A terraced house in Devon has been transformed into a breathtaking, walk-in work of art, with every single surface meticulously decorated by its artist owner. The unique property in Brixham is now on the market with a guide price of £2 million.
An Immersive Artistic Journey
Emily Powell, a 35-year-old artist originally from Liverpool, has spent years hand-painting every inch of her five-bedroom home. The project spans approximately 400 square metres across two floors, creating what she describes as one continuous, immersive painting. From light switches and floorboards to bathroom tiles and the refrigerator, no surface was left untouched.
The artwork tells a deeply personal story, weaving scenes from Powell's life into the fabric of the home. Visitors can find fishing boats bobbing along the hallway skirting boards, a cupboard under the stairs reimagined as a swimming pool, and birds in flight throughout the property in memory of her late father. Each room is designed to evoke specific emotions, from a comforting red lounge with family memories on the fireplace tiles to a vibrant circus-themed playroom.
A Home Funded by Art
Powell, who lives in the house with her husband, young child, and cat, explained that the property was entirely purchased with money earned from her paintings over the past decade. After years in rented accommodation, the family finally secured their first home, though Powell admits her vision for "beautiful carpets and polished ornaments" quickly gave way to a more creative impulse.
"I think it was a couple of weeks before I decided to paint a tree on the back of the office door, then it grew really quickly," she said. The transformation became an organic process, with Powell using five-litre tins of house paint and brushes from her local hardware store. Motherhood provided evenings at home to pick up a brush and add new pieces inspired by daily life.
Preserving a Living Artwork
Before the sale through international estate agents Chestertons, Powell is hosting a series of open-house tours, with tickets selling out in just 24 hours. More than 500 people are on a waiting list, and visitors are travelling from the United States and Europe to see the installation. During the tours, her kitchen will serve as a tea room offering cakes from Devon company High Tide Tea.
In a remarkable commitment to the artwork's longevity, Powell has pledged to return to the house every 10 years for the rest of her life to carry out retouching. The sale includes an additional 65 pieces of art Powell has produced over the past decade, plus 20 items of painted furniture, including the fridge, freezer, bookcases, and a playhouse.
Riccardo Carrelli of Chestertons, handling the sale, described the offering as a "fusion" of art and property, noting it represents a significant art investment early in the artist's career. The £2 million guide price reflects the combined value of the home, its original artworks, and the painted furniture. Powell says she is ready for "new walls to paint," viewing the sale as a way to preserve this entire chapter of her life as a complete, immersive artwork for its next owner.
