Pennod 15 04 Wal

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-This week, three houses

-in three different countries.

-We'll visit a chateau

-in the Charente valley, France.

-We'll also see a contemporary flat

-near Zurich, in Switzerland.

-Our journey begins

-in a Welsh cottage in Pembrokeshire.

-It's full of colour

-and artistic treasures.

-Welcome to 04Wal.

-Few people venture off the A40

-between Haverfordwest and Fishguard.

-This has not always been true.

-The area is linked with Welsh heroes

-like St David, Owain Glyndwr and me!

-This is an old farmhouse.

-It proves it is possible to preserve

-precious, ancient features...

-..and create a modern,

-21st century home at the same time.

-The room itself is quite square.

-The table

-replicates the shape of the room.

-The floor

-is made of old, flat bricks.

-They're worn in places.

-Many pairs of feet have walked

-on this floor over the centuries.

-The top layer has worn away and

-the gravel has come to the surface.

-Look at the fireplace.

-There's something luxurious...

-..about having

-such a wide fireplace as this.

-The fire itself

-is relatively small...

-..but it produces plenty of heat.

-The beam

-looks like it's carved from stone.

-It's smooth,

-it's angular and it's shiny.

-It looks like stone.

-It feels old but it's also modern.

-Megan Crofton lives here,

-in St Dogwells farmhouse.

-She ran a statue casting business

-in London for years...

-..before moving back to Wales.

-The house reflects her close links

-with the arts' world.

-The cottage

-is in the parish of St Dogwells...

-..or Llantydewi,

-as it's known locally.

-Legend has it

-that Owain Glyndwr was born here...

-..and was buried

-in nearby Allt-y-Blaidd.

-It's also believed that St David...

-..has links with a well on the farm.

-From the dining room

-in the west wing of the house...

-..you walk a few steps and

-you're in what was once the parlour.

-It is now a lounge -

-a blue lounge...

-..in stark contrast

-to the white dining room.

-This is a wonderful room

-for exhibiting paintings.

-Megan has inherited these

-over the years.

-There are pieces

-by Elizabeth Frink...

-..and other works, reflecting

-Megan's artistic background.

-These tiles are more modern

-than the others.

-The layout is traditional - a room

-on either side of the front door.

-The house rises step by step,

-from one room to the next.

-The hall is up this step.

-Artwork adorns the hall walls

-and there's a beautiful vase here.

-Actually, art is displayed

-in every corner of the house.

-There's art in the lounge

-at the top end of the house.

-This is the kitchen at the back

-of the house, under this lean-to.

-This is

-what's called a catslide roof.

-It comes from the apex,

-right to the bottom here.

-You'll find everything you'd

-expect to see in a kitchen here...

-..including a large

-and varied collection of crockery.

-Having walked from west to east

-within the walls of this house...

-..we depart facing north.

-In Switzerland,

-everything runs like clockwork.

-Be it watches,

-public services or transport...

-..efficiency is the target.

-The same is true

-when it comes to architecture.

-The village of Horgen,

-15 miles outside Zurich...

-..is home to Nia Joynson-Romanzina,

-her husband and their children...

-..Catarina and Rebecca.

-Nia lived in Rome for years, where

-she worked for the United Nations.

-She now works from home,

-as a web designer.

-What do you like about this house?

-I like the views and the acres

-of glass in this house...

-..but I hated it at first.

-I was used to living

-in a dark flat in Rome.

-The flats there are small

-with small windows.

-They're tall buildings in narrow

-streets which let in little light.

-When we moved here, I felt

-as if I was in a goldfish bowl.

-I hated it

-and I'd close all the curtains.

-I'm used to it now

-and I've come to appreciate it.

-I'd definitely say it's

-my favourite feature of the house.

-When I wake up in the morning,

-the first thing I see is the lake.

-Dawn breaking over the lake.

-What about your taste in furniture?

-What about your taste in furniture?

-

-I like a combination of styles.

-I like to put ultramodern furniture

-alongside antiques.

