Grand design! Dedicated artist transforms London home into giant mosaic
"At first I only did around the door..." Tap above to watch video report by Sally Williams
A dedicated artist transformed her London home into an extraordinary eye-catching work of art in a project which has taken over 20 years and still isn't finished.
Carrie Reichard, from Chiswick, turned her five-bedroom property into a giant mosaic in what she described to ITV News London as an 'autobiographical tattoo’.
She said the vibrant colours and political quotes depicted key moments in her life over the last two decades.
"At first I only did around the door, it’s been a very slow process that’s gone on every few years - it is a very slow project!
"There’s still loads to do, everyone still says it’s finished but it’s not, there are still little sections on the side to do, it’s taken me 23 years so far and I’m hoping to get it wrapped up by 30 years.
"All sections are special to me because they represent different times of my life.
"Sometimes people ask me about the meanings of things and I forget because this was done over 20 years and I love symbols and signs and having hidden messages but now I can’t remember what messages I put in!
"There’s even a tiny message in the bottle at the top," Carrie explained.
In the late 1990s Carrie worked as a community artist creating public art but decided to turn her attention to her own house because she got tired of people telling her what to do.
Most of the materials were either recovered from skips or given to her by tile traders who no longer needed them.
And according to Carrie both the neighbours and local council love it.
"Some of my neighbours have been here for over 40 years and I went to school with people here.
"In the past we’ve has street parties celebrating each section which went up.
"My oldest child hated it when she was growing up, she wanted to live in a normal house but now they quite like it.
"My son seems to enjoy being in the mosaic house, they’ve all learned to live with it.
"I work for the local council and people often say what does the council think?
"Well, the council employs me and I’ve done a huge piece of public art round the corner," she said.
Carrie's son Rudi said he got a mixed reaction from friends when he was growing up.
"It’s the only thing I’ve known so it’s not that strange to me," Rudi Rich told ITV News London.
"When people come to my house they’re quite shocked, some see it as a very cool thing but sone are a bit taken back!
"Growing up I wasn’t embarrassed but the interior always had a lot of work going on so there was quite a bit of mess so that’s where the embarrassment would come from," he added.