THIS 1970s home looks like something out of a James Bond movie and it’s on the market.
The frozen-in-time property in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, is selling for £550,000.
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The amazing retro home hasn’t changed a bit since it was built in 1971 by local couple Margaret and James Grainger.
It’s still fitted with mirror tiles and glass brick walls, while its homemade Italian carpet and décor looks like straight out a James Bond film.
It even comes with an internal intercom system, a built-in bar overlooking a prime spot in the house, and a copper-tiled bathroom, according to WalesOnline.
Pictures of the property show a spiral staircase with red carpet embossed with unique symbols, a kitchen painted olive green and furniture that looks like its from TV’s Thunderbirds.
But the special home wasn’t always loved and grandkids Amy Grainger, Michelle Grainger Mead, Nikki Webb and Kate Grainger said they were always embarrassed by the place.
Amy said: “I always remember thinking ‘what the hell is this?’ It was like walking into a spaceship because none of the rooms were square.
“When I was younger I was a bit embarrassed by it because I used to think it was not like anybody else’s house, and I was a bit like ‘Oh my God this is so weird!’
“People would be saying, ‘What? That’s your nan’s house? What’s it like inside?’, and I’d be thinking oh my God, everything inside is so old! But my nan loved it, especially when people would say it looks like something out of James Bond and that it could be used as a film set.”
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She added: “Researching about the house so much has given me a new-found respect for it.
“I never recognised it as anything special before but as an adult looking back now I’m thinking it was amazing – it includes top of the range everything. It cost about £30k when it was built in 1971.”
The home is a snapshot of the glamorous times her nan and civil engineer and businessman grandfather enjoyed there.
Amy said: “I can understand now as an adult why my nan was so proud of it then.
“When people made a big fuss of it I thought they were just being polite but the fact is now I’m older, it’s just nice to think of the kind of glamour, the parties, fancy cars and life that came with it for them – all centred around this house.
“They used to do a lot of grand parties and used to have a maître d and all that kind of stuff, and my nan used to do a lot of the catering for the parties and the dos.
“There’d be different salads made up and gateaux and cakes, all on the best china. She was a proper, original buffet queen.”
Amy thanks her grandmother for keeping the home so preserved.
She said: “My nan was always pretty much thinking about preserving the home, she’s always been a clean freak and a neat freak – everything had its place.”
Much of the original 1970s furniture is still in the home and is up for sale.
For Amy, seeing the house go is a relief but is also a sad moment, as she reminisces about her happy childhood memories at the property.
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She said: “There were some rules in the house, and me and my twin sister used to get into rows because we’d be running up and down the spiral staircase, and my nan would be telling us off.
“But she’d also let us spin around on the kitchen chairs.
“Memory-wise my favourite room is always the kitchen; being in the kitchen when my nan was cooking. But my favourite thing was my grandfather when he used to let us sit in the living area with him.
“He’d do us a little glass of pop in a little glass cup from the bar and my nan would be saying – ‘give them a beaker, why are you giving them the good, cut glasses?’ He was very naughty from what I can remember!”
The home was also quite the entertainment hub.
Amy said: “It is a very sociable house, nan at 97 still loves entertaining people, there’s always people going back and fore.
“I don’t remember any time when I popped in on the off-chance when there wouldn’t be a table full of women sat around, with nan at the centre entertaining people. Queen bee I call her!”
The house has two double bedroom and a shower on the ground floor.
There is a broken-plan living space upstairs, which includes the bar and a further two bedrooms and the kitchen.
The house is fit out with smoked mirror tiles, a lime green glass brick wall, wood panelling and the original front door with wrought iron detailing and a very funky telephone table in the hall.
Talking about the sale, Amy said: “I’ve gone from thinking this house is embarrassing to being really defensive about it. It’s not everybody’s taste and that’s fine – it wasn’t my taste to start with – but now I so wish I could buy it myself.
“There is no other property like it, I think if somebody said to us ‘we’re going to buy it and gut it’ I think the four of us would probably be reluctant to sell, but you can’t dictate what somebody does with a property once they buy it.
“But it hurts my heart a bit to think that it could just be destroyed.
“I would love it to go to somebody who shows it as much love, or even half as much love, as my nan has shown it through the years, someone who is respectful of its architecture and uniqueness.
“We’d hope that they’d respect the beauty and originality of it, that they leave it untouched and respect the special soul of this special house.”
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