruce from I just love that it's pre lit 😍

I feel hideously underprepared for Christmas this year because work has been hectic. I am quite full when it comes to work and I often find that holidays really creep up on me, and I don't notice until it's too late. Next year I am making a solid effort to separate work from real life and try to really be present 🖤

12/12/2022

ad. The weather outside might be frightful at the moment but this set up is oh so delightful. I love to bring warmth into the garden with wicker, fabric, blankets, and other elements. I also love bringing the Christmas decorations from inside to out, when the weather permits of course.

This was taken on a warmer day but I think if I was out there now then in the words of Sia 'I'm going to swing from the chandelier' (and by chandelier I mean hanging patio heater).

Have a great day!

30/11/2022

The first tree is up and I’m really getting into the festive spirit.

For this tree I have gone for really simple copper lights hung vertically (this is a good hack when your tree is in a corner because you don't have to do the lights around back).

I've also gone with some dehydrated oranges as my current decorations but I may well add to that!

Who’s trees are up?!

25/11/2022

Truth be told, I have had a running google doc of things to buy for Black Friday since mid-October. It's part of the perils of working in eCommerce.

My mind has already jumped ahead to garden furniture and accessories for our phase two garden renovation. I'm sharing some wishlist items from Moda over on my stories that fit nicely into the plans for next year. I am OBSESSED with the Austal Floor Lamp, so there is a good chance it will be purchased in the sale.

My Salone Cubo 4 set has gone into the sale from £2,750 down to £1,925 🫢

ad | Gifted set

21/11/2022

There are whispers of Christmas in the Dowler James household. I picked up these beautiful glass candlestick holders and coloured candles last week and I just adore them.

I was originally planning on unpacking the whole of Christmas the weekend just gone but I got carried away cleaning the house (I’m sure I’m not the only one who has to unpack Christmas into a pristine house?)

Is your tree out of the loft yet? 👀

13/11/2022

A simpler post on the feed today.

I have been racking my brain for a new colour for the lounge for months now. I always tend to gravitate towards greens but I just can’t choose a green for this space.

This colour is Cornforth White by

I also love Treron but I already have that on my house exterior and conservatory 🫢

11/11/2022

It’s finally Friday 🙌🏽

Lately I have been really trying to carve out time to just do the things I enjoy and the things that my soul needs. My mind has been running at 1000mph at the moment and it can mentally feel super frustrating to try and slow down. My mind and body thank me for it though.

I like to get outside and read a book, practise a bit of mindfulness and just try to enjoy a slower pace. I have been exercising a lot more lately and I can’t wait to start doing yoga out on the patio when it’s warmer.

ad - Gifted Moda Furnishings Set

04/11/2022

Do we all remember the saga I had with this little leather sofa in my study? I have to keep reminding myself to sit on it to make it all worth it 😂

I also recently got a standing desk in this room and it’s made me SO much more productive. I am wondering whether I need an under desk treadmill now too, or is that a little to Devil Wears Prada? 😅

25/10/2022

Dougal is judging me for already thinking about Christmas decorations. It’s October right? So it’s fine? Asking for a friend.

We are using the garden less and less as winter climbs in but on the sunny days I certainly try to make the most of it. On average, I have around four blankets per room so it’s never really an issue for warmth. I love the amount of texture going on in this photo. The flecked grey fabric of the cushions with the industrial aluminium frames from my set and then thrown in with some a dried bouquet and some taupe colours is just perfection.

ad - Gifted Moda Furnishings Set

06/10/2022

Happy Thursday! I honestly hate how much I look forward to the weekend, I never thought I would be that kind of person.

How is everyone?! I’m in declutter mode at the moment (I know I always say that) but I’ve started a one in, three out policy in the hopes that it will help my mind feel a bit clearer.

27/09/2022

WFH.

I actually don’t *hate* going into the office. I’d just prefer less days per week. The two days I get at home per week I do love. I work in partnerships so a big part of my role is to talking to people so little moments of quiet can be beautiful.

26/09/2022

There is something that I just adore about Autumn, I recently found out that the colour palette that goes best with my skin tone and eye colour is ‘soft autumn’ so expect more of these earth taupe and brown tones throughout this season.

Phase one of the garden is done and Dougal and I are both fans. I quite like the cold as long as I am snuggled up with a coffee (or mulled wine) and several blankets. When the garden is completely finished, we really want it to be an extension of the house. Starting with our Moda Furnishings set. It will be a space that we can use all year round!

Ad - gifted garden furniture

16/05/2022

AD | Here is a rare glimpse of Dougal in the garden when he is not eating whatever he can find. Although, admittedly, I sacrificed many a treat to get this shot.

I have been relaxing in the garden after work today whilst pulling together some quotes for the renovations. Gosh, who knew garden renovations could be so expensive. I have to create a garden worthy of my set though 👀

30/04/2022

The study is starting to finally feel like I had originally envisioned it! I picked up this beautiful cabinet last week from . I wanted it that much that I purchased it and then had to emergency hire a van the next day 😅.

Paint colour is Smudge by

17/04/2022

Happy Easter!

I can’t figure out if the two lamps work on this sideboard or not? This large gold lamp was kicked out of the study because it’s so big that there wasn’t a table top big enough for it.

16/04/2022

It’s been incredibly hard to photograph the study with the sofa in the window. Sometimes a window and natural light just doesn’t work in your favour.

I haven’t stopped going on about sofagate but I am so lucky to have come across this sofa on FB marketplace after having mine delivered damaged.

I’m super pleased with how the study is coming together. Don’t get me wrong, I believe it was beautiful before but I wanted to make it more of a living area and sanctuary for myself.

I just ran outside to lop off some of the cherry blossom and I really think it works in this area.

Paint colour is Smudge by 😊

18/07/2021

Okay yes this is an empty room but can you blame me for posting?

I was quite stressed yesterday about our radiator leak and also how much I needed to get done this weekend. Fast forward one day and Matt has put the ceiling rose and light up as a surprise whilst I was out yesterday. I also found a last minute plumber to come and cap the radiators and I’ve even done some work.

This time next week this room will just be 🤌🏽

I am by no means a DIY expert but I am SO pleased with how the panelling turned out. I knew it was a big ask to have it on every wall but we managed to do it in just under two days.

dowlerjameshouse