What Is A Storybook House?

So-called because it looks like something that emerged from the pages of Hansel & Gretel or Snow White, the storybook house is a unique house type that originated in Los Angeles in the 1920s. Firm characteristics of a storybook house can be difficult to pin down because each one is different, but at its heart, storybook architecture defies convention, emphasizing an exaggerated medieval cottage style with stone walls, sloped rooflines, gables, turrets and other whimsical features that evoke a fairy tale fancy.

A History Of Storybook Architecture

The storybook style of architecture grabbed hold in the United States in the aftermath of World War I. American soldiers who had been exposed to European cottage-style homes sought to recreate them in the U.S. The fairy tale “Hamlet” also captured the imagination of art directors and set designers in the burgeoning 1920s film industry in Los Angeles. This explains why storybook style was first established in southern California. Its influence eventually moved up the west coast to the Bay Area and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Features Of Storybook Houses

Since it’s intended to reflect and blend in with the ever-changing natural environment, each storybook house is unique. It should, however, exude buckets of charm and coziness. It’s a type of cottage, so usually smaller than the average house. If you picture Bilbo Baggins, the main character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic novel, “The Hobbit,” sipping tea fireside in his tiny earth-sheltered “hobbit house,” you have grasped the storybook concept. Here are some common elements to typical storybook homes.

Asymmetry: Unlike the ordered geometry of the average colonial house, for example, storybook is far less disciplined, with multiple roof lines of differing pitches, small windows that appear out of nowhere and waves of shingles that wrap dramatically over the eaves.

Natural tones and textures: As opposed to the finely finished and/or machined surfaces of a modern house, the storybook house feels more like the earth. Commonly the outer walls are made of large stones and heavy wood beams and may even be grown over with English ivy. Interiors are exposed wood, with floors constructed of hardwood or even stone. Often a wood-burning masonry fireplace is central to the interior space.

Curved roof: The feeling of coziness in a storybook house comes in part from the dramatic sloping roof, enveloped in shake shingles that can evoke thatching, which appears to wrap the home almost like an embrace. Even the entrance gable is enclosed within the larger front gable. The weight of stone walls further pulls the structure to the warmth of the earth.

Unique windows: A storybook house does not place a high value on letting in natural light. Small windows appear even smaller with tight panes of glass held in place by lead strips – often called leaded glass windows. Windows often have ornate or gothic shapes and can be nestled into dormers and surrounded by shutters.

Storybook Homes Straight Out Of A Fairytale

Hobbit Houses (Culver City, California)

This little development that includes one larger cottage and several smaller apartments was the lifelong obsession of designer Lawrence Joseph, a former Disney artist who worked on the cottages for most of his adult life, starting in the early 1940s. Other than what looks like lodging for the seven dwarfs, features of the property include a stocked fishpond and interiors with built-in furniture in a nautical theme (Joseph was fond of sailing). The property is privately owned and still stands today.

The Witch’s House (Beverly Hills, California)

So called because it’s steeply pitched roof resembles a witch’s hat, the “Witch House” was built as part of the set for the film “Hansel and Gretel” for Willat Studios in Los Angeles. It was later moved to Beverly Hills and the owners were known to put on a spectacular Halloween display that thrilled local children. The house fell into disrepair until it was purchased in 1998 by real estate agent Michael J. Libow, who oversaw a complete reimagining of the grounds and house to fully express a fairy tale theme.

Tam O’Shanter Inn (Los Angeles, California)

The Tam O’Shanter Inn, or “The Tam,” was built as a restaurant in 1922 by the same restaurateurs who later created the Lawry’s chain. It was designed in the storybook style by one of the originators of the genre, architect Harry Oliver. With its irregular thatch roof and half-timber construction, The Tam seemed a natural gathering place for employees of the nearby Disney studios, where it was known as “The Commissary.” Legendary studio founder Walt Disney himself was a regular patron.

Mushroom Houses (Charlevoix, Michigan)

The mushroom houses of Charlevoix, a Lake Michigan tourist town, were the obsession of master builder Earl Young. As a young man, Young began collecting boulders, limestone and fieldstone from the region, many of them from the lakeshore itself. Each of the 26 houses and four commercial buildings built by young over the course of several decades is completely unique, designed entirely from Young’s imagination as he did not use blueprints. They feature wavy shake roofs with wide overhangs and appear to commune with the landscape around them.  

Pros And Cons Of Storybook-Style Homes

Is A Storybook Home Right For You?

If you think of home as a sanctuary, a quiet, cozy place of retreat, then a storybook home may be right for you. It works better for a single person or a couple, but is likely not right for a family. Because it’s small, a storybook house is perfect for a person who likes interior design and can enjoy curating the home with antiques and artwork that enhance the fairy tale whimsy. Just be forewarned, however, that you may occasionally have a complete stranger knock on your door because they’re fascinated with your house.

The Bottom Line

Just like many of the other unique homes to be found in the American housing market, storybook homes are rare and therefore not often available to buy. If you do get the opportunity, however, do your research and find out as much as you can about the house, its history and who designed it. If the house has the pedigree of a well-known builder or architect, it might have more value than the seller realizes. To be sure you are ready to act fast when such an opportunity arises, be prepared by starting the approval process with Rocket Mortgage^® today.