The second episode of Wales' Home of the Year features three truly remarkable houses that can all offer a visitor a special and absorbing experience. And among them is a once-tired 1980s bungalow that's been transformed into a glass-drenched dream home.
The BBC Cymru Wales programme follows three judges as they visit 18 homes across six Welsh regions in the search for the ultimate property gem to be crowned Wales' Home of the Year 2022.
Each episode sees the three judges - interior designer Mandy Watkins, architect Glen Thomas and TV host Owain Wyn Evans - grapple with the tough decision of choosing one of the three homes to go through to the grand final at the end of the six-part series that will ultimately see one crowned Wales' Home of the Year 2022. A mid-terrace house transformed into one of the most amazing properties in the country was winner of the first episode.
The second instalment in the Mid Wales region pits a historic manor with a turret, a Victorian mansion and a 1980s renovation project bungalow against each other. The visit to Twr Mihangel manor house near Abergavenny is a joyful experience, with the turret and historic features plus the light and space inside producing goosebumps for Mandy but that might have been because the home is allegedly haunted - find out more about the manor house and the owner here.
The next home that the trio have a rummage around is a Victorian mansion called Conker Lane near Aberystwyth. It was built in 1886 and had been renovated and restored by a family to create a calm and peaceful property with nature-based colours but minimal patterns. The period features include an incredible three-storey central hall and stairwell that Glen comments is almost like being in a Roman temple.
Lastly the judges visit a converted bungalow on the banks of the river Teifi near Cardigan, Pembrokeshire called The Holt, which has been converted from a standard but tired 1980s riverside bungalow into a glass-drenched dream home - and was declared the regional winner.
Owned by Katerina and Tim and their dog Cosmo, it's a property that they had spotted before but never dreamt they would one day own and transform into their dream property.
Tim says: "I had spotted it because I used to canoe up the river and I always used to think - 'who would buy that ugly bungalow there?!' But it wasn't until we saw the view from the bungalow that I realised that actually it's just an incredible spot." Katarina adds: "It was definitely all about making the most of the view."
The couple bought the house three years ago and have worked hard to transform it from dated to a property worthy of the label dream home. The renovation project presented the couple with a number of challenges, one of which was having to use the floorplan of the existing building, so the parameter of the home is exactly the same, except for the glass, double-height extension.
Katerina says: "It was an ordinary bungalow built around an old cottage that used to be the water bailer's cottage, then it was bought in the early 1980s. And they built all around it and turned it into a very large bungalow but they hadn't done anything to it since they did the initial build.
"It was owned by a 94-year-old gentleman and we met him a few times when we were viewing it and he was a really lovely guy. Since then his kids have come around to see what we've done to the house, and that was really nice to meet them all."
But it wasn't transforming the house that gave the couple the biggest challenge, it was the garden that revealed the biggest headaches.
Katerina says: "It was so overgrown, it had gone well beyond what Gethin (the former owner) could do. It literally took us three months chopping things, getting in the tree surgeon, getting out the chainsaws and machetes."
Tim adds: "There were three fallen trees in the lake! And that was a huge operation to get that out - the tree surgeons were actually chopping them up in the water. And we're still doing projects in the garden."
But tackling the garden gave the couple the opportunity to shine as recycling heroes, using not only the original joists and rafters of the old house within the new house, but also using all the trees that they were forced to chop down due to Ash Dieback and storm damage, within the home.
You can spot the trees that had to be felled throughout the home as the floorboards, the treads of the stunning staircase, the window sills, the bed frames, furniture made by Tim, and the glorious dining table that came from a tree next to the house that was damaged and beyond saving that had to be felled.
The land conscious couple ensured that they have not just replaced the trees that they had to take down with new trees but have actually planted far more. Tim says: "We've planted more trees than we've taken down, and we've recycled what we were forced to take down; we've planted a huge amount of trees."
And the foresight by this couple to see every situation and every material as an opportunity rather than something to discard has not only saved them a huge chunk of money, including incredibly only using one skip, but creating a truly unique and beautiful home literally built up from the ground with the help of the old house and the grounds around it - literally a physical inside outside connection and not just a visual one.
Tim says: "The idea that developed for the house was that we'd just use whatever was on site, and that included a lot of slate and all of the wood from the garden and also we used all of the roof joists from the old house which were pitch pine, even the bed heads are made from off-cuts of wood.
Katerina says: "There was nothing left over, reusing, recycling and upcycling - whatever we could do, we did it!
Of course optimising the views to the river was the core of the new design for the home, so every opportunity to insert windows and doors was taken and the bigger the better. And this caused probably the only challenge inside the home, getting the planning to get every stage in place to progress the build smoothly that centred around the new glass extension.
He says: "The height of the glass extension is over five metres and so we needed scaffolding on the inside because until that was in place we couldn't get up there and do all the plumbing, wiring and decorating. There was lots of planning and thinking ahead."
The house was bought in December 2019 and as Katerina and Tim are both classical musicians there was no work for them during the Covid-19 lockdown periods, so they worked on the house every day.
The builders started onsite in July 2020 as had already been booked pre-pandemic, and when they were allowed to do so of course, and left in February 2021. Then the plumbers, electricians, plasterers and floor laying began with Katerina decorating every room while Tim got busy making furniture.
In February 2020 the couple felt like they were done, other than some garden projects, and could relax - until the cameras turned up to film their home for Wales' Home of the Year 2022. And what the cameras have captured is something stunning.
The ground floor has a kitchen with a generous and sociable central island that flows into the dining and lounge area through a large open doorway in a broken plan formation. The spacious and spectacular living room will surely impress with an exposed stone wall, vast log burner and breath-taking floor-to-ceiling, double storey wall of windows made possible thanks to the added glass extension.
It's not a surprise to discover the sofa that sits in the prime position at the base of this wall of glass is the couple's favourite spot in the house. Katarina says: "This is definitely our favourite place because it's such a wonderful area to sit and enjoy reading a book or a coffee in the morning and feel like you're outside watching the world go by."
The ground floor layout also offers three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with the first floor containing another bedroom with ensuite plus the master bedroom as well as a stunning floating landing that connects the two ends.
This main master bedroom space has arguably the best rural views in the house and also arguably the best ensuite in the town, with a stunning contemporary egg-shaped, free-standing bath positioned in the centre to rightly command the most attention.
The choice of materials is a texture and tactile dream. From smooth reclaimed wood featured throughout to the matt slate surfaces, and from the chunky and robust metal items to the plush velvet fabrics - the house just makes you want to touch it; and the judges loved it.
The open-plan entrance that lets you see right through the heart of the home to the river and rural view beyond is an instant hit with all three judges, as are the thoughtful design touches such as the floating landing that straddles the upper space and the internal design that continually maximises the connection and views to the special river view.
Maybe look out for one of the many windows and you might even see Tim canoeing past to make sure the gushing judges aren't pinching anything, apart from ideas.
Glen is in his element in this remodelled home that looks simple on the outside to ensure the stunning inside packs the biggest punch, as he sees intricate design details throughout this incredibly transformed home that maybe only an architect can completely spot. "He's in love!" says Mandy, and who could blame him for completely falling for The Holt?
Wales' Home of the Year is on BBC 1 Cymru Wales every Friday at 7.30pm and available to catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
READ NEXT:
Super stylish home named among the best in the UK goes on the market in Welsh seaside town
Man buys his own 'baby castle' after lifelong fascination with historic homes
Empty house covered with foliage and damp could be your next challenging renovation project for £32k
The two Welsh seaside villages named among the most beautiful in the UK
