Pennod 11 04 Wal

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-Tonight, we meet a couple who

-left London and moved to Ferryside.

-We'll also meet a lady who loves

-London, especially Notting Hill.

-Finally, a stable converted

-into a contemporary home in Cardiff.

-Welcome to 04Wal.

-Betsan was born in Wales

-but she grew up in London.

-She planned to stay there...

-..but things changed

-when she met her husband.

-She decided to move

-to a special house in Ferryside.

-Initially,

-we fell in love with the house...

-..but the beach is also enchanting

-and the view is stunning.

-I found it on the internet.

-I was bored one day...

-..so I went online

-and I found my dream home.

-The house was empty, wasn't it?

-Yes. It had been empty

-for around 20 years.

-In what condition was the house

-when you bought it?

-It wasn't good.

-Water leaked in, at the back.

-Dampness was a problem,

-and there was Artex everywhere.

-It was

-in a generally poor condition.

-But we could see its potential.

-We didn't have a vision, as such...

-..but we recognised the things

-we could change in the house.

-It all came together.

-We knew

-we could make this house look great.

-What have you done to the exterior

-of the front of the house?

-The outside walls

-were pebble-dashed.

-We removed the pebble-dash,

-replaced the windows...

-..and applied a lime plaster

-to the walls.

-All we did then was paint it.

-We wanted it to blend in

-with its surroundings.

-It was built around 1850.

-It was built at the same time

-as the railway reached Ferryside.

-As you can see, this is the kitchen.

-There's an old table, old furniture,

-old spoons and old plates in here...

-..but it still

-feels like a modern kitchen.

-The lighting is contemporary and

-light floods in through the Velux.

-It feels modern.

-That's partly due to the colours.

-These Georgian colours

-are also contemporary.

-This is the lounge.

-The chairs may be antiques but I

-don't feel scared to sit on them.

-They're chairs

-which are meant to be used.

-Chairs designed for us

-to flop into them.

-The worn, painted floorboards

-give this room an even cosier feel.

-There's nothing you can't touch

-because it will fall apart.

-Everything is used.

-This room is completely different.

-It's more of an antiques showroom...

-..though it's a functioning

-dining room with practical chairs.

-The chairs are not only practical

-but also very pleasing to the eye.

-It sums up Betsan and Tim's

-achievements in this house.

-They've filled it with antiques but

-it is still completely practical.

-It looks like St Fagans

-but it's a 21st century house.

-We wanted

-to keep the front bedroom simple.

-We decided to keep

-the tongue and groove on the walls.

-We painted the floorboards and

-we also used rag rugs on the floor.

-The bedspreads are old

-and so is the bed.

-I love Welsh bedspreads.

-I love the colours and the designs.

-They're things of beauty...

-..which should be expensive

-but are relatively cheap.

-Do you dislike contemporary design?

-Do you dislike contemporary design?

-

-No, not at all.

-I like modern things.

-You must be sympathetic.

-If you live in an old house,

-you must choose sympathetic designs.

-We use modern inventions

-such as televisions and stereos.

-We kept the bath,

-the basin and the toilet.

-We were tempted

-to have a roll-top bath installed...

-..but all we've done is paint it,

-remove the carpet and fit a shower.

-This is Betsan's home

-and it is her haven.

-It's a world apart

-from her life in London.

-I adore my little room.

-It's where I write,

-study and do some needlework.

-I can sit at my desk

-and look out over the garden.

-It's wonderful.

-You've spent most of your life

-in London.

-Ferryside must be a massive change!

-Yes, it's far more peaceful here

-and it's far less stressful.

-It's a much nicer place to live

-than London.

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-Sioned Emrys loves London life,

-but this is only one of her homes.

-It's a mews.

-It's two houses, knocked into one.

-It was used as a coach house

-and a stable block until the 1940s.

-The mews houses

-you see all over London...

-..are considered to be

-very desirable residences.

-Her work as a designer and writer

-brings Sioned to London.

-Where better to live and work

-than Notting Hill?

-I've lived in Notting Hill

-for 25 years.

-You get used to living

-in a certain area...

-..and it's a wonderful place.

-I moved to this mews

-around two years ago...

-..after carrying out

-a few repairs to the house.

-The walls were painted orange

-and the kitchen was bright green.

-It was a blank canvas, really.

-I decided not to spend

-too much money on the decor.

-I stuck to one colour palette

-and kept it simple.

-I went on a few expeditions to IKEA

-and the rest came from India.

-Several items in this room

-came from India, didn't they?

-Yes. It's tricky to go to India

-and not buy things!

-The rug on the table and the one

-draped over the stairs...

-..came from a warehouse in Delhi.

-They're pure silk

-and they were woven in Iran.

-You'd never associate such

-vivid colours with Iranian rugs.

-They're more typical

-of rugs you'd find in South America.

-I adore them.

-They're wonderful.

-And they were a bargain, to boot!

-There are two bedrooms on the ground

-floor of this three-storey house.

-The small garden, outside the

-master bedroom, is a tranquil oasis.

