Houzz Tour: An Old Welsh Cottage Gets a Sensitive Renovation
A house that’s been in the same family for generations needed a thorough renovation – but not at the cost of character
Eilir Sheryn wasn’t expecting to own a 19th century stone cottage in Wales. Out of the blue, a letter dropped through his door informing the architect he’d inherited the house from a great aunt. A very nice surprise, but also a conundrum. “My wife and I live in Dartmoor National Park in Devon,” Eilir says. “We felt we didn’t need another rural cottage and thought we’d have to just put it on the market.”
Then they went to visit the place, which is sandwiched between the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains and has the River Towy running across the bottom of the garden. “When we saw how special and unique it was, we changed our minds,” Eilir says.
There was, however, work to be done. “It hadn’t been updated since the 1980s and needed a lot of attention to bring it into the 21st century,” he says. “Our brief to ourselves was just to paint it and change a couple of things. But we’re both architects, so our brief blossomed…”
Then they went to visit the place, which is sandwiched between the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains and has the River Towy running across the bottom of the garden. “When we saw how special and unique it was, we changed our minds,” Eilir says.
There was, however, work to be done. “It hadn’t been updated since the 1980s and needed a lot of attention to bring it into the 21st century,” he says. “Our brief to ourselves was just to paint it and change a couple of things. But we’re both architects, so our brief blossomed…”
The downstairs of the original building (the kitchen and bathroom are in a later extension) consists of a double-size, dual-aspect living/dining room. To one side is a view across rolling hills; to the other, an elevated field that runs behind the house. “It means you get good light all day,” Eilir says.
“The main living area is one long space separated by the staircase,” he says. “We use one half for the sitting room and one as a dining area.”
Here, you’re in the living room looking towards the dining room. The door on the left is the understairs cupboard.
The factory clock is a midcentury Czechoslovakian one, spray-painted red.
Front door painted in Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball. Habitat Jed oiled oak armchair, bought second-hand.
“The main living area is one long space separated by the staircase,” he says. “We use one half for the sitting room and one as a dining area.”
Here, you’re in the living room looking towards the dining room. The door on the left is the understairs cupboard.
The factory clock is a midcentury Czechoslovakian one, spray-painted red.
Front door painted in Stiffkey Blue, Farrow & Ball. Habitat Jed oiled oak armchair, bought second-hand.
This view shows what you see when you walk in through the front door.
All the doors and the ceiling beams were stained dark brown, so one of the first decorative decisions was to paint them all. “It was that trad wooden ceiling look,” Eilir says. “It felt quite dated and didn’t bounce the light around.”
The beams are now painted in white gloss, with the ceiling itself in the same colour, but with an eggshell finish. “It gives you that slight difference in reflective quality,” Eilir says.
The internal doors were all painted in a pale grey. “It’s given everything a neutral wash,” he says. “Because it’s such a small cottage, you can’t have too many dark colours. It’s about having a light, bright space.”
Walls and ceiling painted in Wimborne White; doors painted in Dimpse; window frames painted in Lamp Room Gray; all Farrow & Ball. Astro Ascoli spotlights, Lights2go.
All the doors and the ceiling beams were stained dark brown, so one of the first decorative decisions was to paint them all. “It was that trad wooden ceiling look,” Eilir says. “It felt quite dated and didn’t bounce the light around.”
The beams are now painted in white gloss, with the ceiling itself in the same colour, but with an eggshell finish. “It gives you that slight difference in reflective quality,” Eilir says.
The internal doors were all painted in a pale grey. “It’s given everything a neutral wash,” he says. “Because it’s such a small cottage, you can’t have too many dark colours. It’s about having a light, bright space.”
Walls and ceiling painted in Wimborne White; doors painted in Dimpse; window frames painted in Lamp Room Gray; all Farrow & Ball. Astro Ascoli spotlights, Lights2go.
In the living room, an original stone fireplace is the centrepiece of the ground floor and remains unchanged, apart from a new wood-burning stove. “We put in this funky Jotul one,” Eilir says. “I like the juxtaposition between old and new – though, that said, we’ve been fairly conservative on that front in the rest of the cottage.”
In here, the couple also took up a carpet and put in a new riven slate floor, as the original flagstones had been concreted over. The couple built the alcove shelving, too. “It allows you to put a bit of colour and interest into the room,” Eilir says.
The electric radiators are also wirelessly controlled, meaning the couple can turn them on before guests arrive to create – literally – a warm welcome.
Nero Riven Slate floor tiles, Mandarin Stone. Harry floor lamp, House by John Lewis & Partners. Jotul F 305 LL wood-burning stove, West Country Stoves. Radiators, Adax SolAire.
