Having lived in Berlin for two years where he worked as a dancer, Marc Rees instantly knew that the sixties-built flat in Cardiff dockland was the ideal place for him.
owner: Mark Rees
location: Cardiff style: A groovy urban flat
best feature: The wallpaper
"I was attracted to the flat because it had been built in the sixties and its style really reminded me of my time in Berlin. It has a real retro feel and the stunning cinemascopic views of Cardiff from the two balconies are second to none," says the prolific visual artist and performer.
"I also really liked the fact that the flat gave me a blank canvas which gave me the opportunity to create a modern retro space, combining classic and contemporary."
This Eastern European influence combined with retro seventies, the decade of his youth, and a strong sense of his roots in the Tawe Valley have all combined to create a space with genuine character and integrity.
"I didn’t want to create something which was too nostalgic," explains Marc. "I want everything about the place to reflect who I am and I’m delighted with the end result."
Marc’s love of wallpaper saw him opting for a bold design in the living cum dining room. The strong pattern of the original seventies wallpaper, which was bought over the web from the Netherlands, reflects the shape of the windows to create a strong visual impact which sets the tone for the whole flat.
"I really wanted to use wallpaper to make a statement. You should have seen the face of the decorator I used when he saw the pattern; he thought it was wild!" he says.
The juxtaposition between Welsh Wales and European retro works well in the bedroom too with its traditional bedspread and the seventies sepia blown-up photograph of his parents’ home in the Tawe Valley which hangs above the bed.
"The driving force behind all my work is my native Tawe Valley – my ‘milltir sgwâr’. My parents both really love the flat and that makes me really happy."
