From the Cotswolds to London: Places, Interiors & Inspiration

Sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes to find fresh inspiration.

Recently, I explored the Cotswolds before heading to London to visit Decorex, the interior design show. From honey-coloured buildings and a coffee stop in the sunshine to a favourite bookshop and beautifully styled interiors, the trip gave me plenty to bring back to my studio.

As an artist and designer, I’m always noticing the small things: a distinctive doorway, an unexpected colour combination or a shop window that tells a story. These observations help shape my illustrations and the collections I create for the home and gifting.

Finding inspiration in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds is a lovely place to slow down and look around. Its historic stone buildings, pretty cottages and charming shopfronts each have their own personality.

These are the features I love to capture in watercolour and pencil. My illustrations begin as original drawings in my studio, inspired by the places and surroundings that make a visit memorable.

My Cotswolds Collection brings these illustrations together across gifts, greeting cards, wall art, cushions and home accessories. It’s a way to enjoy a little of the region’s charm at home, or give someone a keepsake of a place they love.

Explore the Cotswolds Collection

Hatchards and London’s familiar landmarks

London offered a different rhythm after the quieter Cotswolds. While exploring, I photographed Hatchards bookshop in Piccadilly, a building whose façade always invites a closer look.

I enjoy taking a recognisable place and interpreting it in my own watercolour style. Adding flowers, botanical details and colour lets me imagine familiar buildings in a new way, while keeping the features people know and love.

That approach is at the heart of my In Full Bloom Collection, which combines London landmarks and iconic British places with floral illustrations.

Across prints, greeting cards, cushions and other pieces for the home, these designs offer a personal connection to a favourite place. A bookshop illustration can become a gift for a reader or a welcoming detail in a reading nook.

Discover the In Full Bloom Collection

Colour, texture and interiors at Decorex

A highlight of my London visit was Decorex. I enjoyed exploring the lighting, decorative finishes and thoughtfully styled spaces, taking photographs of the ideas that caught my eye.

I was especially drawn to warm colours and interesting textures. Deep burgundy, glowing glass lighting and unexpected combinations of patterns reminded me how much atmosphere colour and materials can create.

Although my work begins with illustration, I also think about where the finished pieces might live: a framed print on a wall, a cushion on a favourite chair or a small illustrated gift bringing colour to an everyday moment.

For me, it’s about creating pieces with personality, a sense of place and a story behind them.

Bringing ideas back to the studio

I returned with photographs to revisit, colours to consider and buildings to remember. Not every observation becomes a design, but looking beyond the studio is an important part of my creative process.

Whether I’m drawing a countryside building, a London landmark or a botanical design, my aim is to create artwork people can enjoy in their own homes and share as thoughtful gifts.

If a place from this journey means something to you, browse the Cotswolds Collection or In Full Bloom Collection to find an illustrated reminder.

Thank you for joining me on this little journey through the places and interiors that inspire my work.

Claire Louise