Eight years ago a life-changing experience prompted a change of address for one couple who were at the time living in London.
Being made redundant can be a very stressful experience, but it led Serafina and Neal on a path to an incredible Georgian mansion house nestled within the trees off a quiet country lane on the edge of the Afon Llwyd valley.
It captivated the couple with its potential as well as its ample space which could offer them a home as well as a business.
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The couple embarked on a journey up the M4 from a pokey London flat to the massive Georgian home.
Serafina, aged 53 and originally from north Wales, said: "The house was so grand and I felt proper grown up. My London flat would have fitted into my current kitchen! The people here have welcomed me, and I have made lifelong friends.
But with all that space, it made sense for the couple to start utilising it to generate income. Serafina said: "I started renting rooms out to cover the costs and then moved some rooms to airbnb. I love meeting people from around the world and locals looking for a special night away."
Wandering inside will probably take your breath away. Instantly the interiors captivate you, with so much to see and absorb.
The interior design style is a joyful celebration of the owners' evolving and eclectic taste - design influences, statement pieces, classic retro furniture from different eras and playful accessories that illustrate their personalities, their humour, and their design loves.
Serafina said: "The house has 17 rooms and at the time we didn't have a lot of cash, so my boyfriend Neal and I frequented auctions and furniture recycling places where we bought mid-century pieces for peanuts - in London it costs a fortune!"
The hall begins with a mid-century retro vibe, with two fabulous orange chairs flanking a classic sideboard that many people can recall from their childhood homes or from their nan's front room.
Off this hall are two bedrooms to the left, but it's to the right where the reception spaces wait to be discovered that the rooms sing with the couple's unique and quirky style.
The lounge is an intimate and cosy space and thanks to a sizeable and classic Georgian sash window, is flooded with light so it can easily take the deep and moody grey on the walls.
This darker backdrop, continued on the carpeted floor, is the perfect choice to let the tiled fireplace sing its rich, red tones.
Serafina said: "The lounge is dark and only used in the evening so we went for a trendy dark grey and with all the small unusual lights it becomes really cosy with the real fire."
The skeleton artwork expresses the gothic vibe that is one of the couple's main style influences.
It's clear throughout the house that artwork, including iconic pop culture images, is an important aspect of the couple's design choices.
Serafina said: "Artwork is always a great way of jazzing up walls and that can be changed easily, there are loads of sites selling cool prints, and album covers are a really easy way to make a funky statement."
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But the unique design has not been planned, it has just happened over the years.
Serafina added: "We live and breathe this house and didn't really notice how it has evolved. The house has become maximalist by accident via lifelong preoccupations with unusual finds and images!
"Viktor Wynd is a massive inspiration and the Morbitorioum in Risca has a great vibe.
"Neal loves upcycling and unusual wins at the auction and we blend our tastes.
"Instagram Interiors and updates from my favourite websites like Rocket St George and Furn get me reaching for my debit card!
"The interiors have definitely grown organically. The retro-ness has come from buying mid-century furniture and we buy forward looking magazines like Cabana and Wallpaper that give us ideas on collating items indulgent with a slightly goth feel.
But not all design choices get the go-ahead.
A large collection of dolls' heads has been put to bed for a while too, as they were freaking out some of the guests, so Serafina has managed to reign in some of her design urges to suit the more public use of areas of the house.
"I love taxidermy for example but I've had to tone it down because of guests' feedback! Neal Is a little more glitzy."
That could explain the massive disco glitter ball above the dining table in arguably the showpiece room of the house.
This kitchen, diner, lounge is huge, running from the front to the back of the house and flowing out into the private garden with hidden patios and terraces and valley views.
With a room this large, the couple could go full-on maximalist.
There are pools of neutral - the glossy white kitchen, the floor, the white walls and the dining suite with timeless design chosen for the chairs.
These neutral choices mean the statement choices can dominate and captivate.
