If you have a lifelong dream but don't feel empowered to chase it for fear of failure, you are not alone. But sometimes all you need is an unexpected event to occur to ignite the flame of desire and encourage you to take a step into the unknown and give it a go.
And that's exactly what happened to Catrin Stuart, a part-time teacher and serial property renovator who enjoyed the challenge of transforming her own properties into dream homes as she moved up the property ladder, including a holiday let cottage, that had developed an itch to make it her dream job.
She had thought deeply about this life-changing path but had never taken that final step to turning that dream into reality, until the day someone connected with her on social media.
READ MORE: Wales' Home of the Year: Winning property owner didn't know if he'd live to see it finished
A seemingly random follow on her Instagram account, which was documenting her latest home project of renovating a period property in Mumbles into a luxury home by the sea, became the catalyst for change for this 50-year-old to wait no longer and follow her heart.
Catrin says "I have always had an unhealthy obsession with interiors! This is our tenth house in 20 years and our fourth renovation, so when Wales' Home of the Year started to follow my Instagram page, I was intrigued as I have watched every episode of Scotland's Home of the year.
"I messaged them to see what it was all about and they said they were looking for homes to feature and could I send over some photos of the house. They then got in touch to say they had narrowed it down to 30 homes that they would like to come and look at. I then got the call to say that we were one of the 15 homes to be featured in the first series."
The BBC Cymru Wales debut series of Wales' Home of the Year 2022 visited stunning abodes in four regions across Wales with the judges - architect Glen Thomas, designer Mandy Watkins, and presenter and TV weatherman Owain Wyn Evans - aiming to find the top of the property pile in our nation, looking for not just great interior design and architecture, but also ambience and the creation of a wonderful home.
It can be a nervous time, leaving your home for professionals from the industry to visit and then, on national television, comment on your design choices, layout and style, but Catrin had nothing to worry about - the judges loved her home, and their feedback is what has kick-started her desire to fulfil her dream and change the course of her life.
She says: "It was such a rewarding experience to be part of the show. I had been thinking about setting up my own interiors business for a while and was being encouraged by my friends and family to do it. Architect Glen Thomas’ comment that it was one of the best spaces he had ever been in and Mandy Watkins adding that she would happily pick up our kitchen and put it in her own home was incredible to hear!
"Hearing the judges comments, especially Mandy and Glen who work in that business, really meant a lot to me and gave me that boost that I needed to believe in myself and pursue my passion."
Having a look around Catrin's Mumbles home now that the renovation project is complete reveals her style for renovating and creating stylish spaces that are also practical and, as far as possible sustainable, drawing on her years of experience.
Finding the house was the first challenge for Catrin and partner Jono in 2018, as they were looking for a semi-detached or detached house, but wanted to stay near the coast in or around Mumbles and yet have potential to renovate the new property into their dream abode as well as adding value to it - harder to find and secure than you might at first think.
Catrin, originally from Llansamlet, says: "We had been looking for a house for some time and we needed this one to tick a lot of boxes. As soon as we walked into the hallway of ‘Bryn Eithen’ we were in love. It had such a lovely feel about it, open and airy and so much character. We could see that it needed a lot of TLC but it had 'great bones' and the sea views were breath-taking."
Love was in the air as the couple began to carefully and thoughtfully transform each space in this sizeable house into a home that they would adore and feel perfectly comfortable, but would be practical too. The project was done in sections, with the roof, front patio and bathrooms completed first and then came the kitchen diner extension and redecoration of the rest of the house.
The two largest sections of the project was the building of the side extension, front entrance and, at the rear of the house, the creation of the astonishing kitchen diner and family space that the judges were desperate to steal.
Catrin says: "The existing kitchen diner extension had a very old glass roof and walls which were really old, drafty and leaking, and the kitchen itself had a really low roof with no natural light. The kitchen had also been knocked through to a playroom so there was no space for the fridge, we had to put it up against the plaid curtain that separated the two spaces!"
It's not a surprise to find out that this newly designed, semi-rebuilt and fully finessed room is Catrin's favourite space in the house, not just for the rebuild and design but because it is the room she has to thank for kicking off the beginning of realising her dream.
She says: "I absolutely love the kitchen and dining area as it was planned and built from scratch and is such a striking space that has been designed with our family in mind. We worked really closely with the team on every aspect and I couldn't be happier with how the space came together."
But there was no time for hanging about in the glossy interiors magazine standard kitchen diner, there was still so much to tackle in the other spaces, including the sitting room and dining room, bedrooms and the garden.
But at least the bathrooms could be ticked off the 'to-do' list as Catrin was desperate to get them completed at the start of the 18-month project, since not only were they dated but according to Catrin there were leaks to tackle too. One loo could only be accessed via a dark and spooky corridor that was soon given the nickname of 'the loo of doom' by the family.
The project came with some challenges of course, as almost all renovation projects do, with storm force winds delaying the chimneys being repointed and the wrong mix of external paint being used that resulted in it sliding down the walls via a heavy downpour. Then the wrong tiles were sent for the bathrooms - twice.
But Catrin is experienced in renovation and nothing fazed her. She says: "It all got sorted. I've learnt that there is always a solution to be found and I was very lucky to work with some brilliant trades. I think as this was our second big renovation and we had undertaken a lot of other work on other properties we had already learnt a lot from our mistakes already."
The renovation also gave Catrin the chance to fully immerse herself in her lifelong passion; interior design. She says: "I love creating individual spaces but love that spaces are beautiful and practical too. I loved planning the utility space for example, ensuring that there was a place for everything and it would make everyday life so much easier but look good too.
"I love sourcing second hand pieces too, we have a fab mid-century drink’s cabinet as our vanity unit in our bathroom and some striking pieces in the dining area which work really well against the plywood kitchen and Crittal style windows."
That's a lot of love Catrin has lavished on this project and the future now is set on the finishing touches of her fully renovated holiday cottage, a longer-term project with the view of the couple's retirement in mind, and maybe even an overseas renovation project.
There are many aspects of working on a renovation project and interiors that Catrin has learnt over the years and she is keen to pass the knowledge on to anyone thinking of venturing into a project and is worried, even of their finished home project it might not end up on television.
She says: "Plan ahead as much as possible. Use good builders and trades. Do your research, ask around, ask to see their work and talk to their other clients. Good communication with the trades is paramount too. Ensure items are ordered on time and be there for the install as much as possible.
"Don't ever assume someone else has the same vision as you, so be super clear about exactly where you want things, for example, lighting or sockets. Do be prepared that things will go wrong and you may have to compromise at times but do trust your instinct as there is usually a way of making things work. But above all, go with what you love, don't be afraid to be brave and bold."
Now Catrin is bringing her experience and her passion into following her dream by setting up her own home and interiors business, find out more about that here, and she has Wales' Home of the Year to thank for giving her the courage to take the plunge.
Wales' Home of the Year 2022 series is currently available to view via BBC iPlayer. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.
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