There is a communal need for fantasy in our everyday lives.
The signature look of a storybook home is transformative – as in, did I just gets transported into a Disneyesque dimension without noticing? Instantly captivating, the Storybook House, also known as Provincial Revivalism, was popularized in the 1920s to early 40s, influenced by Disney fantasies, Hollywood movies, and European cottage styles.
This style oozes exaggeration and stylization: wonky window frames, piling rock siding, teetering shapes and silhouettes. And, the most iconic feature of all, the bulbous silhouette of the undulating roof.
Called a Sea Wave Roof for its undulating surface, these roofs are acts of art. The Sea Wave Roof is made of steam-bent cedar shingles, a labor intensive process both time-consuming and expensive; and becoming a lost art. The style is designed to emulate thatched cottage roofs of the English countryside.
Their intricate layering means the roofs are very thick when completed. Waves are unique to each home. They add undeniable visual interest to an architectural necessity that rarely enjoys a little stylistic embellishment of it’s own. Of course this roofing still serves its purpose, channeling rainwater while resisting moisture.
Because these houses are by nature expensive to construct, only a few dot the Canadian landscape. For example, The Winckler, named as characteristically as its appearance, is visually arresting. Located at the seaside on Vancouver Island, it is constructed from local Douglas fir, and roofed in cedar shingles. Created by Lindcrof Custom Dwellings.
Especially with Vancouver housing prices being what they are, many people do not have the disposable income to fund a costly building, or renovate towards both increasing the number of Canadian storybook style houses, and keeping the art of Sea Wave roofing afloat.
My research turned up two more distinctive examples of these homes in Canada – and all of them in BC!
Take a look…
The Hobbit House at 587 West King Edward Ave, Vancouver. Photo courtesy of Ian Lindsay.
The remainder of BC’s Storybook Houses reside in Vancouver. Both have been listed for sale in recent years, each time raising public concern over renovation and rezoning. In the end, each house has been confirmed to be only undergoing moderate interior renovations.
The most notorious of these, at 587 West King Edward Ave, was built 84 years ago. This, as well as Vancouver’s other Storybook Homes, was designed by Vancouver architect Ross A. Lort, and built by Brenton Lea, a master builder originally from Prince Edward Island. More recent concern over the King Edward Hobbit house was assuaged somewhat when it was revealed that though the house would be getting some redevelopment surrounding it, the house itself would remain faithful to its original style. It seems there is a strong public interest in having a happy ending.
3979 West Broadway house. Photos courtesy of Glenn Baglo.
The 3979 West Broadway house distinctly demonstrates the Sea Wave Roofing. It was built with direct reference to the childhood Tudor-style cottage of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife, near Stratford-upon-Avon.
3979 West Broadway house. Photo courtesy of Glenn Baglo.
Culture is cyclical; fantasy capturing the popular imagination is not a new trend. Perhaps, with the current resurgence of the genre in novels and Hollywood, we can look forward to more fantasy-inspired architecture in the years to come. With a little fairy tale magic, this architectural style will not become, itself, a fantasy.
Are there more distinctive Canadian Storybook Homes or Sea Wave Roofing features that I missed? If so, make sure to leave your comments on our canadianrealestatehousingandhome.ca Facebook page – I’d love to see what else is out there!
All photos courtesy of their respective owners as noted above.
Researched and Written by Emily E.A. Stringer, Undergraduate of Sociology, and Geography: Environment & Sustainability, at the University of British Columbia.