-I like a mixture of things

-which come from different countries.

-I'm fond of natural materials,

-such as wood and stone.

-Wood is warm.

-Yes. This is teak

-and it comes from Indonesia.

-It was a wall in a house.

-This is reclaimed wood.

-I wanted either an old table

-or a table made of old wood.

-I managed to find this

-and I was very fortunate.

-Tell me about the colour scheme.

-This room is very white.

-Was that intentional?

-Yes. We opted for neutral colours

-and wood.

-We like natural colours

-which we find relaxing.

-The eye isn't too distracted.

-We strive to create a Zen ambience.

-When I come home, I feel happy...

-..and I feel I can breathe here.

-This is the main room of the house.

-I take it

-you spend most of your time in here.

-Yes, we read in here

-and we listen to music in here.

-We chat as a family in here,

-and we talk to friends in here.

-We love this room with its view,

-which is like a picture on the wall.

-The way the room is set out

-and the colours we've chosen...

-..help us to enjoy what we're doing.

-Some of this furniture

-obviously came from the Far East.

-Yes. The coffee table

-is an antique door from India.

-I fell in love with this table

-which I bought in Rome.

-My husband thought it was horrible.

-He didn't want us to bring it here.

-He wanted me to sell it but I said,

-"No coffee table, no Nia"!

-He had no choice

-but to live with it.

-The first thing visitors say is,

-"Wow! What a lovely table!"

-My husband likes it now, too.

-I'm glad I put my foot down.

-The staircase is open to the roof.

-The black and white bathroom

-is at the top of the stairs.

-That's one of those baths

-which produces jets of water.

-Framed perfectly above it

-is a picture of the lake!

-If you work 12 hours a day,

-which is common in Switzerland...

-..you don't want colours and frills

-in the bedroom.

-After a hard day's work,

-you need simplicity and tranquility.

-This is part and parcel

-of this Japanese design.

-If you need further proof...

-..that the shoreline of Lake Zurich

-is the perfect place to live...

-..just step out onto the balcony.

-The view almost takes in

-glistening snow on the Alps.

-Well!

-Do you spend a lot of time out here?

-Yes,

-we're out here when the sun shines.

-Is alfresco living

-part of Swiss culture?

-Yes, in the summer - cafes

-and restaurants put tables outside.

-Everyone sits out on the streets.

-This has only happened

-for the past ten years, mind you.

-It's great. I love it here.

-It's very Mediterranean.

-It's fantastic.

-Nia and her husband, Peter,

-are building a new house...

-..to a contemporary

-and highly ambitious design.

-Martin Spuhler is the architect.

-He also designed Zurich Airport.

-What sort of house will it be?

-It will be ultramodern...

-..an open-plan house

-with spacious rooms.

-..with high ceilings

-and lots of light.

-The kitchen will be

-the heart of the home.

-It will be a large room and it will

-be the centrepiece of the house.

-In the coming year,

-we'll move in to the new house.

-That's very exciting

-and I can't wait to get there.

-That means

-I'll spend more time at home.

-I hope to start

-my own web design business...

-..and I shall work from home.

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-This is Chateau de Messignac,

-in the Charente valley...

-..between Bordeaux and Limoges,

-in France.

-Peter Grey-Hughes lives here.

-He is the former owner

-of the Cawdor Hotel, Llandeilo.

-He was also an interior designer.

-Peter has put his unique stamp

-on this splendid property.

-It had been my ambition

-to move to France...

-..since I came on holiday

-as a teenager.

-The opportunity presented itself

-for me to move to France...

-..in the early part of 2002.

-I went back and forth, between Wales

-and the Toulouse area...

-..but my three month search

-for a property was fruitless.

-I couldn't find anything I liked.

-I became a bit disenchanted

-and I let the idea slide a little.

-I was surfing the net in May 2002

-and I saw a photo of this house.

-Just one look at the photo

-sparked my interest.

-A fortnight later, I'd viewed

-the property and agreed to buy it.

