I’m going to close my eyes, then kiss me, ok?
For those who want to step out of reality and into a fairytale, this fable-inspired house on King Edward Avenue in South Cambie is one of two houses in Vancouver reflecting the ‘Olde English style’.
Designed in the early 1940s by architect Ross A. Lort and builder Brenton T. Lea, it features 2,416 square feet with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a sundeck.
Built using Canadian materials, including its unique trademark wavy roof made of steam-bent cedar shingles, this decidely-English vintage house is an example of the ‘Canadian houseporn’ of its day.
Image Courtesy of Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun.
This charming home is affectionately called ‘The Gnome House’ or, alternatively ‘The Hobbit House”. With its stone walls, wavy thatched roof and bijou scale, it’s reminiscent of the hobbit homes in JRR Tolkien’s monumental work ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
Image Courtesy of Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun.
Image Courtesy of Vancouver Street Blog
In 2013, the house went on the market for $2.86 million as an estate sale. Much debate surrounded the fate of the house, as the land it resides on is more valuable – and desirable – than the dwelling itself. The house, along with its neighbouring lots, were bought by a developer who intends to retain The Gnome House as part of the development, given the property is deemed by the City of Vancouver as a Heritage B site (for more information on what qualifies as Heritage B Registers see here)
Image Courtesy of Vancouver Street Blog
Image Courtesy of Vancouver Street Blog
The developers are offering to restore the house to its original design, including removing existing additions that were subsequently added on the rear of the house.
Image Courtesy of Vancouver Street Blog
While the debate continues on its fate, ‘The Gnome House’ serves as a physical reminder of the past, symbolizing the city’s history within the context of a rapidly urbanizing world today.
For more information about ‘The Gnome House’, check out these additional articles by Global News and Huffington Post
Researched and Written by Gorana Tolja, Graduate of the Ryerson School of Interior Design & a MA Student at OCAD University in the Contemporary Art, Design and New Media Histories program, focusing on contemporary design history.
