Skip to main content

Cottagecore & Vintage Home Decor Ideas | The Patina Nest

Privacy Policy

What we collect, why we collect it, and the choices you have.

The short version

The Patina Nest is a small blog about cottagecore, vintage and shabby chic homes. You can read every page without creating an account or handing over anything about yourself. What we do learn comes mostly from your browser: which pages you open, roughly where you are, and what kind of device you are using.

Two details are worth knowing up front. The site carries advertising through Google AdSense, and ad partners may use cookies to show ads based on your visits here and on other websites. Some of our product links also lead to Etsy, Amazon and Chairish, and if you buy after clicking, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Every section below can be read on its own, so use the contents list to jump to the part you need. If something is not clear, write to us and we will explain it in plain words.

Eleanor Hartley

Author and site owner

Last updated: 20 September 2026

Who we are

The Patina Nest (thepatinanest.com) is a home décor blog about cottagecore, vintage wall décor, shabby chic, farmhouse style and vintage finds. It is written and run by Eleanor Hartley, who is responsible for the personal information described in this policy.

This policy covers thepatinanest.com. It does not cover the shops, marketplaces and other websites we link to; each of those has its own policy, and where we can, we point you to it below. To learn more about the site and who writes it, visit our About page.

For anything privacy-related, write to thepatinanest@gmail.com.

What information we collect

We collect information in three ways: what you send us, what your browser shares automatically when you visit, and what cookies and similar tools record. This is a blog, so there is nothing to buy on it and no account to create.

What you send us

If you email or message us, we receive your email address, your name if it appears in your message, and whatever else you choose to tell us. We use it to reply, and we do not add you to a mailing list unless you ask to be on one.

If you leave a comment, WordPress stores your name, email address and the comment itself, along with your IP address and browser details to help filter spam. Your name and comment appear publicly; your email address does not. WordPress can also set a cookie so you do not have to retype your details next time, and you can decline it with the tick-box under the comment form.

If you subscribe, we collect your email address and store it with [email service name]. Every message includes an unsubscribe link.

What your browser shares

Whenever you open a page, your browser sends our web host some technical details: your IP address, the page you asked for, the date and time, the page that referred you (for example a Pinterest pin or a Google search result), and your browser and device type. Hosting servers usually keep these details in logs so that problems and attacks can be traced. Our web host is Hostinger.

What we do not collect on purpose

We do not ask for payment card numbers, government ID numbers, health information or anything else sensitive, and we would ask you not to send them to us by email. If you do, we will delete them.

Cookies and similar technologies

Cookies are small text files that a website stores in your browser. Some make a site work, some remember a choice you made, and others measure visits or help show and measure advertising. Cookies on this site can come from three places:

  • This site. WordPress sets functional cookies in a few situations, such as when someone logs in or leaves a comment.
  • Google. Google AdSense sets cookies to serve and measure ads. Google Analytics does the same for visitor statistics, if it is switched on.
  • Retail partners. When you click a link to Etsy, Amazon or Chairish, those companies, and any tracking service they use to credit us for the referral, may set cookies once you reach their sites.

We list the cookies we know about in our Cookie Policy.

Your choices about cookies

Where the law requires consent, for example in the UK and the European Economic Area, we ask for your permission before setting cookies that are not strictly necessary, and you can change your mind afterwards. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Doing so may switch off some features, but articles and images will still load.

How we use information

We use the information above only for practical reasons:

  • to reply to your messages and to privacy requests;
  • to keep the site secure, filter spam and fix technical problems;
  • to see which articles readers find useful, so we know what to write, update or improve;
  • to show advertising that helps pay for the site, and to measure whether it is working;
  • to earn affiliate commission when a purchase follows one of our links; and
  • to meet legal obligations.

Legal bases for UK and EU visitors

If UK or EU data protection law applies to you, we rely on legitimate interests (running and securing the site, understanding readership and answering messages), on your consent (cookies that are not strictly necessary, and personalised advertising), and on legal obligation where the law requires us to keep or share information.

Advertising with Google AdSense

The Patina Nest earns money by showing advertisements through Google AdSense, which helps cover the cost of running and writing the site. We label advertising areas “Advertisement” so they are easy to tell apart from articles.

Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on this site. Those cookies let Google and its partners show ads based on your visits here and on other websites, limit how often you see the same ad, and measure how ads perform. Google explains this on its page about how it uses information from sites that use its services (opens in a new tab).

Personalised ads and how to switch them off

Turning off personalised ads does not remove advertising altogether. You will still see ads, but they will be less closely matched to your interests.

Visitors in the UK, EEA and Switzerland

Google requires websites that show AdSense ads in these regions to collect consent through a Google-certified consent management platform before personalised ads are served. If you decline, you may see non-personalised ads or fewer ads.

If you come across an ad that seems inappropriate or misleading, send us the page address and a short description, and we will review it.

Analytics with Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, set up through Google’s Site Kit plugin, to see how readers use the site: which posts and pages are opened, which countries and device types visitors come from, and how they arrived, for example from Pinterest or Google Search. We read the combined reports to decide what to write next, what to update, and where pages load slowly. We do not use analytics to identify individual readers.

