Lisa Marie Brown loves pink. It's not just a passing fancy – she fully adores the colour, saying: "Pink is part of me."
And if you love a colour then why not make it your champion shade for life – driving your business, adding joy to your home, and even spreading to your expensive sports cars?
Lisa has become a recognisable resident of the locality with her hot pink sports cars guaranteed to turn heads – although it's not just a case of spreading her love of pink into the world, her choice of colour actually has a strong and important context.
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Lisa is the owner of the business Pinkspiration that runs projects to mentor and train girls, women, and young people to get involved in business.
It's a strong, positive, and creative colour that Lisa hopes inspires the people her business assists as well as a colour that gets people talking and a clever colour to create a brand that stands out.
Lisa also customises sports cars, including adding a huge splash of hot pink to the exterior, and husband Leon has just set up a café dedicated to super cars, coffee, and the colour pink. Who knew pink could be so multi-dimensional?
Maybe the first thing that hits you when you turn up to have a viewing around Lisa's pink palace is that it isn't actually painted pink on the outside but an off-white.
So maybe the pink starts and ends with Lisa's trio of hot pink sports cars? Not likely.
Lisa, aged 40 and from Cardiff, says: "I have been tempted to paint the front of the house pink a number of times.
"I just love the colour pink – especially the fuchsia and magenta, the deep pinks, and so chose it for my business and since then people have called me the lady with the pink cars so I've just kept the pink.
"For me it's just like a really nice standout colour – it makes you feel sociable and friendly and lots of our customers love it. Lots of them come in to our new business Pink Supercars and Coffee wearing pink"
"I think that is why I'm drawn to the colour even though when I was younger I was a bit of a tomboy. I think for me it's because it stands out and that it's a friendly colour. People think pink is actually a girly colour but I think guys really suit the colour well."
Of course a colour this brave and noticeable and a passion for a colour this strong provokes reactions. Lisa said: "Some of my friends say: 'Oh, you don't have to wear pink every day!'
"Sometimes people do make comments like when I pop out to the petrol station they're like: 'Oh I really love your car' or: 'I'm not keen on the colour'. I get that too and that's totally fine.
"For me it's important to try to link the colour and its positivity to the business as well, to say that women can be successful in male-dominated industries like construction and cars, because if I can do it anyone can. The colour stimulates the debate.
"Of course I do get a couple of trolls but I think everybody gets those don't they? I think if you're doing something positive and trying to change people's perception you'll always get one or two won't you?"
Before you even cross the threshold into potentially a world of pink there's another colour that springs to mind when you investigate where Lisa's house has been built and that's green.
The location is potentially going to make you green with envy. It's so close to the Vale of Glamorgan heritage coast that a daily walk along the beach is always an easy option.
Lisa said: "It's literally five minutes from the coast and the seafront. It's a beautiful location and good for coastal walking – we go down to the beach often.
"When we're at home we enjoy family time going out for walks and enjoying the natural beauty – there's loads of walks along the coast. The local beach is Font-y-Gary beach just minutes away – it's a great location. This location is like an LA-style village in Wales."
Back to the house, called Seaview Court, and the view from the street sees a hot pink car on the driveway – instantly shouting that this is the party pad of Wales' pink lady.
The outside of the house might not be 'in your face' pink but inside the strong colour is definitely present and a constant companion though not as evident as you might think from this Welsh woman who adores the colour.
Lisa said: "My style, even though I love pink, is quite masculine design as I am quite boyish in nature. I'm probably not your typical girl because I like boxing, construction, and super cars.
"I like clean and simple and geometric patterns – the teals and the sky blues and the bold colours – but there's quite a bit of greys and off-whites and stone colours too so it's quite a nice combination of different colours.
"I think the pink blends well and it's not an overload and there's quite an industrial feel to the house as well – we've got industrial lighting.
"I quite like concrete and timber too so the staircase is all oak wood so when you come in there's just a really nice feeling to the house.
"Lots of guys like it too – a lot of my friends come in and go: 'Wow, this is amazing!'. It's not too overdone – for me it's a perfect balance."
Lisa has tempered her use of pink inside her home to great effect. The introduction of shades of blue, the direct opposite tone to pink, and the swathes of neutral tones provides a contrast that allows the pink to visually pop out even more.
As an accent the pink is striking. Arguably if it was always the predominant colour and added everywhere it would be overwhelming as well as diluting the visual impact.
The house has a layout that centres on socialising and partying with the hub undeniably the huge kitchen diner that offers a massive breakfast bar that seats eight and protrudes from the kitchen island.
The room then flows into a cosy seating area in the corner with hot pink armchairs and in the opposite corner stands DJ music equipment guaranteed to get the party started.
Between these two areas is definitely a statement wall – a pink wall boasting a design inspired by Fendi.
And the Fendi feature wall is Lisa's favourite design feature at the property with family and friends happily and regularly using the wall as the perfect selfie backdrop.
This sociable space then flows out into the garden via a substantial set of bifold doors where more pink can be spotted via painted walls, a parasol, and a former horse box that's now an outside champagne bar.
But the garden and the kitchen diner illustrates perfectly how Lisa has invited pink into her interior design scheme but not allowed it to dominate.
Again having hotspots of hot pink accented around her garden next to tones of black and grey, as well as nature's shades of green, makes the pink have far more impact than if the majority of the space was awash with the strong colour.
Lisa said: "I like the balance. We've colour-toned the house in different colours as well as a mix of styles so it's not as pink inside as you'd expect. It's just my design taste that I like just splashes here and there."
If you want to add pink to your house Lisa suggests adding it in slowly via accessories and feature walls.
And if there's opposition to this new colour arriving at the front door try visiting places where pink has been used in the interiors to great effect, showing any non-believers that the colour can be a happy choice for their home.
But Lisa added a word of caution too. She said: "I think pink can also get quite contagious so once you have pink somewhere if you're not careful you then just think: 'Oh I'll just add a little bit more pink here'. You've got to know when to stop."
The house offers a new owner a number of versatile spaces that can be used as a home office, gym, study, media room, hobby room, or play room.
Currently the large lounge overlooking the garden is a popular place with the family, showcasing a monster-sized screen that turns it into a movie room.
There are two further reception rooms that are currently used as a gym and a study but are versatile spaces to suit any family's requirements.
There's a cloakroom, utility room, and double garage on the ground floor and four double bedrooms upstairs plus a family bathroom.
The main bedroom has an en suite and a glass Juliet balcony overlooking the garden and a further bedroom suite has an en suite and separate dressing room.
The layout of the house flows well for a busy and bustling home with a mix of sociable and separate spaces and successful indoor outdoor seamless connections – helped by the use of pink in both, visually connecting them.
But now it's time for Lisa and Leon to pack up the pink and move on.
The business and cars have outgrown the Vale of Glamorgan house and it's on the market and there's no doubt Lisa will be getting creative with her pink interiors again in her new abode.
One element of this house that Lisa will want to replicate in her new home is the hot tub area – her favourite spot at the property.
She said: "The hot tub jungle area is the space I like the most at the house mainly because I can just relax, unwind, and chill out.
"Sometimes, when I've got time, I just love sitting in there and watching the stars. It's nice and peaceful – it gives you time to sit back and reflect and have peace to yourself."
The four-bed house called Seaview Court is on the market for offers in the region of £850,000 with estate agent Fine & Country Cardiff. Call them on 07884 435320 to find out more.
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