What could be Cardiff’s most colourful street, which until recently had a banana tree in a front garden, “feels like France” according to one resident.
A far cry from the traditional red-brick or pebble-dash façades of many Cardiff houses, several residents on Elm Street in Roath have decided to add a touch of colour to their home exterior.
Ranging from bright fuschia to pastel green, one house front even boasts a multicoloured pattern.
Olive Stevens, 89, said: “I live on the street and the coloured houses are all on one side. I live on the other side. Someone once told me it feels like France, and it’s true. Now I look at it and feel like I’m living in France, somewhere warm.
“It’s certainly cheerful and I think the coloured houses look lovely. My aunt used to live in one of those houses but it wasn’t coloured then. I think most of the houses on that side of the street are privately owned and so owners can do what they want. That’s why they’ve painted them like that.”
One house, painted in a sea-blue tone, has an old rowing boat in its front garden. It used to be hidden by trees, including a banana tree, until they were recently cut down by the owner.