The super-trendy tropical wallpaper anchors one end of the space and is mirrored and honoured by the tree canopy design of the rug at the opposite end of the room.
On the far wall the Ramones poster joins the nature inspired tonal party and earthy toned sofa and pattern cushions lend their support too.
The choice of the olive green metro tiles as the splashback behind the oven is clever.
It visually and tonally links the two ends of the room and makes sure the centre of the room is not overlooked as being an essential part of the design.
The statement lighting over the central kitchen island is large enough surely to be called an installation, and gives the centre of the room, coupled with the island below, the important role of centring the huge space.
Of course, there's an original mid-century sideboard in the room too. It brings more warm tones in and connects to the retro style first introduced in the hall.
The kitchen diner family room that links to the garden is obviously a very sociable space, with all three zones - eating, cooking, lounging - having ample space to invite a group to gather and linger.
As most of the rooms are very generous, there are ample places to sit elsewhere too, although on a more private level.
Many bedrooms have oodles of space so you can invite a sofa into the design, and one of the bathrooms is so large there's even a seating area in the middle of it.
Arguably the stand-out slumber zone is the master bedroom on the top floor that has access to this vast bathroom.
This lovely bedroom boasts rural views from the triple aspect windows as well as exposed beams and rafters that have been painted in a modern grey to blend with the decor.
In here mid-century statement furniture and accessories sit alongside the French chateaux style bed and animal prints on the wall.
This room is so large that there's a zone for a home working desk as well as a lounge area with a chunky sofa and TV in situ.
If the next owner decides to keep the house as a partial B&B or has another generation of the family making the move too, this suite is a perfect, self-contained hideaway for relaxing away from the busier zones of the house.
Many of the remaining bedrooms are airbnb guest bedrooms or let out, and all can boast either a period fireplace, sofa area, oodles of space or all three.
The house has a large utility room and secondary kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor, plus an additional bathroom on the first floor, and finally a fourth bathroom on the second floor.
One of these statement bathrooms is a marvellous monochrome creation, with the bath tucked under an archway and a step to get in.
A checkerboard tile floor is the inspiration for the wall tiles and black and white floral drawers topped by plants to soften the look.
Serafina has some advice on achieving an eclectic look on a budget, that combines with the thought to just have fun expressing yourself and collecting over the years.
Of course, there are auction sites to plunder but her treasures are found from a variety of sources that includes keeping up-to-date with some current trends.
"Plants instantly make a difference but as I usually kill them we opted for fake ones from Ikea. Books have been a passion of mine for years and we love funky cushions.
"I made the curtains myself- really easy, and most of the furniture comes from ebay or GB Auctions in Caerleon. The tree rug was from Amazon. B&M and Home Bargains have some fab wallpaper and Wayfair has a massive catalogue of funky stuff."
Serafina's favourite room is the kitchen diner and in there you will find her favourite item too.
"We’ve had so many fun times here, it never ceases to make me smile and we realise we are so very lucky to live in a space like this.
"I knew that the kitchen needed something dramatic as it's so large. The massive disco ball reflects all the colours, it came out of a club and when the lights go down and we crank up the music it's magical!"
But for the couple one of the most important aspects of the property is the location as well as the house.
"The trees that surround the house - in summer it's like being in a botanical garden, and with the mountains all around I feel alive and very lucky."
But now the couple have decided to move on to a renovation project adventure that hopefully will result in a hospitality business too.
"We are looking forward to our next property as Neal will restore an old hall to its former glory - fingers crossed! We have hundreds of Pinterest images saved already for printed wallpapers and 10 foot tall giraffes!".
But the couple will be sad to leave the valley and the friends they have made, although at least all their eclectic treasures can be packed up and move with them.
"This house has looked after our family and given us security and an amazing home. We have been really privileged to live here and make so many wonderful friends - we are looking forward to having several leaving parties!"
The house near Pontypool is for sale for offers over £625,000 with estate agents Archer & Co, call their Usk branch on 01291 672212 to find out more.
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