What makes a house charming? Why do we call homes adorable or elegant or terrifying? These are adjectives that are often used to describe people, and yet we are now using them for lumber, concrete, glass, and stone.
So what gives a home personality? Why are we drawn to these types of homes?
Most homes that are iconic to me personally, came from the movies. There was always something romantic or special about those homes. The question I have, now some 20 years later is why? Why, did I love that house? Being in the home design/build industry, I feel that I have learned a few things since I was 8 years old that allowed me to give some insight into these special homes, why they were selected for the backdrop to some of the most iconic movies and why they work on an architectural level. For the next few months I want to dive deeper into some of the most recognized homes in modern television and history. First stop, Prince Edward Island.
Anne of Green Gables
The iconic white house with green shutters is a home that every Canadian can recognize. It was this house that inspired Lucy Maud Montgomery to write about a young red-haired girl, Anne. The home of Anne of Green Gables nestled into the picturesque coast of PEI was built in 1831 and received major additions in 1870. The simplicity of the design and the roofline that makes the home so charming. The house looks so good, because it belongs there, when you live on a farmstead, you build a farmhouse.
Those Green Shutters
My favorite detail of the home is the green shutters. In 1831, shutters were used to literally shut the windows to control the light. Nowadays shutters are used as decorative accents, which is great, but the scale and proportions of them is lost. If a shutter is not half the size of the window and is not able to close off the window, it does not look right because it doesn’t work.
Building Today
One of the most exciting things in the residential building industry today is that you can have this house, but it will be more efficient. Building technique has evolved and become more efficient, reliable and convenient. For example, when you want the warmth of a fire, you don’t have to go to the woodshed and chop some wood, you flick a switch. And who doesn’t love a tri-pane window vs a single pane that lets in a draft? When working with a custom home builder like Alair, we put the homeowner in the driver’s seat and bring to the table a partnership of architects, designers, and trades to develop and deliver their dream home. Whether it is a modern, open concept home with floor to ceiling windows or a rustic white farmhouse with green shutters.