"Upon crossing the threshold, you're left in awe and joy: The seemingly ordinary row house showcases extraordinary neo-Classical opulence"
In the heart of Swansea, a surprising gem of neo-Classical architecture lies hidden behind the unassuming brick exterior of No 631, Llangyfelach Road. This 1910 terraced house, with its two storeys and two window bays, conceals an interior that transports visitors to a miniature palace reminiscent of late-18th-century English architecture[1].
The interiors are the masterpiece of the current owners, Royston Jones and Fiona Gray. Jones, inspired by his childhood experiences in Suffolk and time spent at Heveningham Hall, developed a deep fascination with the work of James Wyatt, George III’s favoured architect[1]. His background includes art study in Lowestoft and the London College of Fashion, during which period his academic research into architecture intensified, leading to the creation of detailed models of historic interiors. Gray's organizational skill and emotional support are essential to their projects[1].
The architectural significance of the house does not reside in its exterior, but in the exquisitely detailed neo-Classical interiors. These interiors reflect elements of grand English estates, executed on a smaller domestic scale yet remarkable for their craftsmanship and inspired historicism[1].
Upon entering the house, one is greeted by the stair (Fig 1), adorned with dense ornament in white and two tones of grey. This design is not based on a particular historic model, but inspired by the staircase of Belvedere House in Dublin, Ireland[1]. The dining room (Fig 4) uses a ceiling design from Richardson's 'A Book of Ceilings in the Style of the Antique Grotesque' (1774), specifically Plate 19, which depicts a 'breakfasting room'. The chimneypiece in the dining room is a design by Wyatt for Heveningham Hall, but never executed[1].
The dining room and the small room for storing drawings and modelling equipment are painted in pink, green, straw, porphyry, and white. The ceiling of the small room is copied from Plate 13 of George Richardson's A Book of Ceilings in the Style of the Antique Grotesque (1774)[1]. Miss Gray's study (Fig 3) uses a design by Wyatt for the Supper Room of Curraghmore, Co Waterford, Ireland, but the ceiling today is whitewashed and the wall ornament was never executed[1].
The main bedroom (Fig 7) uses a design by Robert Adam from Headfort, Co Meath, designed in 1771. Mr. Jones is currently considering creating a new design for the rear bedroom[1]. Jones's first paid commission was a model of the drawing room at Sledmere in East Yorkshire, executed to a scale of 1:8, completed in 1985. He has also worked on the restoration of plasterwork in Home House, Portman Square, London W1[1].
The designs in the house's ceilings are all watercolours by Royston Jones. Jones has had exhibitions of watercolor designs by Wyatt in Savile Row, London W1, and Bond Street, W1[1]. The front door of the house opens into a narrow passage with a staircase at the end, and over the inner door of the draft lobby is a Georgian fanlight made of cast fibreglass painted to look like lead[1].
This hidden gem of neo-Classical architecture in Swansea is a testament to the passion and dedication of its owners, Royston Jones and Fiona Gray, who have transformed a typical early 20th-century terraced house into a miniature palace reminiscent of late-18th-century English architecture[1].
[1] Information sourced from the article "Neo-Classical Treasure Hidden in a Swansea Terraced House" by The Swansea Gazette.
The transformation of the interiors by Royston Jones and Fiona Gray elevates No 631, Llangyfelach Road from a typical home to a miniature palace reminiscent of late-18th-century English architecture, mirroring the aesthetic of grand English estates on a smaller domestic scale. The exquisite neo-Classical interiors, a result of the owners' passion and dedication, have an architectural significance that overshadows the intriguing exterior of the house, making it a lifestyle statement that beautifully intertwines home-and-garden with interior-design.
