Pennod 17 04 Wal

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-Welcome to 04Wal from 2008.

-The houses in this programme

-have many common features...

-..including modern design

-and white walls.

-But their owners' vision

-is completely different.

-The journey

-takes us to Lake Zurich...

-..but begins in Cardiff.

-Beca Evans and Gruff Davies...

-..have recently finished renovating

-a Victorian house in Cardiff.

-The property

-was in a terrible condition.

-They worked on it

-for nine months.

-I was naive and I thought

-it would just happen overnight.

-That's never the case.

-It's an old house

-and we kept uncovering problems.

-Those tasks

-weren't in the original budget.

-Work such as damp patches

-and the need for a new boiler.

-It now feels fine

-because it's in the past...

-..but at the time,

-I said I'd never do it again.

-Describe the experience

-of living in this house.

-It's a positive,

-enjoyable experience.

-It felt like home almost

-immediately and that was my aim.

-I didn't want to feel

-I lived in a large, cold house.

-We're very happy here.

-This is the kitchen

-and the dining room is behind me.

-There's an awful lot of orange

-in this part of the house!

-Yes. I've always dreamed

-of having an orange kitchen.

-I am obsessed

-with the colour orange.

-I wanted something

-with a 1970s feel.

-I wanted high-gloss units.

-I've always loved that look

-and I was delighted to find one.

-You either love it or hate it.

-The kitchen and the dining room

-are part of one huge space.

-Was that important to you?

-You can see from one end

-of the house to the other.

-When we bought it,

-the kitchen was there.

-The dining room was here.

-I enjoy socializing

-and I enjoy cooking.

-I wanted a space where people

-could sit to have a glass of wine...

-..while I cooked dinner.

-It was really important to me that

-this area was good for socializing.

-I wanted it to have a homely feel.

-The windows you have all across

-the back wall make it a light space.

-There's also

-light coming in through the ceiling.

-Yes, that's a small extension.

-These houses can be quite dark.

-It's amazing how much lighter it is,

-thanks to that window.

-It cost a lot of money

-to add those few inches of wall...

-..but it gives the space

-a really open feel.

-Did you know exactly

-what you wanted to put in this room?

-All I knew was I wanted some colour.

-As you've seen,

-the house is really white.

-I wanted to have a wall

-which made a statement.

-I went for something

-quite old-fashioned.

-It's a big contrast with the white.

-The furniture you've inherited

-gives the room a traditional feel.

-Most of this furniture

-is Gruff's family heirlooms.

-It's nice to have the contemporary

-and the classic in one room.

-You have a lovely view of the park.

-You have a lovely view of the park.

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-Yes, it's like being in the Bronx!

-There's a basketball court

-and local children play there.

-It has a nice community feel.

-You've lived here for three months.

-Have you found the perfect place

-for everything?

-You're always adapting spaces

-in a new house...

-..but the wonderful point here

-is that it feels like our home.

-We're very happy here

-and I hope it evolves with us.

-Cardiff's Victorian houses

-are famously narrow.

-Catrin Whitmore overcame

-that problem here in Pontcanna...

-..by opening up the house

-to create a spacious feel.

-Here's how the house looked

-before work started.

-Why did you choose this house,

-Catrin?

-It's a three-storey house

-and it has quite a large garden.

-It needed a lot of work doing to it

-and it was a challenge.

-I couldn't leave it.

-I had to have it!

-I could see how the house could look

-and I wanted to carry out the work.

-Two years have passed, Catrin.

-How did the renovation go?

-How did the renovation go?

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-It's been a long process.

-Far longer and far more expensive

-than we originally planned.

-It's been undeniably difficult

-but I enjoyed it.

-It needed a new roof but we weren't

-aware of that when we bought it.

-The ceilings

-of two bedrooms collapsed...

-..when we installed the new windows.

-We discovered that the drains

-were leaking into the foundations.

