A wife was shocked when her husband painted their house all the colours of the rainbow as a ‘surprise’ while she was away on holiday.
Karen Goldsmith, 59, lives with her husband, Mike, who has wanted to paint their house ever since a holiday to Albufeira, Portugal.
He loved the colourful buildings near the water, and wanted to do the same to his house in Plymouth, Devon – but Karen wouldn’t let him.
They one day she went on a city break to London with her daughter – and when she returned her house was painted all the colours of the rainbow.
Pictures of the house were shared online by local publication Plymouth Live, and many took to Facebook to comment on the house.
Steve Lloyd wrote: “I feel for the people opposite who have to look at it everyday.”
Gina Angouras added: “How awful. Glad there not my neighbours.”
And Kelly Barnard simply said: “That shouldn’t be allowed.”
But some liked the house’s new paint scheme, saying it was better than the ‘drab’ homes on either side.
Andrew Tookey said: “OK the colours are a bit loud, but prefer it to the drab grey houses next to it.”
Gi Na wrote: “I love it when people do things like this, makes giving directions so easy.”
Kels Pickle said: “Its way better than most house colours tbh.”
And Andrew Tookey added: “OK the colours are a bit loud, but prefer it to the drab grey houses next to it.”
Karen and Mike have been married for 40 years, and Karen said she can never guess what her husband will do next.
She said he’s ‘always been a bit like that’, and added that she’s now come round to her brightly coloured house.
Karen said: “We went on holiday a couple of years ago to Portugal, Albufeira. They had done all of the houses multi-coloured over there.
[Mike] had wanted to do it when we got home but I always said no. I then went to London with my daughter and two of my grandchildren in August last year – and he did it while I was away.
“The taxi driver said ‘who’s house is that?’ when we pulled up. My daughter told me not to look. I just thought: ‘Oh my god’. It shouldn’t have surprised me – he always does stupid things like that.
“I was in London for a week so he still had to finish it when I got back. The grandchildren came over that weekend to help. They picked the colours. One likes orange, one likes pinks, one likes red. There’s where the colours came from.
“But it’s grown on me over the last 12 months – and it keeps him happy. We haven’t rowed about it. It’ll be left like this now.
“The neighbours like it too – we’ve got good neighbours. They said it brings a smile to their faces.”
Asked about whether the passion project might add value to the previously grey house, Karen added: “I don’t know – I haven’t thought. But probably not!”
Catering assistant Karen and moulder Mark, 62, have lived in the house since 1984.
They are parents-of-three and grandparents-of-seven.
