Royston Jones and Fiona Gray have spent 27 years transforming their traditional end-of-terrace house into a stately home.
Tucked away near Swansea sits an ordinary end-of-terrace house that conceals one of the region’s most extraordinary interiors – a breathtaking transformation that will leave visitors utterly stunned.
Behind its unremarkable façade lies a home so spectacular it rivals the grandest stately mansions dotted across the British countryside.
Royston Jones and Fiona Gray have called this remarkable property home for more than 27 years, painstakingly crafting an interior that transports guests to another world entirely.
Reflecting on their incredible renovation journey, Royston explains: “When we arrived many original features were ripped out but there were some of the interior features left, like the panel doors and the just one or two sort of decorative things so I just thought, ‘well, come on, let’s decorate it, because it’s so dull’.”
The pair have certainly achieved that goal in spectacular fashion – armed with countless buckets of plaster and PVA, reports Wales Online.
Step through the front door and you’re immediately amazed by intricate plasterwork and stunning artwork, which adorns nearly every ceiling and wall throughout the property.
The desire to craft a miniature stately home within their Welsh terrace stems from two sources, Royston believes – his ancestry and their artistic careers. However, examining their residence, it comes as no shock to discover this couple aren’t merely ordinary artists, but extraordinary model creators too, crafting room and dwelling replicas in 1:8 scale for royalty, diplomats and the wealthy elite.
Royston explains: “I’ve always loved stately homes. I was an unwanted child, I didn’t know anything about my background until much later on in my life. And then I discovered that the people I came from were avid builders in the 18th century.
“They built a whole load of mansions and stuff up in Cardiganshire, which is where I hail from originally, and I think you just inherit stuff like that. And I’ve always loved architecture and I’ve always loved the interiors of particularly neoclassical late Georgian stately homes from 1760 to 1800, I think that’s how it started.”
The couple’s expertise in creating models to an exquisite and intricate standard has attracted clientele including Lord Rothschild and Princess Diana’s relatives, the Spencer’s. Many of those projects demanded years rather than months of painstaking labour, undoubtedly requiring unwavering precision and boundless patience.
Fiona says: “I am patient in nature, but there was one particular part of a room with a dome, which we had to cast in fibreglass, and it was a complete nightmare. We did it about three or four times, and it just took so much time.
“But we had to get it right, for our own satisfaction and also, and most importantly, for the client we were working for. It’s just something that is just part of us, you know, if something needs to be unpicked and redone, we’ll just do it.”
Fiona explains that inspiration for their own home stems from numerous sources, though there’s one primary influence. She says: “We’ve made a great study into the works of 18th century architect James Wyatt, plus the contemporary architects of the 18th century, so we’ve got a very large photographic archive covering all of that period. For inspiration for a design that’s where we go; to our archive.”
Royston creates stunningly elaborate plasterwork featuring panels and ceiling roses, cornicing and paintings for the ceilings – despite the fact that the artists admits he’s “not very good at heights”.
He continues: “But overall it’s such fun and it’s such a lovely thing to make and you just get carried away, you don’t worry about your stiff neck, you just get on with it.”
Both creatives are in agreement that the most demanding aspect of bringing each design to life is the extremely precise measurements needed.
Royston explains: “It’s got to be accurately measured out, and it’s got to be symmetrically placed on the ceiling, in the space that you have. You can’t be an inch out, really, you can’t, it has to be very, very symmetrically placed.
“And when the design joins different elements together you’ve got to make sure that you try to make the join as invisible as possible. It’s all about mathematical accuracy, as much as you can achieve, really.”
The creations are crafted from a mixture of plaster, moulded features and even cardboard, with Royston blending the paint to achieve the precise colour they desire. Each ceiling or wall can require between three to five weeks, depending on the layers of detail incorporated in the design. The majority of sections within a design are then attached using either PVA glue or UHU glue.
Royston explains: “The cornicing and the friezes are the worst, they’re always long winded because of all the intricacy of the beading and the details such as leaves and urns – all those ornaments have to be cast and dried and stuck on.
“The ceilings are fairly straightforward, as long as you measure it up correctly – if you don’t measure it out and you just stick things on, you realise that it’s in the wrong place, then it’s all got to come off and you’ve got to start again.”
Royston reveals Fiona handles more of the complex details, explaining: “She does the casting. She’s very good at casting, she’s a bit of a genius. I don’t do any of the casting, I just model the ornaments and she creates them. And that takes as long as it takes. And then you’ve got to let it dry. That’s the boring bit. It takes a couple of days, two or three days sometimes.”
Fiona adds: “I’m just sitting there making these ornaments, in some cases hundreds of these things, and you get to thinking, ‘well, when will I ever finish this?’ But, you know, the finished result is always very much worth all the repetitive effort, and it’s all just part of the project.”
The couple have one more room to complete to their satisfaction but, due to condensation issues, have decided that the kitchen and bathroom won’t be joining the grand manor atmosphere that flows throughout the remainder of their property.
Royston remains optimistic that their hard work might encourage others to have a crack at designing more thrilling ceilings in their own homes, explaining: “Give it a go, and if it doesn’t work or you don’t like it, you take it down and try again or just don’t do it again.”
When guests step inside this ordinary terraced house, Royston reveals they’re typically greeted by the same response. He explains: “Well, mostly people don’t say anything – they’re kind of struck dumb! But it’s nice to get a bit of feedback, you know, when people do come and look at it and are captivated.”
Royston remarked: “One or two (people) think we’re showing off and that is hurtful. We’re not showing off. We’re not people who do that. We just want to give people joy and pleasure, the pleasure of having a look at it. That’s all. We’ve got nothing to show off about, we’re very modest people.
“It’s done for fun and to give people joy and to show people that the world can be quite a beautiful, magical place in your home. This is about love. It’s not about showing off.”
