A foraged & homemade Welsh country Christmas
Monday, December 10, 2012 
If I close my eyes and imagine my perfect Christmas country retreat it might look something like this. Although it seems to have fallen straight out of a fairytale, this isn't a magazine photoshoot - it's a real home. What's more it's available to rent through Under The Thatch, so you can book a stay for your own taste of the fairytale.
The vision and creation of Dorian Bowen, Ty Unnos is a traditional thatched cottage in a remote corner of Carmarthenshire. The idea behind the house originates from an old Welsh tradition in which it was believed by some that if a person could build a house on common land in one night then the land would belong to them.
This is a real ‘home-made home’ built in a traditional way using materials readily to hand, stones from the fields, clay from the ground and timber from the woods - an authentic reconstruction of the legendary 'one night house' built between sunset and sunrise.
I was lucky enough to be an early visitor to Ty Unnos shortly after Dorian completed work on it last year and it really was like stepping back in time to a museum quality interior. Internally the cottage has been furnished with traditional Welsh antiques inspired by a slate worker’s cottage from North Wales relocated in St Fagan’s National History Museum. The only truly modern element is the bathroom which features a stunning cantilevered bath!
Dorian made the tree out of larch twigs. I think it is quite possibly the most beautiful Christmas tree I have ever seen.
Picture windows offer inspiring views of the rustic Welsh landscape and lime-washed walls and antique Welsh furnishings lend it the air of retreat, with a refreshing lack of 21st century gadgetry.
Ty Unnos sleeps 3 and is available to rent through Under the Thatch. Prices start from £234 for a short stay. You can view more pictures of the property here.
Images © Ioan Davies.
Destinations 
Reader Comments (4)
Just beautiful!
This is exceptionally beautiful. I love the book ornaments! Extraordinary!
What a beautiful cosy place, now this says Christmas to me :) That tree is absolutely amazing too.
Thank you all for your comments. Ty Unnos really is every bit as magical as it looks in these pictures and I feel truly honoured to be able to feature Dorian's beautiful creation here on Design Hunter