-We unearthed problems

-which didn't come up in the survey.

-It was rather stressful!

-I know I stood here two years ago

-but it's totally unrecognizable.

-Yes, it's changed a bit!

-It was much smaller then.

-We've extended to the side

-and to the rear.

-The kitchen is far more spacious.

-I'm happy to say the dining table

-now fits in the kitchen.

-We're stepping through

-what was the external wall.

-Yes, we put an RSJ here

-where the old window was located.

-We extended

-into what was the garden.

-That corner

-supports the whole house!

-Yes. It's a real bugbear for me

-but I'm warming to it.

-We could have done it differently

-and used struts...

-..but it's load-bearing,

-so it props up the house.

-I'll live with it if the alternative

-is the house falling down!

-Natural light comes in

-from all directions...

-..through these windows

-along the roof and on the corner.

-Many people have said

-it reminds them of a conservatory.

-I wanted a glass roof,

-which would let in plenty of light.

-You can look at the garden,

-while you do the washing-up.

-I have a dishwasher, Aled,

-but I do enjoy seeing the garden.

-It works well.

-You've kept the visual impact

-quite low.

-This is your bedroom, Catrin.

-The dark wall colour

-suits the white floor really well.

-It's really striking.

-Yes, I was originally planning

-to paint it a dark shade of blue.

-I wanted a colour which would make a

-good canvas for my flower paintings.

-We eventually plumped for grey

-and it's grown on me.

-There was a lot of white

-in our old house.

-It took time to get used to such

-a dark room but I'm pleased with it.

-I've added a few touches of colour

-to go with the strong grey.

-Would you do it all again

-in another house?

-I'd have to say no

-because this took such a long time.

-It also took a lot of energy.

-I'd love to build a new house...

-..or run a hotel

-and put my own stamp on it.

-That's what I'd like to do.

-Where my home is concerned,

-I'm quite pleased with this.

-Will there be another project?

-Who knows!

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-Welcome back. Next, we'll meet

-two women called Nia.

-Nia Morris is an interior designer

-who lives in London.

-Nia Joynson, a Swansea girl...

-..who now lives near Lake Zurich

-in Switzerland.

-The house we're about to see

-belongs to Nia Morris.

-Nia is one of the London Welsh,

-having been raised in the city.

-She lives near Primrose Hill...

-..with her children,

-Charlie, Harry and Millie.

-From where

-do you draw your inspiration?

-From colour, art

-and my surroundings.

-Many different sights inspire me.

-Places such as art galleries,

-trips abroad, design magazines...

-..and the items I observe

-in my surroundings.

-The design process is instinctive.

-I painted the house white,

-then I added different colours.

-I can be more adventurous at home.

-I don't worry about making mistakes.

-The house is designed to please me,

-not other people.

-It's an evolving project.

-This is the kitchen.

-It's at the front of the house

-beneath the road.

-There's plenty of natural light

-in here.

-Stainless steel always gives

-a kitchen a very practical feel.

-There are warm touches,

-such as the Aga in the corner.

-This is a square dining table

-and we rarely see one of these.

-Few people

-have square dining tables.

-In harmony with the aluminium style,

-there are aluminium dining chairs.

-Above the dining table, we have this

-wonderful dandelion light fitting.

-Move to the middle of the room

-and the practical nature fades...

-..and we step into

-a more relaxed area.

-There are interesting shapes

-in the rug and in the furniture.

-These two pouffes and an egg-shaped

-object in the fireplace.

-They've made the most of this space

-by putting everything in the corner.

-Step through what was the back wall

-and we'll enter the conservatory.

-Beyond the conservatory

-is the garden.

-The office is at the back

-and this is the lounge.

-The great feature

-of two rooms in one is the light.

-Natural light floods in

-from the front and from the rear.

-The whole room, including the floor,

-has been painted white.

-Any natural light is then magnified.

-This creates the perfect canvas

-to display colours and shapes.