In here, the couple also took up a carpet and put in a new riven slate floor, as the original flagstones had been concreted over. The couple built the alcove shelving, too. “It allows you to put a bit of colour and interest into the room,” Eilir says.
The electric radiators are also wirelessly controlled, meaning the couple can turn them on before guests arrive to create – literally – a warm welcome.
Nero Riven Slate floor tiles, Mandarin Stone. Harry floor lamp, House by John Lewis & Partners. Jotul F 305 LL wood-burning stove, West Country Stoves. Radiators, Adax SolAire.
The house is largely furnished with vintage and antique pieces bought locally. There are also some treasured family heirlooms on display
“My great aunt was born in the house and lived here until she was 100 years old,” Eilir says. “We tried to keep some of her things. There’s a little black cat that was her childhood toy on a shelf and also an old sampler she made in 1904, which we framed and hung next to the window.”
Ronnie table lamp, John Lewis & Partners. Cameron two-seater sofas in Teal, Sofa Workshop. Welsh tapestry cushions, The Welsh Girl in Hay on Wye.
“My great aunt was born in the house and lived here until she was 100 years old,” Eilir says. “We tried to keep some of her things. There’s a little black cat that was her childhood toy on a shelf and also an old sampler she made in 1904, which we framed and hung next to the window.”
Ronnie table lamp, John Lewis & Partners. Cameron two-seater sofas in Teal, Sofa Workshop. Welsh tapestry cushions, The Welsh Girl in Hay on Wye.
“The sheep’s ground level is our window level,” Eilir explains. The effect is that the animals feel very much a part of the room from the inside. “My wife has become quite obsessed with sheep,” he adds. “We now have a lot of sheep things in the house.”
Find the perfect architect or building designer for your project locally in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Find the perfect architect or building designer for your project locally in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
All the previously single-glazed windows were replaced with timber casement double-glazed ones, all locally made.
“Because the walls are solid stone, the thermal performance wasn’t great,” Eilir says. “We felt this was essential.”
Pendant light, Lampsy.
“Because the walls are solid stone, the thermal performance wasn’t great,” Eilir says. “We felt this was essential.”
Pendant light, Lampsy.
“Our own home and most of our projects are really modern. Our house is a white box – that’s our thing, as architects,” Eilir says. “But putting that style onto an old worker’s cottage would be crass, so we embraced a more traditional style.
“We didn’t want to try to be too clever or to change things too much, and we tried to be fairly honest with what it was,” he explains. “It’s something we’ve really enjoyed.”
Vintage Ercol table, from a local second-hand shop.
“We didn’t want to try to be too clever or to change things too much, and we tried to be fairly honest with what it was,” he explains. “It’s something we’ve really enjoyed.”
Vintage Ercol table, from a local second-hand shop.
The front and back doors and the new windows were made by a local joiner. The front door, seen here, is a classic stable design. “It’s really nice in the summer when you can just open the top one,” Eilir says.
The couple put in a new kitchen. “We wanted something that added a little colour. With the slate floor in the living room, it was all a bit monotone,” Eilir says.
“With the floor, we went for a small module tile and pattern – it’s something that gives a small-scale kitchen a feeling of more space.”
The crab on the wall is made out of old gas cylinders and adds another touch of colour to the room.
Ashbourne Premium kitchen in Cooks Blue, Milano collection at Symphony. Appliances, Bosch. Twenties Petal Design matt porcelain floor tiles, TilesPorcelain.
“With the floor, we went for a small module tile and pattern – it’s something that gives a small-scale kitchen a feeling of more space.”
The crab on the wall is made out of old gas cylinders and adds another touch of colour to the room.
Ashbourne Premium kitchen in Cooks Blue, Milano collection at Symphony. Appliances, Bosch. Twenties Petal Design matt porcelain floor tiles, TilesPorcelain.
The worktop looks like wood, but is, in fact, laminate. “With it being a rental property, you need something robust. It’s also easy to clean and maintain,” Eilir says.
Padua Oak finish worktop, Lumber range at Axiom. Walls painted in All White, Farrow & Ball.
Padua Oak finish worktop, Lumber range at Axiom. Walls painted in All White, Farrow & Ball.
“In the kitchen, we had no wall space left for radiators, so we opted for infrared heated ceiling panels. Two panels have been fitted to the ceiling and they are very effective,” Eilir says.
Heaters, Herschel.
Heaters, Herschel.
The bathroom, which is downstairs, echoes the colours and patterns of the kitchen. The couple removed the existing bath and installed a shower to make the room feel bigger.
