End of terrace house that proves you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover

From the outside, you’d be forgiven for thinking this little traditional terraced house was just like any other home on its road.

But step inside this quaint, typical home in the Welsh Valleys and anyone will see that it’s far from ordinary.

Set on a main road in the village of Treherbert in the Rhondda, the property which was once a bakery and greengrocer is now adorned with lavish and grandiose decor that wouldn’t look out of place in a glitzy Venetian mansion.

Owners Denise, 57, and Michael Protheroe, have spent the last decade transforming it into their dream home, which they share with their three Shitzus – Coco, Sparkle and Gucci, and their bird Twinkle.

Denise is the creator behind the quirky designs, while Michael – a former award-winning painter and decorator – makes her visions become a reality.

Denise – originally from Liverpool, met Michael, from Rhondda, while on holiday in Corfu around 12 years ago.

Michael joked: ‘When I first met her and I asked her to move down – I told her you can do what you like to the house. That was a big mistake.

‘I eat my words now. I never knew what I was coming home from work to.’

Denise said everyone thought she was ‘nuts’ when she decided to up sticks and move to the Valleys but she’s managed to match the terraced house to her colourful personality – to the surprise of many locals.

She said: ‘There was this one time, when a delivery man came to drop something off… Next minute, he comes running in with his camera and starts taking pictures.

‘He saw the photo frame around my TV and said: “I’ve never seen anything like this before”.

‘But, as long as you’re happy. It’s your own house, and you’ve just got to do what you want with it – it’s not everybody’s taste.’

Denise, who’s always had an interest in fashion and interior design, said the theme is Hollywood glitz and glamour.

She said: ‘I used to go to a lot of manor houses, so that’s what my intentions were with this house – to make it feel as posh as I could.

‘I can’t afford a big manor house or a stately home or anything like that – so, this is my own little stately home.’

As you walk into Denise and Michael’s home, the entrance hallway is dripping with glass, crystals and diamonds.

The glamour continues to the dining room, with the open-plan space, featuring a diamond-encrusted chaise longue.

The space under the stairs is home to a huge doll-house – which Denise spent years decorating – and event went as far as asking her local funeral home to make a doll-sized gravestone for the church cemetary.

Denise has designed almost every feature in the house, from the banisters to the mirrored staircase and she’s up cycled and upholstered all of her own curtains and furniture.

‘Stand still long enough and I’ll paint you,’ she laughed.

She even created the sparkling glitter paint which covers the walls, using B&Q glitter bags and mixing them with paint.

But, perhaps the most unique feature of the entire property is the Da Vinci-style mural which has been painted onto the ceiling of the master bedroom.

The bathroom also doesn’t disappoint when it comes to grandiose features and its stand-alone bathtub, which is raised on a specially built plinth, while the room is finished off with a knight in shining armour and a crown above the toilet seat.

The garden boasts a summer house which is filled with flamingo decorations and a hot pink, jewelled fireplace, and even has electricity with a kettle to make tea and coffee.

Unfortunately, Denise and Michael are selling their beloved home as they plan to move to Liverpool to spend time with Denise’s family and elderly mother, after her father died in January.

But, Denise has already got hundreds of ideas for the designs of their new house in Liverpool, saying: ‘I go to bed and my mind goes a hundred miles an hour – I just can’t stop it.’

The property is on the market for £109,995 with South Wales Property Investors and Lettings, who said they love having properties on their books with wow factor.

Estate agent Miranda Pugh said: ‘Some agents would be put off by this property, but not us.

‘We love the wow factor and I can guarantee we will sell this house and help find these beautiful sellers their next dream home.’