When you think of an outdoor igloo, most people's instant thought will surely be a small, dome house made of snow blocks located somewhere very far north or south on the planet, and definitely not a terraced house in the south Wales valleys.
But this igloo hiding in a Pontypridd back garden must have intrigued the neighbours the day it was erected by the owner of this seemingly traditional valleys terraced home. Before the coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020 the structure might have caused more of a stir, but outdoor igloos have since become an option explored by owners of pubs and restaurants to keep customers apart and yet still be able to open.
But it's not inventive restaurateurs that inspired this homeowner to investigate an igloo for his garden, he fancied one long before then.
Aled Jones, 35, says: "I came across the garden igloo when looking at pictures of a rooftop bar in New York. They had these pods which were waterproofed and allowed guests to be sheltered in all weathers. The structure also means that you can clip on small patio heaters to the frame and this allows the space to be heated all year round.
"When I saw a Black Friday Christmas sale on around two years ago I knew I had to buy one. I managed to get one for half price but I have only recently ventured into the box to build it. It's been great during this second lockdown, to be able to sit outside and enjoy a drink inside the dome."
Aled bought the traditional valleys terrace house in 2016 and couldn't wait to bring his own style to the home.
Fortunately the largest structural element of this property's transformation, the renovation of the kitchen area in the basement into an open-plan space, was already done and it's Aled's favourite room in the house, perfect for socialising.
He says: "In the summer you can entertain in the garden with a BBQ until it gets too dark or cold, and it's only a step inside and you can continue with the socialising in this spacious room. It offers more than just a space to cook and eat."
But Aled felt the interior design needed updating, especially upstairs, and this gave him a chance to stamp his own personal style on each space.
He says: "Initially I felt excited and inspired to make the amendments needed to turn this house into a home which portrayed my style and character.
"Although this wasn't a complete 'project' in the sense that everything had to be ripped out, receiving the keys did leave me feeling daunted about the magnitude of the tasks ahead.
"Once that initial feeling had passed and I looked at the work from a different mindset, it gave me the drive that I needed to make this a spacious, comfortable and characterful home."
As well as wanting to update the style, the bedrooms in the house also still had the old lath and plaster in place that needed updating.
Also, Aled was not keen on the only bathroom being located on the ground floor, within the basement level of this three-storey home, so finding a solution to creating an upstairs bathroom was his biggest priority.
Aled says: "I wanted to avoid anyone walking down two flights of stairs at night when they needed to use the toilet!
"I was lucky that the master bedroom was very sizeable and opened itself to the option of perhaps including an en-suite.
"In the end I decided that the best logistical change to be made was to reduce the size of the main bedroom slightly and include an entrance to the bathroom from the landing.
"That way every bedroom in the house would be able to gain access to it, and not just the master bedroom."
Aled has never regretted the decision to add an extra bathroom.
And now the igloo house is on the market, the estate agent must be over-joyed too, as it's a well known fact that kitchens and bathrooms sell houses, not long treks to the toilet in the middle of the night.
Looking back at the structural work, Aled says: "What I've learnt from this experience is that even though manual work isn't my forte (as my friends would often remind me!), as long as you have a vision and you set yourself a clear budget and goal, you can achieve these things in a fairly short amount of time.
"I have also been fortunate enough to know people in the trade who were able to advise me and ensure that the work was done to a good standard."
Once the structural changes and plastering was complete, that cost an estimated £6,500, Aled could be let loose on the interiors and express his own unique style, including the addition of the igloo.
He says: "Interior design is something I've definitely developed a passion and respect for since owning my first property.
"Being a student and then renting a room in a house when I first started teaching, I wasn't that bothered about how the room looked.
"I did however have a vision of how my first house would look and when I would eventually achieve my goal of owning my first property, I was eager to ensure that it had plenty of style and character."
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Throughout the house, Aled has learnt to rely on his design strength of being able to visualise how a room could look once the colour scheme, furniture and styling was in place.
The primary school teacher says: "You won't see me anywhere near hard work such as laying bricks or any sort of manual work for that matter! I'm more of a Laurence Llewelyn Bowen than a Tommy Walsh!"
Aled was captivated by the character of the traditional terraces in the valleys, and had a vision of owning one that he could make cosy and comfortable but also keep as much of the property's original charm as possible.
