How To Keep Your Jack Russells Happy

One of my favourite places in the UK is the Gower peninsula, in Wales.

Incredible beaches:

Stunning sunsets:

And hilltop villages:

Andre and I took the rascals there for a long weekend a few months ago, and stayed in a very cute dog-friendly cottage. Mr Enrique and Miss Penelope adored said cottage (probably because it smelled deliciously of Strange Unidentified Hound), but in particular they were very keen on the shaggy rug in the living room, which they romped on enthusiastically every evening.

So I decided to look for a rug for our own living room - and after spending literally months looking at near-identical shaggy beige rugs online, we happened quite unexpectedly on the perfect rug in B&Q, of all places, while prowling for screws and hinges - so we bought it immediately and bore it home. Following the addition of an Ikea STOPP (when I'm a grown-up I'm totally going to be the dude who sits in a big swivel chair in a corner office and comes up with all the awesome Ikea product names) to fix it into place, we unleashed a couple of Jack Russells who absolutely loved it:

At first it was a little odd not having a coffee table (where do you sling your cappuccino?) but now I'm completely used to it, and the idea of having something blocking the middle of the living room seems kind of weird. The room feels much bigger without the coffee table, and the rug is super-soft under foot. Loving it.

Have you made a cool purchase recently from an unexpected place? Do tell.