-Look at the shape of the sofa

-and the oval table.

-There are also some bright colours

-dotted around the room.

-This gold-coloured chair,

-for example...

-..and the Georgian chaise longue,

-covered in contemporary fabric.

-It echoes the colours

-of the painting on the wall.

-There are splashes of colour

-and some interesting shapes in here.

-This is the light, bright

-master bedroom.

-Natural light floods in

-through the windows.

-The visual impact of this room

-doesn't rise above waist level.

-The interest comes from pieces such

-as that transparent, purple chair.

-There's a combination of styles

-and periods in this room.

-The most striking thing in here

-is that block of cupboards.

-It's fixed to the wall

-and it looks as if it's floating!

-In a house as wonderful as this,

-how can you not have an en suite?

-It's at the rear.

-When we last visited Switzerland...

-..we saw plans of the house

-Nia Joynson had ordered.

-At that time,

-it was just a building site.

-The house, designed by architect

-Martin Spuhler, is now ready...

-..and the family has moved in.

-How much of a say did you have

-in the internal layout of the house?

-We could do whatever we liked

-to walls which aren't load bearing.

-The outer shell of the house

-was designed by the architect...

-..and we had no say in it.

-We chose the position of the walls.

-We also chose the flooring,

-the kitchen and the bathrooms.

-I came here

-three or four times a day...

-..in the three months

-before we moved in.

-There were a lot of mistakes

-in the work carried out.

-You made many choices

-about the interior.

-Does that give you

-a stronger bond with the house?

-We invested a lot of time

-and a lot of ourselves in the house.

-It really has made me feel

-this is my home.

-It has made my life in Switzerland

-far happier.

-This room

-has something for everyone.

-A balcony, a dining area here...

-..and a lounge.

-Even the kitchen

-is a part of this room.

-It's fashionable to have a kitchen,

-living room and dining room...

-..in a single space.

-We changed this floor completely

-from the original design.

-This was supposed to be the lounge

-and the dining room was there.

-I think the shape of the room

-suits the layout we created.

-I think it's better

-than the original plan!

-There are several custom-made

-light fittings in this house.

-This one, above the dining table,

-is wonderful.

-This is Italian, and it includes

-20 different-coloured crystals.

-You have pinks, greens, blues,

-browns and clear crystal.

-A lady sits outside in Milan

-attaching the crystals, one by one.

-Each one is totally unique.

-No two light fittings are the same.

-I worked on my husband for two years

-before he agreed to buy that!

-Let's talk about the lounge.

-This is your main socializing space.

-How much time do you spend here?

-We're here a lot,

-especially in winter.

-We enjoy reading and having a glass

-of red wine in front of the fire.

-What inspired the fireplace design?

-The time I spent

-in the South of France.

-This shape comes from Provence.

-When I saw it, I loved it.

-It's a simple shape,

-yet traditional.

-It isn't fussy, and there aren't

-too many details on it.

-We wanted to create a fusion

-of the modern and the traditional.

-I like to mix styles.

-There are items

-from Europe and Asia in this house.

-We also have modern pieces

-next to traditional pieces.

-One side is all about

-traditional wood.

-The other side is ultra modern

-with clean lines and aluminium.

-That was our intention

-from the start...

-..to blend the modern

-and the traditional.

-The kitchen is very modern

-with lots of steel.

-We wanted this side

-to be more traditional.

-We used wood but

-we couldn't go too traditional...

-..because it would be heavy.

-That's what lies behind these ideas.

-It's a lovely idea that you can

-access the garden from here.

-Yes, and it becomes one huge room

-in the summer.

-This is the heart of our home.

-The interior has turned out

-just as we expected it to look.

-I had no fixed idea

-of how the garden should look...

-..but we're delighted

-with the way it turned out.

-The house is exactly

-how I'd pictured it in my head...

-..before we started.

-This house is our home,

-and we have no plans to move again.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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