We've been obsessing over this photo of author Bella Pollen’s Oxfordshire bathroom for months on end and now seems as good a time as any to bring it forth. There is something so incredibly serene about this space. We imagine the walls are painted some chalky shade from Paint & Paper Library, probably Stone or Slate if we should hazard a guess. Beyond that, we love the subtle layering of textures and colours - the way the palette of the handwoven Moroccan kilim is picked up in the red tape trimming the drapery and the yellow piping that accents the slipcovered armchair and footstool. Despite its grandeur, it doesn’t feel overthought or the least bit pretentious but rather a place for unfettered lounging.

Word has it that Pollen’s husband handled the architectural side of things when it came to renovating the dilapidated Georgian house that they scooped up in the charming hamlet of Westwell. In what was perhaps the ultimate romantic gesture, he hired landscape designer Justin Spink to overhaul the property’s six acres so that no matter which window Bella gazed out whilst writing her latest novel, there would be flowers blooming (swoon). With winter upon us, I’m sure a fire in the hearth will take it up a notch in the months ahead. Speaking of, there’s something so wonderfully cozy about a fireplace tub-side and you need not have conventional venting to set one ablaze. Purveyors of ventless fireplaces like Vauni and Gel Fireplaces use eco-friendly bioethanol fuel allowing installation just about anywhere…

On a side note, this photo was snapped by the legendary photographer Francois Halard. His latest monograph, A Visual Education, has just been released and is chockablock with images that are equally worth salivating over.

Photograph © Francois Halard / Vogue (US)