Wyndham Stokes, 59, has lived his entire life in the same semi-detached house near Merthyr, Wales. Surrounded by a spectacular landscape, he decided to honour the area and 'put a smile on people's faces' by commissioning a huge nature mural across the entire front of his home. The result has transformed his pale yellow house into what is being called Wales' most colourful home.
From Pale Yellow to Wildlife Wonderland
Most people paint their house white or cream, but Wyndham is not most people. He says: 'I wanted something different. I think I'm a bit different, well, more than most people anyway, and I love nature. My family and friends all thought I was mad but my son said, “do what you want”, and so I thought, “right, I'm going to ask Matt the mural artist to paint it and get it done.”'
Artist Matt Dey, 51, from Hengoed, initially thought Wyndham wanted only the windowsills painted. When Wyndham revealed he wanted the entire front of the house covered in a nature scene, Matt was genuinely shocked. 'I really thought he was winding me up. He took a while to get back to me so I didn't think he was serious,' Matt recalls.
Creative Freedom and Doodle Grids
Wyndham gave Matt total creative freedom. Matt scrolled through hundreds of images online to find birds, animals, insects, and landscapes as inspiration. He created a design featuring a blue tit, robin, flower, bee, red kite, and ladybirds, among other elements. Using AI, Matt showed Wyndham how the design would look on the house before starting.
The painting process took five days using spray cans with acrylic paint, which dries with a plastic coating and is expected to last 15-20 years. To scale the A4-sized design onto the two-storey house, Matt used a doodle grid technique, which involves symbols, numbers, or letters as milestones to ensure the design fits correctly. He explains: 'You overlay your image onto the doodle grid of the wall and move the image to fit, so you know you're not losing a hand or a wing or a leg.'
Neighbours' Reactions and Community Impact
Wyndham informed his neighbours in advance, especially the one attached to his semi-detached home. He showed them the design, but many didn't believe him until Matt actually started painting. During the week-long project, people waved, shouted, stopped their cars, and took pictures. Wyndham sat outside for the first couple of days, providing coffee and food while watching the work unfold.
Since completion, the mural has drawn visitors from far and wide. Wyndham says: 'I might be sitting out here and then, all of a sudden, there's a car pulling up with a complete stranger saying, “oh, can we take photos?” We might even start tours of it!' He adds that even the neighbours love it, with some considering having their own themes painted on their houses.
Valley Street Art Project
Matt's passion for public murals led him to set up the Valley Street Art Project, which helps professional artists find walls to paint murals in the south Wales valleys. He started with a £300 grant from the arts development council three years ago, and the project has since completed about 40 walls in local villages. Matt says: 'I started knocking doors, started a Facebook page, pulled a couple of artists in that I found online, and asked them if they thought it would work.'
Overwhelmingly Positive Response
Of the thousands of social media comments on the mural, only two were negative—one questioning the need for planning permission (which is generally not required unless the building is listed or in a conservation area) and one suggesting Wyndham is attention-seeking. Wyndham laughs at that: 'The mural just puts a smile on people's faces, where's the harm in that?' He is so happy with the result that he plans to have Matt paint the side of his house next, featuring a pine marten, a species recently rediscovered in Wales for the first time in 100 years.
Wyndham's advice to others: 'Do what makes you happy, it doesn't matter what other people think. If you like something, do it. As long as it's not political or offensive, do what you want.'
