From the outside this two-bed, detached bungalow on a quiet residential street looks smart and welcoming, raising hopes with any potential buyers that there won't be too much to do inside to make it look at least modern, and potentially amazing.
Many bungalows that come to the market have missed out a few eras of interior design updates due to the very nature of the demographic most likely to, but not always, buy them and live in them for years.
But no-one will be able to accurately prepare you for what is hiding behind the front door of this home, it's a surprise that surely no-one is expecting - an interior so special that it's worthy of millions of Instagram followers, if the property had one.
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From the moment you open the central front door and take a first peep at the interiors you know you're in for a delicious treat that will inspire you to be braver when next planning your home's décor update.
The hall is the first of many rooms that have been lavished with distinctive and beautiful interior design that creates a cohesive scheme throughout, but highlights each room's personality and style too - there's no décor from dusty decades past to update here, it's all been done and dusted for you as recently as 2022.
The wooden flooring that greets you is a seamless and visually warming companion throughout the home and an elegant and timeless base on which to build the layers of beautiful interiors above it. Even if your preferred interior design style is minimal and neutral, there's no denying this property has been transformed into a home with character and style, with much thought and much love.
The hall could have been a narrow and unremarkable entrance but this first glimpse of this dream home in a Cardiff suburb reveals a few new features in this space and that have had a huge impact. The first is changing the rows of solid doors either side of the corridor into glass panelled contemporary new doors, letting light and views of the rooms beyond flood the space (apart from the bathroom door).
A section of hall wall has been removed and replaced with a panel of wood slats that has a number of beneficial aspects to bring to the interior design party. Firstly, it creates texture and visual interest, then it adds the illusion of height thanks to the vertical direction of the slats. Then, between the slates, it teases you with tiny slithers of views into the kitchen.
And finally it is a fabulous structure to use to display houseplants within cut out sections to break up the regimented vertical design - phew, who knew just a few bits of wood could make such a difference? Obviously, this homeowner did.
But it's not the only thing they have done to update this bungalow into a single-storey stunner - the home is utterly unrecognisable from the comfortable but dated property that it once was. Rummage through the 'before' pictures and you might not even realise it's the same property.
Originally the bungalow had a floorplan that had a bedroom, dining room and kitchen on the left and the living room, second bedroom, and lean-to on the right, with a small shower room at the end of the hall.
Now, when you enter, the shower room and toilet have been morphed into a storage cupboard which has been lavished with black paint, a house plant shelf and a unique wine rack built into the wall - no part of this bungalow has been left unused or the design left to chance.
The whole layout of the bungalow has changed - now the right side of the hall is a kitchen where the lounge once was that flows through an open-doorway into the lounge which was formerly occupied by bedroom two and a rather rickety looking conservatory.
The kitchen, with your appetite to enter already ignited by the slat wall in the hall poking views of what lies beyond through to you, is a special spot in the house. The room offers a feast of fabulous features to notice, admire and potentially copy as they make a yummy interiors menu for you to pick and choose from.
There's a glossy white kitchen with quartz granite worktops that brings the room into the modern era, but it's the little extras that have been brought to the design table in this space that take it from standard menu to an 'a la carte' delicacy.
The gold handles add a touch of glamour, the plush pink velvet chairs add soft, tactical texture and the statement glass light over the island unit happily brings a pinch of posh. But maybe it's the panel of pattern above the wall units that best illustrates the design care that has been brought to the renovation of this property.
Most people would opt for a worktop splashback to bring in some pattern, and some people might fill the space between the units and the ceiling with accessories and plants, but this owner has opted for something completely different.
By adding a strip of pattern to this void space above the wall units it brings it into the room design instead of being ignored, it visually heightens the room as you look up to admire it, and it's a mix of colour tones that successfully ties all the shades present in the room together. It might be a small addition to the room, but it brings the biggest difference.
Wander through the open double doorway into the lounge, which was once a bedroom and conservatory, but is now a far better use of space as a lounge, connected to the garden, the park views beyond, and the oceans of sunlight via a set of large sliding glass doors.
The colour scheme and flooring continues into this space from the kitchen to ensure the two rooms have a visual relationship. The lounge is given a touch of grandeur via the added wall panels on one side and panels of framed posh wallpaper on the other, with plants, baskets, metallics and even feathers adding the texture to the space. It's comfortable but glamorous too.
Step out into the garden and the spacious deck is a super sun trap as well as a perfect place to sit and admire the parkland view at the bottom of the garden, over the wall and the hedgerow. The garden has been landscaped to be low maintenance and zoned into different levels and areas of places to sit and socialise, so there's no need to pack a lawn mower on this house move.
That leaves the former garage free to be utilised for storage and maybe a workshop, but with planning consent it could make an amazing home office, hobby room, or annexe for guests. It's a bonus building just waiting for a new owner to decide its future purpose.
Back inside the house and the other side of the hall has had a remarkable transformation too. All the bedrooms and bathrooms have been given their own side of the bungalow, to the left of the hall, and that makes layout sense. The second bedroom is at the front and is easily a double but is currently being used as an office and dressing room.
The added touch of a corner of wood wall slats is a thoughtful addition, bringing focus to the furthest, opposite space away from the door making the room appear bigger, but also establishing a visual relationship between this room and the wood slat panel in the hall, connecting the spaces.
The bathroom is in the centre of the three rooms on this side of the hall and it is a clever place to locate it, making full use of the bonus side bay window. Where the dining room once was is now a luxurious bathroom straight out of a high-end boutique hotel with the statement bath positioned within the bay window to utilise the extra space that its bowed design offers.
There is much to see in this space, from the half wall of panels that bring texture and interest to the space whilst cleverly hiding all the annoying and ugly pipework, and the toilet flush. This also creates a handy shelf inviting accessories and curios to visit and bring some style to the space.
But this posh bathroom is not short on style, with a double basin unit with glossy sage storage below and a wall of statement pattern above a particularly unique point of interest. Choosing dark, tactile tiles for the walls and floor of the walk-in shower is a simple but hugely effective way to visually designate the space whilst also bringing yet another layer of gorgeousness to the room.
Once you think you have exhausted all the admiration you have for this pretty and posh pad and you are running on empty, the master bedroom will soon make you swoon, so luckily there's a bed in there to catch you.
It's a peaceful space, with tranquil greens, soft tactile fabrics and natural materials combining to create an island of idyllic calm. Wall panelling makes another appearance to add to the continuation of the stunning interiors scheme.
There are a few added surprises that are big tick bonuses in this lovely bedroom. A pretty ensuite has been born out of the space where the former shower room and toilet used to be located at the end of the hall, even after dedicating some of that space to the hall storage cupboard.
The conversion of the former kitchen's back door into a long window on the wall next to the ensuite is an inspired move, providing more light and more views to the room as well as increasing the feeling of space. The bedroom also has its own French doors onto the garden deck, allowing summer breezes to waft in and circulate, hopefully accompanied by the sweet scent of flowers.
Or, via the doors or the bonus window, gaze at the stars from the pillow in the dead of night when the city is still and you can relax knowing this home has been finessed to the maximum by someone else - there's no stress for you, just a stunningly beautiful and elegant home that packs a punch on personality too.
The bungalow that shines so brightly is for sale for £485,000 with Peter Alan, Whitchurch, call them on 029 2061 2328 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter , sent to your inbox twice a week.
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