-It's quite dark down there...

-..and you're drawn to the light

-and to the bright colours up here.

-You only realise

-it's a three-storey house...

-..when you get to this point.

-The glass roof

-allows natural light to flood in.

-The glass roof

-is a double-edged sword.

-It lets in natural light

-but it also lets in heat.

-That's why there are blinds,

-running across the roof.

-It's a wonderful space.

-There are lots of things to discover

-in the house's nooks and crannies.

-The green and orange

-colours are amazing.

-This is the lounge area.

-But it must be

-a bit more than a lounge.

-In an open-plan house, like this,

-every area must be multifunctional.

-It's a lounge,

-a kitchen, a dining room...

-..and as close to a garden as

-you'll get in this part of London.

-The exciting thing about this room

-is the bright, vibrant colours.

-Pinks, purples and greens.

-The colours and the furniture

-have strong links with the Far East.

-An exciting combination - it makes

-a wonderful room in which to relax.

-And there's another great place

-to relax up there.

-Sioned uses this room as her office,

-at the moment.

-This isn't a huge house but it's a

-three-bedroom house, nevertheless.

-Every inch of the space has been

-utilised - right up to the roof.

-This is the apex.

-This leads to the balcony,

-which leads to the roof terrace.

-There's a blind

-outside this long, narrow window.

-It's a mechanically-operated blind.

-It must be really hot without it -

-it's very warm, with the blind down.

-I think I chose to live here...

-..because it's such a contrast

-from my north Wales home.

-My north Wales home

-is very traditional.

-I had never lived in a contemporary,

-modern house until I moved here...

-..so it's been

-an interesting experience for me.

-I spend one week per month here,

-on average.

-I'm here for extended periods,

-from time to time...

-..but I come to London

-specifically to attend meetings.

-I'm here because of work,

-not pleasure.

-I love London and it's exceptionally

-beautiful architecture.

-I also think

-it's a very exciting city.

-This is my favourite city

-in the world.

-I love its restaurants,

-shops and markets.

-I would find it difficult

-to be unhappy here.

-Cardiff has been transformed

-in recent years.

-Areas such as Grangetown

-have seen great changes.

-Film director Marc Evans

-lives in Grangetown.

-His father, who's an architect...

-..helped Marc turn an old stable

-into a contemporary home.

-I moved in here, before I bought it.

-I grew to love

-the feel of the place.

-It wasn't in good condition

-but I liked the ambience.

-The remains of several parties

-are deeply ingrained in the walls.

-It had plenty of character

-but it was a mess.

-What was this place, originally?

-What was this place, originally?

-

-It was a stable.

-Local people remember the mayor's

-car in the garage, downstairs.

-The ground floor was a garage and

-there was a flat on the first floor.

-It was a great, original party flat

-but the shape was all wrong.

-The bedrooms were in the front,

-the living room was at the back...

-..and the stairs

-led from the alleyway.

-We just changed the shape.

-The most important thing

-was to have natural light flood in.

-My father was the architect

-who drew up the plans...

-..and he realised the front

-is the best side of the building.

-That's why we moved the staircase.

-It made it possible

-to exploit the space.

-There are no supporting walls

-in the building, which is a bonus.

-The beam going across here

-allows you to open up the space.

-I had reservations about working

-on my home with my father...

-..but he's experienced

-and it was great.

-His obsessions lay

-in unpredictable areas of the house!

-I thought he'd have set ideas

-about the aesthetics...

-..but he didn't express an opinion -

-he went with me, as his client.

-I got what I wanted.

-My father's obsessions

-include a leaning towards white.

-He's a modernist, really.

-He's a great fan of modernism,

-so white is the colour of choice...

-..unless you have

-any strong objections.

-The black detail around the doors

-and the internal glazing...

-..are prominent features

-of my father's style.

-You must respect the materials

-already present in a house.

-With the brick,

-we couldn't strip away the paint...

-..because there were

-too many thick layers.

-The best option

-was to paint it white.

-We left the pipes exposed and

-respected the shape of the building.

-We didn't have much money,

-so we prioritised.

-The staircase was important

-and the flooring was important.

-We kept the ground floor unchanged,

-as an industrial space.

-An old garage.

-It can be an office, a studio

-or a second living room.

-The downstairs bedroom

-could be an office.

-I work from home and I need

-a good working environment.

-It was important

-to create the right ambience.

-The one thing we don't have

-is a garden...

-..but you can go for a lovely walk

-along the riverbank in Grangetown.

-We can walk to town from here.

-We're part of the city without

-actually being in the city centre.

-There are flats going up everywhere

-but cities evolve and I accept that.

-Nia and I

-are the yuppies of this street...

-..and that's part and parcel of a

-city's development and regeneration.

-Having said that...

-..I think it's honourable to put

-money and time into a building.

-This is a street which has changed

-and it will continue to change.

-I worked with my father

-to adapt this building...

-..and now I live here,

-with my girlfriend.

-It's a happy home

-and that's wonderful.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones