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Wales Online
Lifestyle
Joanne Ridout

Scandi-style dream home hiding in one of Wales' most beautiful locations with links to Mount Everest

When this unique home was built in the 1980s by the original owner in one of Wales' most beautiful and famous 'Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty', it was positioned in an elevated position and named after a place in the world that meant so much to them for a reason.

Avid climbers, the owners decided on the house name of Tengboche, after the midway station on the trail to the base camp of Mount Everest where panoramic views can be enjoyed over the Himalayas.

The outlook at Tengboche over a peaceful wooded Welsh hillside is not exactly Mount Everest or the Himalayas, but it is a glorious and absorbing vista to enjoy every day from this abode with no dangerous climbing required.

READ MORE: Beautiful dream home right on the coast with panoramic sea views from a secluded headland

Scandi-style cladding and multiple balconies and decks to choose from (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

There's no danger of any avalanches here either, unless it's an avalanche of compliments from impressed, and surely rather envious, visitors.

Located in the idyllic Angiddy Valley just around the corner from the village of Tintern and the stunning River Wye valley, the location couldn't be more idyllic.

The landscape is shrouded in natural beauty from rolling fields to ancient woodland, with one of Wales' most iconic rivers running through the heart of this beautiful slice of Monmouthshire. The location of rural peace and pretty market towns makes Monmouthshire a very popular county to aspire to call home, so no wonder the county has some of the most expensive neighbourhoods in Wales, find out more about that here.

Tengboche enjoys the best of nature's surrounding beauty, nestled into this hidden valley and in the heart of the Conservation Area in and around Tintern.

This characterful village hugs the River Wye as it meanders to the coast, and probably best known for its Abbey, the remains of which dominate the skyline, but also as a base for lunch or afternoon tea before or after a wonderful walk along the river bank.

A distinct and deliciously light and spacious home in a prime location (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

After being mesmerised by Tintern Abbey on the outskirts of the village, there's plenty to do in the area.

The location is home to an extensive network of local footpaths that link with two long distance paths - the Wye Valley Walk and Offa's Dyke Path.

And crossing the former wireworks railway bridge onto the English side of the river you will find several clearly marked paths, the most notable of with is the one to the Devils' Pulpit.

That's all on land. On the water the river provides an array of water-based activities supported by local, professional companies offering training and tours.

Back at the dream home in the valley, the current owners have transformed the property over the last decade through a renovation project into a modern and contemporary home, with the grey cladding a modern Scandi-style addition to the white-washed exterior that makes this house so unique.

Looks like a bungalow from the front but don't judge a property by your first impressions (Archer & Co, Chepstow)
Plenty of space for outdoor living amongst the valley views (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

From the front, as you turn off the country lane, you think the house is actually a bungalow - it looks like a single-storey abode, but it then drops down the hillside into the private garden to reveal a spacious, two-storey home.

The majority of the accommodation is on the first floor, which can be considered as the ground floor if you are entering from the front of the property. There's ample parking and an integral garage to notice, but it's the house that is calling you for attention.

Modern, glossy kitchen (Archer & Co, Chepstow)
Breakfast bar at one end of the kitchen (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

The house is a home of two halves as well as two storeys. The left half of the property houses a most welcoming, sunny and sociable living wing, with a modern, glossy kitchen with breakfast bar easily flowing into the dining space.

The design is clever, with a half-wall and step down defining and partially separating the eating and cooking spaces as two different zones in a broken-plan configuration. And by keeping the two spaces linked, it ensures that being social is at the heart of the experiences in this area.

Broken-plan layout to the dining area thanks to a partial dividing wall and a step down (Archer & Co, Chepstow)
Very spacious living room with huge sections of glass for light and views (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

As any successful Scandi-style home should offer you the windows are large and numerous, and they should be - the views out over the wooded valley are stunning and should be enjoyed at every occasion, and the design of this house assists this to the maximum.

The dining room then flows into a generous living area with an open-plan layout, and in here the view becomes the total star of the space thanks to the two huge, floor-to-ceiling picture windows, and what a stunning picture they frame.

The balcony that comes straight off the lounge (Archer & Co, Chepstow)
One of the bathrooms in the bedroom wing of the house (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

But look a little closer and one of these windows is actually a set of French doors leading out onto a first floor balcony with glass balustrades, meaning not one angle of the glorious view is blocked.

Surely this is the best spot in the house to utilise and be thankful for all day, every day - weather permitting?

From breakfast with the bird-based dawn chorus, lunch in the sun, and supper under the stars, this balcony is a fabulous addition to the house, but there are other areas to enjoy the location that reveal themselves later.

Four bedrooms in total (Archer & Co, Chepstow)
All bedrooms are spacious and light-filled (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

Through to the right wing of the home, and it is predominantly a slumber zone, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms lining up next to each other.

There's a room at the end of the hallway that is a versatile space - it could be a bedroom but at the moment is being used as an office and music room.

Previous owners have used this room as the master bedroom and the reason is simple. The room has sliding doors leading onto its own private and spacious composite decked balcony that wraps around it - who wouldn't want to bag that as a delightful addition to their bedroom?

Now an office and music room but was once the master bedroom for good reason (Archer & Co, Chepstow)
The reason is the private, elevated deck that the music room, once bedroom, can enjoy without sharing (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

But the agent selling this Scandi-inspired home suggests that the showpiece and centrepiece of this immaculate home is the bespoke oak staircase that passes through the heart of the property, catching your eye with oak newel posts and handrails, and glass balustrades that circle down to a further reception area.

This lower floor, on the same level as the garden, has an extra reception room that can boast bi-folding doors out onto another sociable garden space - a large decked area making this indoor outdoor room ideal for entertaining.

On this lower floor is the current position of the master bedroom and it's not a chore to work out why - it has an ensuite shower room, built-in wardrobes but maybe the best feature is the wall of glass that ensures the garden and views are the only decor you need in this space.

Not a surprise that this is the master bedroom with and ensuite and direct access to the garden (Archer & Co, Chepstow)
Three bathrooms in total (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

This wall of glass includes sliding doors that open up onto the garden deck, so a stumble out into the sun to fully wake you up is easy and welcome.

If the reception room on this lower ground floor next to the bedroom is not needed, the two rooms could surely become the best master suite in the area.

The current bedroom could be a large walk-in wardrobe and dressing room and the current lounge could be a wonderful bedroom.

Lower bedroom connects to the lounge next door and the garden (Archer & Co, Chepstow)
A wall of glass in the lower lounge, which could be reworked with the adjacent bedroom into an annexe? (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

Or maybe there is the option of somewhat reconfiguring the space into a self-contained annexe, as there's certainly enough space.

Of course, this change would be subject to planning consent and building regulations, as adding a small kitchen into the space will have implications for fire safety.

The beauty of this home is in its layers. Layers of light that flood in from multiple windows and doors on every external wall and on every level.

Layers of simple and elegant Scandi-inspired design, from the white walls to the use of wood throughout, from the large windows to the external cladding.

Finally, the layers of accommodation that allow you to seamlessly drift out onto a balcony or into the totally flat garden, which is actually a rare find in a valley in this area - but then this house is rare on so many levels and layers.

From the lower ground floor straight out on to the garden deck via two huge sets of glass doors (Archer & Co, Chepstow)

Tengboche is for sale with a guide price of £800,000 with estate agents Archer & Co, call their Chepstow branch on 01291 626262 to find out more, and to never miss the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories and interiors, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent out to your inbox twice a week.

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