The rock star with the biggest hit in the world now lives in a stunning Welsh house that once belonged to a legend

July 22, 2024

The Covid-19 pandemic forced many people to rethink their lives (including their careers), and those in the creative and performance industries were forced to resort to Zoom to perform, write and record music from their spare room if they didn’t have a home studio.

But for one Welsh music legend, lockdown gave her the opportunity to think about how she could support her career as a songwriter and musician with a second job and continue to generate income. So she swapped her microphone for a spatula and her guitar for a frying pan.

Sian Evans is the lead singer and songwriter of the electric pop rock band Kosheen, who have had hits, albums and tours since the success of their first hit single “Hide U” from their platinum-selling debut album Resist in 2001. Subscribe to our real estate newsletter here to receive more stories from the real estate industry in your inbox twice a week.

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Sea View was once Dylan Thomas’ home(Image: John Myers)

Sian still lives in Bristol, touring and making music. When the pandemic hit, she decided to give up her life in England completely and return to Wales. While searching for her new home, she came across Sea View, nestled in the winding streets of Laugharne, Carmarthenshire. It’s a stunning detached Georgian-style property that was once home to legendary Welsh poet and author Dylan Thomas and his wife Caitlin.

Sian says: “It was a huge step for me because I didn’t know anyone here. And it was a brave step because it’s a big old house and it wasn’t what I was looking for. I was looking for a piece of land where I could grow my own vegetables and produce.”

Sian relaxes in the living room of this Georgian gem(Image: John Myers)

“The first move was because of the pandemic and because I didn’t know where my career as a performer would flourish again, so I decided to move here, start a new life and business here, maybe I rented out a few rooms and it’s off to a really good start.”

On paper, these two professions might not seem like a good fit in many people’s eyes – singer, songwriter and performer versus bed and breakfast host and landlady. But Sian has been doing it for nearly three years now and her experience tells her otherwise.

In the dining room are Sian’s favorite pieces: the table her best friend built and her grandfather’s piano.(Image: Jo Ridout, WalesOnline)

Sian says: “Hospitality and performance are the same energy. When people come to my shows, I want them to leave feeling invigorated, energised and having had a good time. It’s not about the performer, it’s about the audience and what they take away from it. And the same goes for the B&B – I want guests to eat well, sleep well and really unpack their lives and enjoy this environment in Laugharne, which I have absolutely grown to love.”

Some people might also find the transition from playing music to making scrambled eggs for strangers staying in three bedrooms of her house a little too abstract. But Sian has done very well in transforming herself from singer to cook and then back again as the band is in demand. Currently touring Europe, Sian runs music workshops from her home in Laugharne.

The house still has many historical features to admire(Image: John Myers)

Sian says: “It’s an old-fashioned B&B, I opened the door in my nightdress and curlers or an apron, but tThe gigs are back with a vengeance, in huge numbers, and now some days I don’t know if I’m holding a frying pan or a microphone! I drop my bags in the hallway and start frying something!”

Sea View captured Sian’s heart from the moment she walked in and the connection she felt instantly even left her dizzy with excitement – find out more here.

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She says the house feels even more special when it is full of people and music and laughter and conversation – when a creative mood flows through and fills the rooms, as it has for over 150 years.

Sian in the doorway to the kitchen where breakfast is prepared(Image: John Myers)

Sian says: “I love it, I run a breathing retreat here, I have given singing workshops and lessons here and my grandfather’s piano is very well used here, even breakfast guests play it after breakfast.

“Even in the silence, this house echoes with music, creativity and the odd past argument. You can feel that a lot has happened in this house. I never feel alone here. Even though it’s probably very haunted, I don’t feel intimidated or negative about sharing the space with someone. It’s so positive. I think it’s memories of all the nights of creativity here, of brainstorming about politics and literary discussions.

Sian hasn’t changed much at Sea View except to add her personal touch(Image: John Myers)

Sian’s diverse art collection also includes one of Sea View (Image: John Myers)

“I’ve had a couple of parties here with the church too – that’s been a real gift for me to the church – every Christmas I have a party here and it’s swarming with people, they’re descending on the buffet like locusts and it’s just so nice to have that energy back in the house, that it’s resonating again, full of singing again and I think this house loves that. I don’t think it felt happy when I moved here because it’s been empty for so long.”

Most people think a lot about how they will change the design and decor when they move into a new home, but Sian says Sea View was almost perfect as it was. Aside from moving her furniture in and hanging her artwork, she changed very little.

Sian explains: “I’m really happy with how it is. Martin, the previous owner, had a fantastic eye for design. I think he did Brown’s (pub and restaurant) too and it fits the Georgian feel so well.”

This is the window where Dylan Thomas’ wife Caitlin was said to have sat and enjoyed the view(Image: John Myers)

Even on a cloudy day, the view across the estuary to the sea and the Gower Peninsula is fascinating(Image: John Myers)

The very welcoming and enthusiastic singer and landlady says she has spent neither time nor money changing anything inside the house, except the floors and the front garden. Since there are two dogs in the house, she decided to replace the cut lawn with mussel shells on a membrane, as a tribute to the past of this cockle town.

Sian adds: “The money that comes in goes back into the house, into the heating and the maintenance, because they are old houses, they are like old ladies, they need a lot of loving care. I also think that she gives that back too.”

Sian finally puts on some of her CDs and is amused when some guests make the connection to the music(Image: John Myers)

The whole house is filled with items from Sian’s travels and objects that mean something to her, including a display of gold and platinum records on one wall. She says: “Guests don’t usually make the connection to music. I’ve got a couple of my records hanging on the wall. I’m actually quite embarrassed about my achievements – they’ve been in boxes for years but now they’re hanging on the wall and people notice them and say, ‘Oh, I know that song’ or ‘I know that band’ and I say, ‘Well, that’s me’ and they say, ‘NO!’ – because, you know, I’m standing there in my apron!”

But Sian’s favourite piece in her home is the mahogany dining table that her best friend and band member Ron McElroy built for her. She says: “I love it, sitting here, writing songs, just looking out the window and drinking wine. When it’s set for eight guests at the B&B and everyone is sitting around it, chatting and laughing, eating and pouring tea, it’s so beautiful. It breaks my heart to have this table in the middle of everything, it will hold all the good memories.”

Sian has spent most of her time and budget transforming the garden(Image: John Myers)

Sometimes Sian sits at Sea View, surrounded by things that mean so much to her and a community that has immediately and unreservedly accepted and welcomed her, in a breathtakingly beautiful place, and she can hardly believe her luck. As part of her effort to give back, Sian says she does her best to make staying at Sea View as affordable as possible compared to the cost of a holiday abroad, especially for families.

She says: “Being here is very grounding for me, I think service and hospitality is a beautiful practice, it is a training in humility and part of my service to this life because I am so grateful for what life has offered me. “It’s really amazing for a little girl from Risca to be sitting here in Dylan Thomas’ house.”

It was a brave move to leave the city behind, but Sian is grateful every day that she did it(Image: John Myers)

Starting a new life somewhere is risky and can be challenging, but Sian says: “Take a deep breath and just do it, dare to do it. If it doesn’t work out, you can do something else. My whole life has changed for the better since I found this place, since I found Laugharne, the environment here, it’s so beautiful for my dogs and me. Every morning I wake up and breathe fresh air and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

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