With the trend towards city centre living continuing to grow,
developers are fast running out of land available to build on. So it makes
more sense for companies to recycle old office blocks and turn them into places
of living. This is no longer just a London phenomenon either and to prove it,
just take a look at one of Cardiff Bay’s original Edwardian buildings,
Cymric House.
The Grade II listed building has gone through something of a refit and there’s
not a filing cabinet in sight. More importantly, it hasn’t been a case
of pulling down old office blinds and putting up new curtains. Firstly, there
is the main office block, which has been renovated and refurbished. In addition,
there is a new build, which offers its potential dwellers the same high level
of quality and style. Its residents will no longer be suited and booted office
workers but Cardiff’s cosmopolitan: those who intend to make their home
their ‘life office’.
This development offers a choice of spaciously designed one, two and three
bedroom suites and penthouses, the majority with a balcony or a terrace. Most
of the upper floor apartments have great views of Cardiff Bay or towards the
sprawling metropolis that is Cardiff.
For those taking up a post at Cymric House, they’ll be guaranteed a luxurious
reception. For starters, in each living room you’ll find oak veneer woodstrip
flooring with American white oak veneered doors, inlaid contrasting grain and
brushed aluminium handles. Thermostatically controlled electric heating administers
your choice of temperature (penthouses are warmed by gas central heating and
radiators) and low voltage recessed down lighting adds a soothing atmosphere
to your place of business. There are integrated hi-fi system wall outlets,
and for those who want to direct operations from their armchair, Sky+ Satellite
TV and phone connections come as standard.
Bedrooms retain the American white oak veneered doors on their fitted wardrobes,
and all bedrooms come with quality fitted carpets. Your Sky+ and hi-fi connections
in here will allow you to either veg out in bed like a slob or seduce the lady
friend with a spot of soothing music. We’ll leave you to make all the
executive decisions here.
Head to the ‘canteen’, and you’ve got yourself a fully integrated
range of appliances. Who needs a secretary to do all the work for you when
you’ve got a stainless steel oven, ceramic hob, stainless steel hood,
automatic dishwasher, a washer/dryer and a fridge/freezer at your disposal?
A slate effect laminate worktop with white mosaic splashback tiles complements
the clean-looking kitchen beautifully.
A Kyomi range of white sanitaryware, heated towel rails and blue and grey slate
ceramic floor tiles ensures that the bathrooms continue with the high specification
and luxury. The white mosaic tiling gives the apartment a good sense of continuity.
Residents of the executive apartments will have their own exclusive rooftop
garden, but the development also has covered and courtyard parking for all
residents and their guests. All apartments include video entryphone security,
which is never a bad thing and can provide hours of entertainment should there
be nothing worth watching on Sky+.
One of the main attractions of an office conversion is its convenience. Cymric
House is no exception with much of Cardiff’s finest shopping and leisure
venues lying within a 500-metre radius. That’s about a ten-minute walk,
so no need to commute. You’d also be wrong to think that the Cardiff
Bay market has already become saturated with living quarters when in fact,
there is still a long way to go. With the development of the Sports Village
now well underway, getting your foot in the door in a place like this makes
sense to both buyers and investors alike. It’s worth noting too that
Cymric House has easy access to the M4, a real plus point.
Knight Frank have been appointed sales agents for Cymric House, and after their
recent success with the David Morgan renovation, they are positive about Cymric
House becoming another sell-out. Catherine Maunder, a partner at Knight Frank,
says: “You can step out of the front door of these buildings and have
public transport, entertainment and retail facilities on your doorstep.”
For a viewing, contact Lauren Watson at Knight Frank on 029 2044 0136. Prices
start at £160,000
Converting commercial premises to residential flats often works rather well, says Patric Morgan