A White Rock woman is selling her 㽶Ƶֱwhimsical fairy tale㽶Ƶֱ home so she can buy a castle in France.
Susan Strangway has listed her house at 14635 Marine Dr. 㽶Ƶֱ which could very well be one of the most recognizable properties on the waterfront strip 㽶Ƶֱ for $3,998,000.
At first glance, the outside of the home is fairly unassuming. French-inspired wrought-iron details the roofline of a southern-style house, which features floor-to-ceiling columns. A beautiful garden with bright pink roses adds a welcome splash of colour to the white-on-white scheme.
However, the longer one looks at the property, the more peculiar it becomes. Questions one might ask include, why are there three mannequins standing on the balcony? Or what㽶Ƶֱs the deal with the Ferris wheel on the roof?
It㽶Ƶֱs only when one takes a step inside the house that they begin to find some answers. Or, more accurately, perhaps, find themselves with even more questions.
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Walking through Strangway㽶Ƶֱs front door is a little like stepping through the looking glass.
A visitor is transported into another world, where every room is unlike the last, but each shares a common theme 㽶Ƶֱ an explosion of colour.
From pink ceilings and orange-striped walls, to green counter tops and checkerboard floors, every turn of the head reveals some new wonder.
Plastic legs in striped tights dangle from the ceiling, an electric train pulled by a BNSF engine runs overhead, and more dolls and Nutcrackers than there are residents of White Rock line shelves throughout the house.
There㽶Ƶֱs a lot to take in.
Every mannequin has a name. Tatiana, purchased for $100 on eBay, is the one wearing a yellow macrame bikini and fur boots.
If space seems relatively tight inside the house, it㽶Ƶֱs not due to a lack of floor area, but rather to the number of decorations and artifacts Strangway has collected, including a pair of life-sized polar bears.
In one of the bathrooms, men will find themselves within kissing distance of a yellow plastic horse head while they do their business. But if that same man wanted a quick bath, he㽶Ƶֱd need to exit the bathroom and head to the living-room.
That㽶Ƶֱs right, the bathtub sits in the open concept living-room. It㽶Ƶֱs located beside the bed, because, of course it is.
㽶ƵֱIt㽶Ƶֱs just my husband and myself, so when we㽶Ƶֱre in the bath, you don㽶Ƶֱt have people over. So walls don㽶Ƶֱt mean anything,㽶Ƶֱ Strangway explained of the unorthodox floor plan.
If showers are preferable, guests will have to wait their turn while the six-foot-tall flamingo sculpture finishes up. That might take a while; the flamingo didn㽶Ƶֱt seem to be in a rush.
Strangway uses a portion of the home to host a bed-and-breakfast. While acknowledging that the decor is 㽶Ƶֱnot everybody㽶Ƶֱs cup of tea,㽶Ƶֱ many are attracted to it, she said.
The 3,579 sq.ft. home features fours bedrooms and four baths. It comes with two full kitchens, a secondary suite, two studios 㽶Ƶֱ one for arts, the other for music 㽶Ƶֱ a couple fire places and an elevator.
If the money is right, Strangway said, she㽶Ƶֱll even sell the contents of the house.
Real estate agent Cindy Russell, who has been in the business for 25 years, said the house is by far the most unique she㽶Ƶֱs ever listed.
She is confident the house will sell, and the ideal buyer, she said, is probably someone looking for a trophy property.
㽶ƵֱWhen you think of White Rock, you think of this house. A lot of people have said that to me, it㽶Ƶֱs a landmark property. Some people like to have showsy types of properties,㽶Ƶֱ Russell said.
Strangway built the house in 2010. Her vision at the time, she said, was that 㽶Ƶֱwe wanted it to be fantastic.㽶Ƶֱ
㽶ƵֱI had all of this stuff, so we didn㽶Ƶֱt want it to be a normal house, and we wanted a certain amount of dividability,㽶Ƶֱ she said. 㽶ƵֱYou could really have one family in here and have everything open, but it㽶Ƶֱs so divided.㽶Ƶֱ
Strangway listed her influences for the decor as New Orleans, France and Mexico. Her educational background is in theatre.
㽶ƵֱI㽶Ƶֱve always loved the props, not that I had anything to do with that. But I love the sets and the props.㽶Ƶֱ
The mannequins standing watch on the front balcony, she said, were extras in X-Files, so she㽶Ƶֱs been told.
㽶ƵֱI㽶Ƶֱve always meant to watch X-Files and find them㽶Ƶֱ different people have called and said, 㽶ƵֱHey, your mannequins are on.㽶Ƶֱ
As for the ceiling train, Strangway said that was her husband㽶Ƶֱs idea.
㽶ƵֱWe love the train, it㽶Ƶֱs so charming that there㽶Ƶֱs a train that goes right by here on the water. Where do you find that? I㽶Ƶֱve only seen that in a few places in the world.㽶Ƶֱ
Strangway said she㽶Ƶֱs selling the house so that she and her husband can move to a castle in France.
She said her friend Madonna, a singer, has provided a few leads for her. Not that Madonna, she clarified.
㽶ƵֱI feel like we can start over and do it all again, and do a B&B,㽶Ƶֱ Strangway said of her upcoming adventure.
Strangway is ready for France. The real question might be, is France ready for Strangway?
aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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