The first task after the building work was done was to allocate functions to spaces and decorate accordingly.
Aled says: "I was lucky enough to have two reception rooms so I initially decided that one would become the sophisticated 'grown up' room and that the second would become more of a party and cinema room.
"The reception room at the back of the house, the more formal space, has the original floorboards in place and these are painted black to contrast with the white skirting boards and light grey scheme throughout the room.
"As a house warming gift I received a coffee table made from a wood pallet by a friend and from there I bought an old sewing table and updated it so it would become a desk to hold the vinyl record player.
Get Aled's colourful and contemporary style:
"I bought the dome lamp before buying the house - completely fell in love with it and it was on sale so I had to grab it while it was available! Best purchase I ever made and I always received comments about it.
"The room also includes an open fire place which is wired up with LED lights to bring a more atmospheric mood to the room at night.
"When it came to the sofas, I had to pick something that blended in well with the rest of the room and sticking with the classic style and wood top tables, these winged cream sofas with dark wooden legs were the perfect addition to the room."
Aled says he has made the front reception room less formal, it is the bright and sunny party and cinema room, becoming a regular weekend chill-out space.
He says: "When the electric screen comes down and the projector turns on, it completely transforms the room into a cinema and sports lounge.
"The addition of the corner sofa was quite a late one but it's been great, especially over the last year with lockdown restrictions.
"We've been able to watch the Six Nations matches as if we were out in the pub or a bar somewhere."
As Aled is a huge music fan, the cinema room also gave him a chance to get creative with more LED lighting and construct a unit that displays his prized vinyl collection.
He says: "Also, behind the vinyl shelves there is a feature wall where I've used tiled artificial plants.
"Anyone who comes to my house will see that although I'm a fan of indoor plants, I can't be trusted looking after real ones, so everything you see is artificial!
During Aled's time in the house he says he has developed a love for the colour green but was having trouble deciding how and where he could use it.
Enter the plush green velvet bar stools and chaise lounge in the kitchen that adds a touch of luxury to the basement party space in the house, which benefits from an integrated Sono sound system that runs throughout most of the home.
One of Aled's favourite interior design trends is industrial, so he has introduced an element into every room, from storage shelves made from scaffold rods to a clothes rail made from wood sleepers and scaffolding.
Even though this teacher might leave school behind him every day when the bell goes, part of his work life is a permanent reminder in his home.
Aled says: "The master bedroom has a bedside table which is made in the style of old school lockers and I felt that this, alongside the metal storage trunks, added another layer of industrial design."
The focal point in the master bedroom is arguably the four-poster bed.
It's a feature that Aled had always thought would look awesome in an older property, where the high ceilings could accommodate the extra height of this statement piece of furniture, but it had to be the right bed.
Aled says: "I didn't want the old fashioned type four-posters that you see in listed properties but I didn't want it to look too modern either.
"The middle ground was this one, which is primed and painted in white which, once again, contrasts against the dark wood flooring and the green painted walls."
Aled has learnt as he has progressed through the styling of his home not to worry about the conventional style that is expected in a valleys terrace, but to just have the confidence to do what he wanted; and advises you do the same.
His inspiration has come from social media and property television programmes, but also from aspirational statement pieces from his favourite furniture stores.
He says: "Often I would think to style the room around the furniture that I would want to buy!
"Lighting is also an important aspect of the design for me and within the house I have many striking floor lamps, quirky Edisson style bulbs and LED mood lighting, which also adds to the design of the rooms.
"It also doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. Yes, there is furniture out there which is expensive to buy but more and more affordable companies are now offering cheaper alternatives, which are often on-trend."
Now Aled is packing up to start a new property adventure and he knows he is going to miss the cinema room, but can take the memories created in there with him.
He says: "The cinema atmosphere was created with the projector and has an enormous screen which I've had so much use out of during the lockdown period - watching films, Wales in the Six Nations or Manchester United games.
"I don't think that's something that I will be able to be replicated in the new house, unless we build one of these outdoor garden bars that everyone seems to be doing now! I may take the screen with me, just in case I can persuade my partner!"
The property sold quickly for around £170,000 with Peter Alan Pontypridd, obviously to someone who fell in love with the interiors. Wonder if the igloo comes as part of the sale?
