A White Rock woman is selling her 乌鸦传媒渨himsical fairy tale乌鸦传媒� home so she can buy a castle in France.

Susan Strangway has listed her house at 14635 Marine Dr. 乌鸦传媒� which could very well be one of the most recognizable properties on the waterfront strip 乌鸦传媒� 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乌鸦传媒檚 the deal with the Ferris wheel on the roof?

It乌鸦传媒檚 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.

READ ALSO:

Walking through Strangway乌鸦传媒檚 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 乌鸦传媒� 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乌鸦传媒檚 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乌鸦传媒檚 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乌鸦传媒檇 need to exit the bathroom and head to the living-room.

That乌鸦传媒檚 right, the bathtub sits in the open concept living-room. It乌鸦传媒檚 located beside the bed, because, of course it is.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 just my husband and myself, so when we乌鸦传媒檙e in the bath, you don乌鸦传媒檛 have people over. So walls don乌鸦传媒檛 mean anything,乌鸦传媒� 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乌鸦传媒檛 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 乌鸦传媒渘ot everybody乌鸦传媒檚 cup of tea,乌鸦传媒� 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 乌鸦传媒� one for arts, the other for music 乌鸦传媒� a couple fire places and an elevator.

If the money is right, Strangway said, she乌鸦传媒檒l 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乌鸦传媒檚 ever listed.

She is confident the house will sell, and the ideal buyer, she said, is probably someone looking for a trophy property.

乌鸦传媒淲hen you think of White Rock, you think of this house. A lot of people have said that to me, it乌鸦传媒檚 a landmark property. Some people like to have showsy types of properties,乌鸦传媒� Russell said.

Strangway built the house in 2010. Her vision at the time, she said, was that 乌鸦传媒渨e wanted it to be fantastic.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚 had all of this stuff, so we didn乌鸦传媒檛 want it to be a normal house, and we wanted a certain amount of dividability,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淵ou could really have one family in here and have everything open, but it乌鸦传媒檚 so divided.乌鸦传媒�

Strangway listed her influences for the decor as New Orleans, France and Mexico. Her educational background is in theatre.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e always loved the props, not that I had anything to do with that. But I love the sets and the props.乌鸦传媒�

The mannequins standing watch on the front balcony, she said, were extras in X-Files, so she乌鸦传媒檚 been told.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e always meant to watch X-Files and find them乌鸦传媒� different people have called and said, 乌鸦传媒楬ey, your mannequins are on.乌鸦传媒�

As for the ceiling train, Strangway said that was her husband乌鸦传媒檚 idea.

乌鸦传媒淲e love the train, it乌鸦传媒檚 so charming that there乌鸦传媒檚 a train that goes right by here on the water. Where do you find that? I乌鸦传媒檝e only seen that in a few places in the world.乌鸦传媒�

Strangway said she乌鸦传媒檚 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.

乌鸦传媒淚 feel like we can start over and do it all again, and do a B&B,乌鸦传媒� 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
Like us on and follow us on