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Autumn brings the hedgerows around Chaos Cottage alive with rosehips, and one of our favourite ways to use them is this simple homemade rosehip syrup. Made with freshly foraged rosehips, water and sugar, this traditional autumn recipe produces a beautifully fruity syrup that can be diluted with water as a cordial, drizzled over puddings or stirred into other seasonal recipes.

A favourite September bake packed with apples, nuts and dark chocolate. This easy autumnal loaf is also a delicious way to make use of those windfall apples gathering beneath the trees.

Why has Stag Minstrel furniture remained so popular for more than half a century? We look at its history and construction, what to look for when buying vintage Stag, and why these well-made pieces are perfect for keeping original, painting or making entirely your own.

Autumn is our favourite time of year, and September is the quiet descent into it. From garden harvests and preserving summer to old books, muddy spaniels and cosy evenings, we’re embracing the changing season at Chaos Cottage.

Fresh lime, creamy cheese and soft butter combine to create our favourite cream cheese frosting. It's wonderfully smooth, easy to make and the perfect finishing touch for cakes, muffins and traybakes.

Wonderfully moist, gently spiced and topped with our favourite citrus cream cheese frosting, a great quick alternative to Our Favourite Courgette Cake. Great for lunchboxes, picnics and with a cup of Yorkshire tea!

Wonderfully moist, gently spiced and topped with our favourite citrus cream cheese frosting, this has become one of our late-summer traditions here at Chaos Cottage and is one of our favourite ways to use the annual glut of courgettes. It freezes beautifully and is just as lovely served with a cup of Yorkshire tea as it is for birthdays and gatherings.

Buying antique and vintage art doesn't have to be intimidating. From choosing original paintings to understanding frames and discovering where to shop, this beginner's guide will help you build a collection you'll love for years to come. There was a moment this week that caught me completely off guard. Not a major disaster. Not bad news. Not a dramatic event. Just a bowl of blackcurrant pulp.

Thoughts on resilience and overwhelm. When Even the Jam Doesn't Get Made. There was a moment this week that caught me completely off guard. Not a major disaster. Not bad news. Not a dramatic event. Just a bowl of blackcurrant pulp.

Chaos Cottage Blackcurrant Jam - There are some recipes I experiment with every year, and then there are the ones I keep coming back to. This is one of them.

Why Old Houses Keep Their Cool (and Why We Still Love Them). As temperatures have climbed, newspapers and broadcasters have been filled with stories of modern homes and flats becoming uncomfortably hot, leaving many people struggling to keep cool. With climate scientists warning that heatwaves are likely to become more frequent and more intense, it's becoming clear that this isn't simply an unusually warm summer—it's part of a changing climate that we're all learning to live

There comes a point every summer when everything seems to ripen at once. One day you're wondering whether the beans will ever flower or the tomatoes turn red, and the next you're standing in the kitchen with baskets of vegetables, bowls of fruit and a quiet sense that you've somehow grown enough food to feed the entire village. It's one of my favourite times of year.

Long before coffee table books and colour-coordinated bookshelves became fashionable, beautifully bound books were among the most treasured possessions in a home. They sat beside the fire, filled libraries and drawing rooms, travelled from house to house and were handed down through generations. They were read, certainly, but they were also admired.

Create a home that's collected, not decorated. Explore 7 antique and vintage finds that bring character, history and lasting style to any space.

From rented flats to period cottages, younger buyers are embracing antiques for their character, craftsmanship, sustainability and versatility. Discover why old furniture is finding a new audience.

When a childhood friend working in Hollywood asked why Chaos Cottage wasn't listed on a location database, it sparked an unexpected journey. From antiques and spaniels to gardens, ponds and a 1980s Land Rover, discover why our Yorkshire home has joined Screen Yorkshire as a filming and photography location.

Recently, we were delighted to be featured by Wildflower Magazine, who described Chaos Cottage as a business dedicated to reviving conscious craftsmanship. It is a phrase that perfectly captures what we have been trying to build here over the last few years, although when we first started, we probably wouldn't have called it that.

A reflective Monday’s Musings from Chaos Cottage on caring for ageing parents, family loss, late spring gardening chaos and the strange balancing act many Gen X families now find themselves navigating — all accompanied by a polytunnel full of increasingly impatient plants.

Why Buying from Small Businesses Isn’t the Same as Amazon (And Why It Matters). Etiquette - how and why to buy from independents despite what the T and TikTok might tell you!

A guide to choosing antique and vintage items for the garden specifically.