There are some locations that are so special that they command a premium and Howells Crescent in Llandaff, Cardiff is one of them. The leafy street is home to ultra spacious, super stylish period homes that are some of the most attractive period properties in the capital.
The road is well-placed for all that the best of two of the most expensive and sought- after suburbs can offer. Go one way to explore Llandaff, including the village centre, the cathedral, and Llandaff fields.
Or turn the other way to discover Pontcanna, including its patchwork of fields and all the trendy cafes, restaurants, pubs and shops tucked away within this uber-cool suburb.
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Howells private girls' school is around the corner and easy access to routes into the city centre or out of the city altogether are close by via the network of main roads.
But there's another, unique reason why Howells Crescent can stand out from other streets in Cardif f - the breath-taking displays by the owner of one house on the road that stops people, and traffic, in their tracks.
The remarkable displays the owner of this five-bed semi-detached home creates have become legendary in the capital. The home has just come onto the market but sadly all the incredible items used to create movie-set displays don't come with the sale of the house.
While the rest of us add lights and maybe even moving LED projections to the front of our homes and are feeling proud, homeowner Danny Hargreaves is adding a snow-covered helicopter piloted by the Grinch to his front lawn.
There are Gremlins climbing the front facade of his Christmas house as well as Bruce Willis as his character John McClane from the popular Christmas movie Die Hard about to reach the roofline; it's enough to make you decide to unplug your effort.
But don't be disheartened at your own attempt at dressing your home at special times of the year such as Halloween and Christmas as Danny has an advantage over most people.
The film lover owns a special effects company called Real SFX who are responsible for creating the special effects in shows such as Doctor Who, Sherlock, His Dark Materials and Peaky Blinders.
The Welsh company has won an Emmy and multiple Baftas so, of course, Danny's displays are going to be off the standard decoration scale. But it's all about raising money for charity as well as providing a smile for passers-by for Danny, and so at Halloween time he's at it again and has been for the past six years or so.
Arguably the most incredible Halloween display was in 2020 when Danny and his family took almost a whole weekend to create surely the best Halloween display in the capital to put a smile on local children's faces during lockdown, when door to door 'trick or treat' activities were banned.
This time giant spiderwebs, huge tarantulas, skeletons and skulls invaded Danny's garden and home and this awesome effort raised over £5,000 for charity. But now the house that has helped Danny raise thousands is on the market so the only current display you will find there is a 'for sale' board.
From the front, even without the Grinch's helicopter and the giant spider, the house is a show-stopper in its own right via its beautiful period features, from the iron and glass front veranda to the sash windows displaying stunning stained glass designs.
The tiled apex above the bay windows are a stunning tactile bonus feature when placed in the context of the red brick and sandstone elements of the facade below it.
Walk along the tiled front veranda, that is surely crying out for the addition of a rocking chair, with no spiders or Gremlins in sight and you arrive at the front door which offers the most beautiful of welcomes.
The wide doorway is filled with a structure that offers seven panels of intricate stained glass design in multiple colours - a gorgeous period feature that can easily compete for attention amongst the Christmas and Halloween decorations.
Open the door and the gorgeousness continues into the spacious hall, from the totally 'on trend' black and white painted staircase and period features, to the wood flooring that flows into the rear kitchen diner and garden that can be seen directly from the front door.
But before the back of the house tempts you to explore further, the sitting room to the right wants to shout about its fabulous features, the main one being the very attractive art nouveau tiled fireplace with integrated upper mantel surround that includes fancy detailing and a mirror.
This room can also boast picture rails and layered cornicing that combine to remind you that this is a period property of stature.
But the sitting room opposite can arguably go one better, with a breath-taking fireplace that is so detailed it takes a while to absorb all the design it is displaying as it grabs your immediate attention.
Then it's the turn of the windows, housed in a huge bay and sporting upper panes that add pretty stained glass to the list of features found in this relaxing space. Add a picture rail, a dado rail and cornicing to that features list too.
The spectacular rear space that you know is waiting for you at the back of the house is calling you, but don't be too quick to get there, you don't want to miss the 'James Bond' toilet.
