A “fairy tale” property has been announced as the fifth and final nomination for Northern Ireland House of the Year.
‘Bijoux in Belfast’ is a two-storey, three-bedroom terraced home in the east of the city.
The typical brickwork and bay windows make it blend into its surroundings, hiding its truly decadent interior.
An “understanding landlord” gave the tenants leeway to transform the property, which is now bursting with colour and flair.
The dining room (All pictures BBC NI)
The house has been leased by part-time interior designer Donna and her husband Alan for the past 10 years
Donna explained: “I like being different, even if it is a bit scary.
“The first time painting dark ceilings was scary.
“I do love creating ‘wow’! I love when people walk in and say: ‘Oh my goodness, I would not expect that’.”
Stepping through the mustard yellow front door, you are greeted by a warm hallway painted dusky pink, with low hanging lights.
The kitchen
Competition judge Jane Larmour said: “This central entrance hall really just pulls the whole house together, it really calms the house, it unifies it. And part of that’s to do with how they used paint and paint alone.”
As you walk through the hallway, you’re led into the living room, a small dining area, followed by the kitchen just around the corner.
Eventually you are guided to the spacious back garden, where a Bali-inspired beach hut takes centre stage.
The house is adorned with a variety of objects and art pieces carefully selected by Donna.
The master bedroom
“I just go round different shops anywhere I go on holiday, I just get inspiration from everywhere, really,” she said.
Another judge, James Fairley, commented: “It’s a small house that’s really punching above its weight and I think that’s how it pulls it off.
“I think a really important part of this house is the texture and implied texture that we’re seeing here.
“And also a scale of some of the objects in the house. It’s a small house, why not celebrate that?”
Jane is also a fan of the tenants’ ornaments.
Some art on display in the home
She added: “One of the very smart things in here, because we do have quite a low floor-to-ceiling, is that everything’s been brought down away from the ceiling.
“So, our little groupings of art and books just pulls everything down and makes it a bit more lofty.”
Upstairs are the master bedroom, two other bedrooms and the bathroom.
The Bali-inspired beach hut in the back garden
House of the Year host Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen was impressed by the main bedroom’s unique features. He said: “In this small space we’ve got tungsten, we’ve got candlelight, and then the biggest chandelier I’ve ever seen over a bed.
“I’ve seen editorials like this, I’ve seen magazine covers like this, but I’ve never seen a real-life genuine home lived in so well.”
A third judge, Patricia McGinnis, remarked on the tenants’ unique approach to the property: “It’s like walking into a fairy tale. They’ve created an amazing little world in here — they’ve put their actual heart and soul into it.”