Totally ordinary Welsh terrace looks like a royal palace inside and will blow your mind

Wales Online

2 days ago

Totally ordinary Welsh terrace looks like a royal palace inside and will blow your mind
It's a home so incredible you'll never forget it and it might even inspire you
There's no way that you know what's waiting for you behind the front door of this standard terrace
(Image: John Myers)
Somewhere near Swansea there's a traditional end-of-terrace house that is arguably one of the region's, if not the country's, most unusual homes inside because when you push open the front door what you find hiding behind the ordinary façade is an extraordinary and exquisite interior that will leave you speechless.
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The house has been the home of Royston Jones and Fiona Gray for over 27 years and over that time they have created an interior that makes you feel transported to a stately home somewhere in the middle of the countryside.
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Royston says about the renovation of their home: "When we arrived man y original features were ripped out but there were some of the interior features left, like the panel doors and the just one or two sort of decorative things so I just thought, 'well, come on, let's decorate it, because it's so dull'." And he and Fiona have certainly done that by the bucket load - buckets of plaster and PVA. For more property and homes stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here.
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Royston Jones and Fiona Gray in their Swansea home
(Image: John Myers)
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When you step inside and see the intricate detailing of the plasterwork and artwork created on the ceilings and walls through most of the property you're hit by a wave of wonderment - this home is like no other in Wales.
The pair have spent years making their house a home that they love - a painstaking effort that Royston says was 'just for fun and to bring joy'.
From the hall, which has its own amazing grey and white decorative décor, there are glimpses of the other wonderful spaces
(Image: John Myers)
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The urge to create a mini stately home inside their Welsh terrace Royston thinks is two-fold - his heritage and their careers as artists. But looking at their home it's not a surprise to find out that this couple aren't just standard artists, they are exceptional model makers too, creating room and home models in 1:8 scale for royalty, ambassadors and the rich and famous.
The beginning of the incredible journey through terrace house rooms that are like no other
(Image: John Myers)
Royston says: " I've always loved stately homes. I was an unwanted child, I didn't know anything about my background until much later on in my life. And then I discovered that the people I came from were avid builders in the 18th century.
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"They built a whole load of mansions and stuff up in Cardiganshire, which is where I hail from originally, and I think you just inherit stuff like that. And I've always loved architecture and I've always loved the interiors of particularly neoclassical late Georgian stately homes from 1760 to 1800, I think that's how it started."
Royston does all the artwork and Fiona does the mouldings and ornaments
(Image: John Myers)
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The pair's background in model making to an exquisite and detailed level has included clients such as Lord Rothschild and the Spencers, Princess Diana's family, and many have taken years rather than months of painstaking work, surely requiring a steady hand and an ocean of patience.
Fiona says: " I am patient in nature, but there was one particular part of a room with a dome, which we had to cast in fibreglass, and it was a complete nightmare. We did it about three or four times, and it just took so much time.
A chandelier adds to the charm of the decorative ceiling
(Image: John Myers)
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"But we had to get it right, for our own satisfaction and also, and most importantly, for the client we were working for. It's just something that is just part of us, you know, if something needs to be unpicked and redone, we'll just do it."
Back inside their own home and visitors who feel absolutely overwhelmed by the décor, in a very positive way, probably have lots of questions but one would surely be how the couple design their incredible ceilings and walls.
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Visually stunning palette of colours mixed by Royston
(Image: John Myers)
Fiona says inspiration comes from many sources but there is a primary influence. She says: "We've made a great study into the works of 18th century architect James Wyatt, plus the contemporary architects of the 18th century, so we've got a very large photographic archive covering all of that period. For inspiration for a design that's where we go; to our archive."
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Wandering into each of the rooms within the couple's house that they have lavished with their immense talent is a very special journey. The ceilings demand attention and looking up you are happy to oblige because the reward is a breathtaking piece of art - of ornate plasterwork from panels to ceiling roses, from cornicing to paintings within the design created by Royston.
If you look up from the hall the view is mesmerising
(Image: John Myers)
Maybe the couple have a chiropractor on speed dial to assist with surely a stiff neck from constantly looking up at the ceilings while they work on them?
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Royston says: "We do it standing on chairs and ladders and stuff. So when we did the staircase, which is an enormously high space, we got a builder to put some planks and ladders up so we could reach the ceiling, and that was terrible because I'm not very good at heights.
"But overall it's such fun and it's such a lovely thing to make and you just get carried away, you don't worry about your stiff neck, you just get on with it."
When you reach the top of the stairs more amazing design greets you
(Image: John Myers)
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Both artists agree that the most challenging part of creating each design and making it a reality is the very accurate measuring required.
Royston says: "I t's got to be accurately measured out, and i t's got to be symmetrically placed on the ceiling, in the space that you have. You can't be an inch out, really, you can't, it has to be very, very symmetrically placed.
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"And when the design joins different elements together you've got to make sure that you try to make the join as invisible as possible. It's all about mathematical accuracy, as much as you can achieve, really."
The landing ceiling was the hardest area to reach
(Image: John Myers)
The designs are made from a combination of plaster, moulded designs and even cardboard, with the paint mixed by Royston to get the exact shade that they want, and each ceiling or wall can take between three to five weeks, depending on the layers of details included in the design. Most of the sections of a design are then stuck on with either PVA glue or UHU glue.
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Royston says: "T he cornicing and the friezes are the worst, they're always l ong winded because of all the intricacy of the beading and the details such as leaves and urns - all those ornaments have to be cast and dried and stuck on.
Another work of art in the next reception room
(Image: John Myers)
"The ceilings are fairly straightforward, as long as you measure it up correctly - if you don't measure it out and you just stick things on, you realise that it's in the wrong place, then it's all got to come off and you've got to start again."
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Royston says Fi ona has more of the intricate details to do, he says: "She does the casting. She's very good at casting, she's a bit of a genius. I don't do any of the casting, I just model the ornaments and she creates them. And that takes as long as it takes. And then you've got to let it dry. That's the boring bit. It takes a couple of days, two or three days sometimes."
Most of the walls are included in a room's design too
(Image: John Myers)
Fiona adds: " I'm just sitting there making these ornaments, in some cases hundreds of these things, and you get to thinking, 'well, when will I ever finish this'? But, you know, the finished result is always very much worth all the repetitive effort, and it's all just part of the project."
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The pair have one more room to finish off to their liking but, due to condensation, have decided that the kitchen and the bathroom will not join the stately home vibe that runs through the rest of the home.
The level of intricate detailing on is impressive
(Image: John Myers)
Royston is hop eful that their effort will maybe inspire others to have a go at creating more exciting ceilings in their home, saying: "Give it a go, and if it doesn't work or you don't like it, you take it down and try again or just don't do it again."
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When visitors arrive and enter this standard terrace Royston says they're met usually by the same reaction. He says: "W ell, mostly people don't say anything - they're kind of struck dumb! But it's nice to get a bit of feedback, you know, when people do come and look at it and are captivated."
It will take time to look at every single detail in every single room as the designs are so intricate
(Image: John Myers)
There's no doubt that Royston and Fiona have created a very special home surrounded by the designs and décor that they love and, even if it is not to someone's personal taste, surely everyone can appreciate what's been achieved here?
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The reception room that's used as a workshop where all the magic is created
(Image: John Myers)
Royston comments: " One or two (people) think we're showing off and that is hurtful . We're not showing off. We're not people who do that. We just want to give people joy and pleasure, the pleasure of having a look at it. That's all. We've got nothing to show off about, we're very modest people.
"It's done for fun and to give people joy and to show people that the world can be quite a beautiful, magical place in your home. This is about love. It's not about showing off."
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