Google Analytics uses cookies, typically with names beginning “_ga”, to recognise a browser over time. Google processes the resulting data for us under its own terms. You can stop Google Analytics collecting data from your browser with Google’s Analytics opt-out add-on (opens in a new tab).

Affiliate links: Etsy, Amazon and Chairish

Affiliate disclosure

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you click one and buy something, we may earn a commission. It never changes the price you pay. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Affiliate links carry a tracking code so the retailer knows the visit began here. Clicking one usually places a cookie on your device, and the retailer or its affiliate network can record that you arrived from thepatinanest.com, which product you looked at and whether you bought it. We do not receive your name, payment details or account information from these companies, only summary reports of clicks and commissions.

Where to read each retailer’s policy

Our articles point to shops, makers, museums, inspiration boards and other sites we think readers will find useful. Once you click, you are on someone else’s website, with its own cookies and rules, and this policy no longer applies.

That includes Pinterest. If you found us there, or you save one of our images to a board, Pinterest’s own policies govern that activity. We cannot control other sites, so it is worth reading the policy of any site that asks you for personal details.

Sharing, storage and security

We do not sell your name, email address or messages. We share information only in these situations:

  • Service providers that help run the site, such as our web host and Google, whose Gmail service holds the emails you send us.
  • Advertising, analytics and affiliate partners named in this policy, through the cookies and links described above.
  • Authorities or advisers, where the law requires it or where we need to protect our rights or someone’s safety.

The table below summarises the outside services involved.

Outside services that may receive information when you use this site
ServiceWhat it does hereRead their policy
Google AdSenseServes and measures advertising. May use cookies, device identifiers, your IP address and details of the pages you visit.
Google Analytics (through Site Kit)Produces combined visitor statistics. Uses cookie identifiers and records pages viewed, approximate location, and device and browser type.
Amazon AssociatesCredits us when a click leads to a purchase. May set cookies and record that you arrived from this site.
EtsyCredits us when a click leads to a purchase. May set cookies and record that you arrived from this site.
ChairishCredits us when a click leads to a purchase. May set cookies and record that you arrived from this site.
Gmail (Google)Holds the emails you send to thepatinanest@gmail.com.
Web hostingStores the site and keeps server logs, including IP addresses and the pages requested.Hostinger

Where information is stored

Google, Amazon, Etsy and Chairish operate internationally, so information may be processed in countries other than your own, including the United States. Our web host may store server data in another country as well. Where the law requires safeguards for international transfers, we rely on those that each provider describes in its own policy.

How long we keep information

  • Emails and messages: only as long as we need to reply and deal with any follow-up, then deleted.
  • Analytics data: for the period set in Google Analytics.
  • Server logs: for the period set by our web host.
  • Cookies: until they expire, on schedules set by whoever places them.

Security

The site uses HTTPS, which encrypts the connection between your browser and our server, and we take reasonable steps to protect the site and the small amount of information we hold. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot promise absolute protection.

Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have legal rights over your personal information. We will try to help anyone who asks, wherever you live.

United Kingdom and European Economic Area

Data protection law gives you the right to ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, to have mistakes corrected, to have information erased or restricted in certain circumstances, to object to some uses, to receive your information in a portable format where that applies, and to withdraw consent you have given us. You can also complain to your data protection authority. In the UK that is the Information Commissioner’s Office (opens in a new tab).

United States

Residents of California and some other states may have the right to know what personal information a business collects, to ask for it to be deleted or corrected, and to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for targeted advertising. We do not sell personal information for money. Because advertising cookies from Google may count as “sharing” or “targeted advertising” under some state laws, the opt-out options are set out in the advertising section above. We will not treat you differently for using these rights.

Canada

Under Canadian privacy law, including PIPEDA, you can ask to see the personal information we hold about you and to have it corrected if it is inaccurate. You can also raise a concern with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (opens in a new tab).

Australia

Under the Australian Privacy Principles you can ask to access and correct personal information we hold about you. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (opens in a new tab).

How to make a request

Email thepatinanest@gmail.com with “Privacy request” in the subject line and tell us what you would like us to do. We may ask a question or two to make sure we are dealing with the right person, but we will only ask for what is needed to confirm that. We aim to reply within 24 hours.

Information held by Google, Amazon, Etsy or Chairish has to be requested from them directly, because we do not hold it. Their policies are linked above.

Children’s privacy

The Patina Nest is written for adults interested in home décor. It is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13, or under the higher minimum age that applies where they live. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, email us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We update this page when our practices change, for example if we add a new advertising network, a newsletter service or a different analytics tool. The “last updated” date near the top shows when the policy last changed. For significant changes, we will also add a notice to the site for a reasonable period.

Get in touch

Contact us about privacy

If something on this page is unclear, or you would like to see, correct or delete information we hold about you, write to us. Email is best for privacy requests, and WhatsApp works for quick questions.

Making a privacy request

To ask us to see, correct or delete your information, or to stop using it for a particular purpose, email us and tell us:

  1. the name or email address your request relates to;
  2. what you would like us to do; and
  3. the page or message that prompted the request, if there is one.

We will confirm that we have received it, and we may ask a question to make sure we are speaking to the right person.