Wild Blossom ceramic wall tiles in Seagrass, Topps Tiles. Floor tiles, same as kitchen. Walls painted in All White, Farrow & Ball.
Wild Blossom ceramic wall tiles in Seagrass, Topps Tiles. Floor tiles, same as kitchen. Walls painted in All White, Farrow & Ball.
A pretty staircase turns and leads up to two bedrooms.
“The stairs originally had carpet on them,” Eilir says. “They were in pretty bad condition underneath. We tried sanding them and, in the end, we painted the treads and risers, partly as a damage limitation exercise. It was cheap and honest – it’s true to the feel of the place.”
The pale grey sections are painted in the same colour as the internal doors.
Stair treads painted in Hague Blue; risers painted in Dimpse, both Farrow & Ball.
“The stairs originally had carpet on them,” Eilir says. “They were in pretty bad condition underneath. We tried sanding them and, in the end, we painted the treads and risers, partly as a damage limitation exercise. It was cheap and honest – it’s true to the feel of the place.”
The pale grey sections are painted in the same colour as the internal doors.
Stair treads painted in Hague Blue; risers painted in Dimpse, both Farrow & Ball.
The bedrooms are located on the first floor, either side of the staircase.
There was more dark-stained wood here, which has been lightened up with pale paint in line with the downstairs colours.
The floor is a limewashed-oak-look laminate. “It’s durable and easy to clean. It also has a nice Scandi feel to it,” Eilir says.
The vintage Ercol chair and chest were found in a local antiques shop for around £80 and £50 respectively.
Cushion, Marimekko. Woods laminate flooring in Gravel Oak, UK Flooring Direct. Walls and ceiling painted in Wimborne White, Farrow & Ball.
The floor is a limewashed-oak-look laminate. “It’s durable and easy to clean. It also has a nice Scandi feel to it,” Eilir says.
The vintage Ercol chair and chest were found in a local antiques shop for around £80 and £50 respectively.
Cushion, Marimekko. Woods laminate flooring in Gravel Oak, UK Flooring Direct. Walls and ceiling painted in Wimborne White, Farrow & Ball.
A large portion of the budget for each bedroom went on good-quality bed linen. “Frede was very keen on this,” Eilir says, explaining that in a rental property, it’s very important.
Organic fairtrade cotton bed linen, Nour Luxury London. Bed, CrazyPriceBeds.com.
Organic fairtrade cotton bed linen, Nour Luxury London. Bed, CrazyPriceBeds.com.
The unusual wall decor is an antique saw, which Eilir just liked the look of.
Brandon lamp, House at John Lewis & Partners.
Brandon lamp, House at John Lewis & Partners.
The smaller of the two rooms houses twin beds. The cupboard was a second-hand find the couple painted. The mirror and artwork were picked up in a second-hand shop.
Walls and ceiling painted in Wimborne White, Farrow & Ball.
Walls and ceiling painted in Wimborne White, Farrow & Ball.
The bedside lamps are a midcentury design by Herda, from Holland. Eilir and Frede, who is Dutch, had them rewired.
There wasn’t much to do outside, except for painting the exterior.
“One of our friends wanted to stay while it was being renovated,” Eilir says, “and we said, ‘Stay as long as you like – but only if you paint the house.’”
“One of our friends wanted to stay while it was being renovated,” Eilir says, “and we said, ‘Stay as long as you like – but only if you paint the house.’”
The couple also had a new patio laid – all the better for enjoying this view.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite thing about this traditional Welsh cottage renovation? Let us know in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What’s your favourite thing about this traditional Welsh cottage renovation? Let us know in the Comments section.
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Who lives here? This is the holiday home of architect Eilir Sheryn and his wife and business partner, Frede van Ellen
Location Carmarthenshire, Wales
Property A 19th century stone worker’s cottage in a former mining area
Size Two bedrooms and one bathroom
Designer Eilir Sheryn of van Ellen + Sheryn Architects
Photos by Richard Downer
‘Brynglas’ belonged to Eilir’s great great grandmother’s sister and the house has been in the family for five or six generations.
Since it was not going to be Eilir and Frede’s main home, they decided to renovate it so it would be somewhere they could use as a holiday home and rent out.
What started as a light redecoration project quickly snowballed. “The kitchen had had it and the floor and lighting needed replacing,” Eilir says. “The bathroom was the same. As we went through each room, we realised it wasn’t fit for purpose. It also had night storage heaters, which are not fit for a rental property, so new heating [electric panel radiators, as the house has no gas supply] went in and so it went on.”