-What attracted you to this house?

-Its simplicity appealed to me.

-It's an old house.

-It doesn't have too many rooms.

-There are four rooms

-on the ground floor...

-..with a similar plan

-on the first floor.

-It's very spacious.

-I like big rooms.

-As a single man,

-I don't need too many rooms.

-That's what appealed to me.

-The ambience is wonderful.

-I love the fact I can

-see the Charente valley from here.

-I can see and hear the river.

-I love being out

-in the countryside...

-..and enjoy this very tranquil area.

-We're standing in the hallway,

-with the front door behind us.

-What impression

-do you want to create?

-I didn't want to create

-any particular impression.

-I wanted to keep the hallway

-quite simple...

-..and I wanted to use

-strong colours.

-I've picked up some paintings

-which are very colourful.

-I used a special colour

-half way up the stairs.

-I chose colourful rugs on the floor.

-I introduced strong colours

-but I kept it simple.

-It's simple,

-luxurious and colourful.

-These curtains

-are made from needlepoint carpet.

-They pick out

-the colour of the stone...

-..and the black areas

-give the colour real depth.

-It contrasts with the stone

-which is quite light.

-I used colours that blend together

-in this area.

-Here, we have various items

-with gold as their main colour.

-The lamps, the picture frames

-and the table are gold.

-You also see some black there.

-The side door leads

-to the other side of the house.

-It takes you out to the terrace

-on the west side.

-Colour is introduced by the trees

-and the flowers on the terrace.

-What's in there?

-What's in there?

-

-This is the living room.

-As you can see,

-it's quite a large room.

-For me, one of the main attractions

-of this property...

-..was the size of the rooms.

-There aren't many rooms here...

-..but there's enough space

-for all my furniture.

-It is spacious.

-Yes, I think opening the windows

-improved the room.

-The windows were replaced

-with French doors...

-..so we can easily step outside,

-in spring and in summer.

-It must have lightened the room.

-Yes, its much lighter now.

-The thing that caught my eye

-was that beam.

-I've never seen such a large

-slab of wood in my life.

-No, neither had I.

-There's one here

-and another in the dining room.

-There are two towers here,

-one at either end of the house.

-It must be awkward

-to fit furniture into curved rooms.

-They're round, on the outside,

-but they're square, on the inside.

-The study is this end

-and the kitchen is at the other end.

-Off the hall

-is this wonderful dining room.

-Central to it is this huge table.

-There's room

-for eight people at this table.

-The antique pictures on the walls

-fit in well with the furniture.

-If you fell a 200-year-old tree,

-or even a 300-year-old tree...

-..you want to make sure

-it stays put for a couple of weeks.

-That's been there

-since the 17th century!

-That proves this house not only

-has a past but also a future.

-When you've finished

-your food and your wine...

-..it's port and cigar time,

-out on the terrace.

-The master bedroom's en suite

-is in one of the towers.

-The colours change

-but the level of luxury does not.

-There's another huge room

-on the other side of the stairs.

-This room demands huge statements

-such as this four-poster bed.

-In truth,

-it isn't a real four-poster bed.

-Take a closer look and you'll see

-there isn't a post there!

-The canopy hangs from the ceiling.

-This wonderful wardrobe

-dates back to the 17th century.

-The triangular panels

-catch the light from all angles.

-It's a work of art, not a wardrobe.

-This room is so large...

-..there's space to step back

-and appreciate the furniture.

-That sums up this house.

-All that has been done here

-has been done well.

-You may not like the style

-but it is undeniably stylish.

-Over here in the tower,

-there's a single bedroom.

-How do you feel about

-living in this part of France?

-I'm very comfortable.

-Life is very pleasant here.

-I didn't think I'd settle here

-as well as I have.

-I was lucky to find this house...

-..and fortunate

-to discover this area.

-Every aspect of life here...

-..suits me down to the ground.

-Unless my hand is forced,

-I'll spend the rest of my days here.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones