Simple, soulful ideas inspired by our journey building a characterful retreat in the hills of Mid-Wales

When we first started building Quabbs Cabin, we didn’t set out with a grand design. We just knew we wanted to create a place that felt… right. A place full of warmth and welcome, built with heart and a good dash of elbow grease. A little bit quirky, a little bit wild, and full of things that tell a story.

Over time — through muddy boots, reclaimed floorboards, and many mugs of tea — we learned that styling a soulful space isn’t about trends or perfectly matched cushions. It’s about feeling. It’s about memory. And it’s often about giving an old object a second chance.

Whether you’re creating your own little cabin, refreshing your home, or just love a peek behind the scenes — here are 7 things we’ve learned from building and styling Quabbs:

1. Frame the Bed Around the View

The bed isn’t just a place to sleep — it sets the tone for the whole experience.

At Quabbs, we knew the meadow view was something special. That soft morning light drifting over the fields… sheep pottering about their day… the mist clinging to the hedge line in early spring. So, we placed the handmade bed so that guests can lie back and take it all in. No TV required — just the rolling hills and the occasional curious blackbird.

Example:
If you’re setting up a bedroom, try placing the bed to face a window or door. It doesn’t have to be a sweeping view — a tree that changes with the seasons, the bird feeder, a patch of sky, or even the wisteria winding around the porch posts can create a calming focal point. Hang linen curtains that catch the breeze and let the light wake you gently.

Tip: Think about what guests will see first thing in the morning, the view they will wake up slowly with their coffee. That moment matters more than you think and they will remember it. ‘remember when we woke up to the sheep outside the cabin bedroom window…’

2. Let Old Objects Live New Lives

This is probably our favourite rule. There’s something joyful about finding an object that’s a bit battered, a bit forgotten — and giving it a second life.

Our most famous example? The old grandfather clock that we turned into a cocktail cabinet. We call it the Clocktail Cabinet. It raises eyebrows, starts conversations, and it’s now a firm favourite among guests (especially after a stroll along the Dyke to the pub and back).

Example:
We also repurposed scaffolding boards nto wall coverings, used a vintage French mixing bowl as a hand basin, an old kettle into a bird house and turned a vintage tractor tyre into a herb planter for guests to help themselves. These are the sorts of things that give a space its charm.

Tip: Next time you’re in a charity shop, an auction, or raiding your gran’s attic, ask yourself: what else could this be? It might just become the centrepiece. remember you are free to paint it, alter it and to do as you like – it’s your item!

3. Add a Statement Bath (and Make It a Moment)

At Quabbs, our copper bath sits in the window, catching the light and inviting long soaks. It’s become one of our most photographed features — and for good reason. There’s something deeply luxurious about a beautiful bath in a beautiful setting. The glow it gives off as the sun is setting against the copper is magical.

But it’s not just about the tub. We surround it with natural textures — reclaimed wood, a handmade bath board, soft high quality towels (really important in our book) , dried wildflowers from the hedgerows and meadow, homemade toiletries and little glass jars of homemade bath salts. It’s a whole moment.

Example:
Even if you don’t have a freestanding bath, you can create a ritual around bathing. Add a wooden stool with candles, tuck a basket of fluffy towels nearby, and place a little plant or bundle of rosemary by the tap.

Tip: It’s not about size. It’s about how the space feels. Make it calm, natural, and a little indulgent.

4. Curate, Don’t Decorate

The cabin wasn’t filled all at once. It was gathered. Slowly. Over years.

We’ve picked things up from auctions, mooching in thrift stores in the USA – while Mr M has that pained look of ‘and how are you thinking we will get that home…’ flea markets, family sheds, and a wonderful little charity shop in Knighton. Our sideboard once lived in our school science block. The table has age marks on (I love that!). The centre lamps were £5 and had to be rewired (thanks Paul). But it works because everything feels personal.

Example:
Guests often comment on our coat hooks and shelves. We’ve filled them with a mixture of eclectic finds from all over, countryside tales and diaries, a vintage ornamental tree, vintage wildlife guides, and the odd thing you might not recognise. They’re not styled — they’re lived-in. That’s the difference.

Tip: Don’t rush to buy everything at once. Let your space evolve, and choose things that make you feel something — not just match something.

5. Use Natural and Reclaimed Materials

Quabbs was built with our heart and own hands — and those of friends and family who popped round for “a quick cuppa” and ended up carrying timber or holding ladders.

We used local timber, old barn wood, corrugated tin from the hen pen, and even leftover fence posts and gifted sandstone slabs. We have begged bit from people’s gardens, which are now thriving in the cabin garden. It’s not perfectly square and styled to a new home level, and it was never meant to be. That’s what makes it feel so warm.

Example:
The kitchen shelves were a free item I found on marketplace – just painted a lovely teal and voila! The porch beams were once part of the farm hedgerows themselves. Every mark tells a story — of the land, of the build, of the people.

Tip: Prioritise texture over polish. Embrace the knots in the wood, the patina on the copper and tin, and the chips on old enamelware. That’s where the soul lives.

6. Let the Interior Reflect the Season

We like to think Quabbs changes with the seasons — just like the hills around us. In spring, there are wildflower posies in jars and floral cushions. In autumn, we switch to wool throws and spiced scents. Come winter, it’s all about warm lighting, pine cones, and extra quilts. This is my favourite part – I get to decorate an extra 4 times per year.

It keeps things feeling fresh and connected to the natural world outside the window.

Example:
We change the toiletries seasonally, too — rose and nettle in spring, lavender and oat in summer, pine and rosemary in winter. Even the crockery on the tray nod to the time of year.

Tip: Update little things — cushions, blankets, scents, even the books on display — to bring in the season’s atmosphere. Guests notice.

7. Create Atmosphere with Layered Lighting

We don’t really do overhead lights. Well, we do… but they’re hardly ever switched on.

Instead, we layer. Fairy lights on the porch. Lanterns on the steps. A log fire flickering in the corner. Lamps with warm-toned bulbs tucked into nooks. It creates the sort of glow that makes you want to curl up, pour a glass of wine, and stay a while.

Example:
Guests often say, “It just feels so cosy here,” and honestly? It’s mostly the lighting. We also use battery candles (you wouldn’t know), and solar lanterns along the garden path for late-night hot tub dips, the glade is strung with lights in the trees – if you want them.

Tip: Think like a storyteller, not an electrician. Where do you want people to linger? What sort of feeling do you want at dusk? Use light to shape that mood.

A Final Word from the Hills…

At the end of the day, Quabbs isn’t perfect. It’s a patchwork of effort and love and laughter. But it feels like home. And that’s what styling should do — not impress, but welcome.

So whether you’re planning your own cabin, refreshing a guest room, or simply dreaming up your one-day retreat — we hope these ideas inspire you to create something that tells your story too.

And if you ever want to borrow our Clocktail Cabinet idea, be our guest.