The Quirky Victorian House

Pontcanna, Cardiff

hover over an image to see the 'before' picture

Project photography Louise Misell ©

A photo showing the front door open, through to the hallway.

The same view of the hallway before work started.

A neglected Victorian terraced house in Pontcanna has been extended, updated, and transformed into a functional, colourful, quirky and unique home which perfectly reflects the personality of the owner. An accomplished mix of old and new, the chosen scheme flows throughout the house, whilst each room has its own strong identity.

A photo of the new dark green living room

The same view of the living room before work began.

A close up photo of the fringed lamp in the living room.

The area where the lamp would go, before the room was designed.

A photo of the leather chesterfield chair with a globe bar in the living room.

The fireplace and area where the chair would go before work started.

Details such as the fringed, patterned lampshade add a richness to the home.

A photo of the brass and opal living room ceiling light, with the room in the background.

The area above the mantlepiece where the ceiling light would go before work started.

A close up of a candlestick in the middle reception room.

A close up of the green glass kitchen light over the dining table.

The same area before work began, showing the old back door.

A colourful velvet chair in the teal painted middle reception room.

A photo of the room before work started.

A photo of the pink and green kitchen, showing the bar stools and the view to the hallway.

The same view of the kitchen before work started.

A close up of the shelving over the kitchen sink.

The black accents contrast with the pink beautifully.

A view from the kitchen looking to the utility room, after the extension was built.

The kitchen before the extension was built, which was grey and bland.

A photo of the new pink kitchen dresser with brass handles and blue tiling at the back.

We decided that the back of the house, which has been extended to create a larger kitchen, utility room and wet room, would have a more contemporary style, to reflect the way the client would use these rooms.

A photo taken from the new kitchen looking into the new utility room in the extension.

A photo with the same view looking towards the back wall, before the extension was built.

The new utility room with green cabinets and a white Corian worktop.

The new wet room, with black fittings and pink hexagonal tiles on the wall.

The WC in the new wet room, with terrazzo tiles on the floor.

The vanity area in the new wet room, with black edged mirror above.

The soft, muted pinks mixed with the caramel tones in the terrazzo tiles make for a very welcoming space.

A close up of the black shower valve and the pink hexagonal tiles in the wet room.

A close up of the rattan and fringed bedside table in the main bedroom.

A photo of the main bedroom with built in wardrobes and a luxurious pink velvet bed.

The same view with the old wallpaper before the bedroom was redesigned.

The main bedroom has a restful colour scheme, whilst the soft faux fur and tactile velvets offer a sense of luxury. Here we created lots of built in storage and a practical dressing area, so the lady of the house can get ready in a calm and peaceful space.

A photo of the new built in storage and dressing area in the main bedroom.

The same view of the bedroom before the storage was built.

A view looking along the top of the velvet bed to the new wall lights in the main bedroom.

The main bedroom bay window with new curtains, painted shutters and built in wardrobes.

The same view of the main bedroom before the work was completed.

A photo of middle bedroom painted teal and the vintage bedside table.

The same view of the room which was a dark grey before it was decorated.

A photo of the new ochre velvet bed and the new muted yellow curtains in the middle bedroom.

A photo of the built in wardrobes in the middle bedroom, which have been painted teal.

The same view before the wardrobes were added and painted.

A photo of the upstairs WC, with colourful Cole & Son wallpaper and brass fittings.

The same view of the WC which was painted dark green before.

The refreshed main bathroom with new sanitary ware, a vintage dresser as a sink, and green and pink tiling.

The bathroom was dark grey with chrome fittings and wooden floorboards before the redesign.

A photo of the new vanity unit in the main bathroom which has been made from a vintage dresser.

The old bathroom sink was glossy black and too big for the room.

A close up of the main bathroom mirror, which has black marble and brass details.

A photo of the new terracotta back guest bedroom, with a colourful Roman blind at the window.

The same view of the room before it was painted and furnished.

The guest bedroom is decorated in a rich terracotta, contrasted with colours used elsewhere in the house, such as the warm teal of the bed frame. The terracotta softens to a subtle pink and green colour scheme in the en suite, linking the two rooms but giving them their own identities.