It's not 007 in terms of gadgets but in terms of a cloakroom with high shine gold tiles, matt black walls and integrated LED lighting - it might be the smallest room in the house, but it's one of the most engaging.
So then you arrive at the rear of the house via the open double doorway from the hall, and it does not disappoint. It's an open-plan space that is as spacious as it is stylish but is not a boring, big box but rather three connected zones, each with a function and each flowing into the other.
Through the open doorway from the hall gets you into the lounge zone of this sociable rear area, connected with the hall and kitchen zone to the side by the continuing use of the same flooring that makes the visual flow floorless and the physical connection seamless.
A big, squashy sofa relaxes in front of the TV and contemporary fireplace, with bi-fold doors out onto a sunny deck area and the pretty family garden.
This outdoor space has been beautifully landscaped to create a private, leafy oasis within a capital city, with maybe the raised, built-in seating at the end of the garden with added firepit the most popular place to sit and relax amongst the small trees and shrubs.
Back inside and the lounge is open-plan to the kitchen in the opposite corner of the room and what a kitchen it is - the stuff interior design dreams are made of. The mix of matt contemporary grey handless units, a stainless steel and marble island, accents of wood to bring warmth and yet another layer of texture, and a haven of hidden, highlight lighting is the most exquisite design combination.
It's not a surprise to discover that the kitchen has been designed and crafted by Penarth interior design consultancy Project One, who have installed, as well as hidden lighting, a sound system so the cook can warble to their favourite music while they work.
The kitchen island looks out into the bonus conservatory that, although connected to the rear spaces of this special home, also feels cocooned within its own intimate atmosphere, centred around the sociable circular dining table and ably assisted by the built-in mini bar within one wall.
This hub of socialising has underfloor heating to keep you cosy and a cooler to keep your wine chilled, plus French doors to the garden so the party can spill out into the garden.
Back to the hall and the period staircase made modern with black and white paint and a geometric carpet gets you to four bedrooms including the master, and a family bathroom on the first floor.
The master is the biggest bedroom that can also boast a bay and a very fancy fireplace that arguably steals the show and makes this space a special mix of period past and pretty present, with a deep royal blue the interior design accent colour of choice.
Next to the master is the smallest of the bedrooms, located over the front door, and can be a versatile space that adapts as your lifestyle changes; nursery or home office or master bedroom ensuite are all options.
The bathroom on this floor is a luxury Lusso design with arguably the central feature the free-standing oval bath that once you are sinking your tired body into the bubbles at the end of a hard day, it must then be very difficult to get back out again with maybe the water going cold the only incentive to shift yourself.
Up the extended staircase that flows seamlessly on from its older original section below and you're into the converted loft space that some people would contend is the more likely master bedroom. Whatever you think, it's a space that's a stunner.
From the garden below if you had looked up at the back of the house you would have seen the first intriguing design feature of this top layer of this top-of-the-range dream home; a bank of black frame glass that fills the width of the dormer roof extension both as a window and as a bi-fold door creating a Juliet balcony for the bedroom.
This contemporary choice is a winner on the inside too, with the black sections perfectly framing the panoramic views of Cardiff rooftops and gardens from the luxury shower room as well as the bedroom.
There are no views of Gremlins climbing the walls or of the Grinch in his chopper up here, just ever-changing skyscapes above and the patchwork of city homes and urban life below.
The shower is a spectacular combination of luxury tiling and brushed brass fittings and fixtures, again a Lusso design and again of a standard that could easily slip it into the design of a luxury hotel.
The bedroom has character thanks to the inclusion of the top of two chimney breasts arching into one, taken back to brick to create a structure that is as beautiful in a tactile context as it is in a practical context.
This feature is the structural crown of this gem of a dream home that is now as famous for its stunning interiors inside as it is for its amazing movie set displays outside.
The house is on the market for offers in excess of £1.1m with estate agent MGY, call their Pontcanna branch on 029 2039 7152 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories and interiors, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter which is sent to your inbox twice a week.
