Cat Valentine, Stunning Hillside Property in North Wales, Gazco Loft gas stove

Cat Valentine, North Wales
January 28, 2026

Tell us a bit more about your home.

In 2022, we relocated from North Yorkshire having found a beautiful property with a neglected outbuilding in a stunning hillside location in North Wales, just outside the Snowdonia National Park. Before we moved, I began making plans as to how we could make Pant y Clyd our home. While the infrastructure was good, the house was in need of a refresh.

Once we moved in, however, it became abundantly clear that we needed to do a lot more work than we had previously envisaged and a bigger plan began to evolve.

Just over three years later, we have finally finished our project, to create luxurious but comfy, more substantial home, spread across three buildings, with panoramic views of the beautiful North Walian countryside.

How would you describe your style?

I love a bit of luxury, but mostly I wanted our home to be both comfortable and welcoming. The main house is based on neutral, light colours in the main, using highly textured wood, specialist textured float glass, and other innovative materials to create interiors with depth and interest.

I developed my own technique, using easy to buy chemicals and a lot of hard graft, to transform the oak-framed sections of the house from a dated yellow colour to a light, coastal driftwood finish.

The shippon (a small barn), which we demolished and rebuilt from scratch in stone, has a very different feel. It is rich and opulent, utilising dark colours and lighting to envelope you, as you enter the building. I used the same materials as used in the main house, just in dark colours. This allowed for a different but cohesive look in the two buildings.

The key to creating exciting interiors is statement pieces, which draw the eye. All our rooms have statement pieces. In the bathrooms, we have freestanding, double ended baths made by the German manufacturers Bette and Kaldewei and a stunning William Holland grand bateau copper bath. All the fittings are Axor or Gessi, which are a pleasure to use every day. Did I mention the Japanese loo? We went with Toto for their reputation and build quality.

Our sofas are from Maker & Son, who I believe make the comfiest sofas known to man! Craig Hughes Upholstery did a fantastic job of renovating our armchairs, adding unique textured pieces to our sitting rooms. Craig is one of the best known upholsterers in the UK and his work was fantastic. We added some stunning elm side tables from Oka, again to bring texture to the interiors.

The kitchens in the two residential buildings were supplied by Kutchenhaus but it’s the worktops that elevate them: Ceasarstone, Laminam, solid stainless steel from Stainless Direct UK), and rustic hardwood (Spekva) deliver luxurious but practical workspaces.

Local artisans, Metalcraft, created bespoke bronze handrails with individual balustrade on each step of the barn staircase.

Which product(s) did you choose, and why?

I’d recently seen a Gazco Sheraton 5 gas stove, at my sister’s house. I had to look at it twice to realise it wasn’t actually burning real logs! I loved the idea of a seemingly ‘real’ fire without any mess and ash. Also, one which negated the need for trips to the log store on dark rainy nights.

I chose the freestanding Loft LPG gas stove for the fire installations in the main house (conventional flue with plinth) and the shippon (balanced flue with log store). The simple, modern, sleek styling and Scandi feel of the Loft fit perfectly with the interiors I’d created. I love log burners but safety was important in the barn, where guests would be using the stove.

What drew you to a Stovax & Gazco product?

The shippon has underfloor heating throughout, so it didn’t need a fireplace. However I wanted a striking centrepiece for the vaulted ceiling gable end. I had considered a traditional log burner but didn’t really want a wide hearth encroaching into the room, taking up valuable space, or excessive heat. I wanted a safe fire, where the heat could be fine-tuned quickly and easily.

Having seen the Sheraton at my sister’s, I did my research (which I always do) and found Gazco had a great reputation for quality but, importantly, offered the best warranty by far – seven years! LPG may well be phased out and I wanted security RE parts availability. The seven year warranty, combined with quality of product, made Gazco’s Loft a no brainer.

Why is it important to you to have a fireplace?

Nothing says you’re home like a welcoming fire. A living room simply doesn’t feel the same without one. A home should wrap its arms around you and a fireplace, which you gather around, makes that happen. I could easily live without a TV but not a ‘real’ fire.

What do you like about having a log burner?

It brings our living space to life, creates a wonderful warm centrepiece, and, being LPG, makes life so simple.

What tips can you offer for making a house a home?

Comfort should be number 1… it’s your safe space, a place where you can shut out the world.

Run a colour scheme and ‘feel’ that throughout the house, so you don’t have individually styled rooms. Using the same colour paint and floorings is an easy way to achieve this.

A warm and welcoming entrance space sets the tone for the whole house.

Have spaces in which the whole family can gather and share time together – for meals and relaxation.

Bring warmth into your home… a fireplace does this visually as well as physically and is the heart of the home.

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Please note that Stovax & Gazco accept no liability for their installation suitability, safety or building regulations conformance. The images shown on these pages are from real independent homes, many taken before installation is complete, and these form no basis of an installation recommendation by Stovax or Gazco. Please consult the complete installation instructions for your chosen product and consult with an appropriately qualified person for your own installation.