The Box House is, well, very boxy in appearance, filled with plumb lines and ninety-degree angles. I'd love to add some storybook design elements, something to make the house seem a touch more whimsical and fairytale-ish yet in keeping with its general 1920s flavor.
Also called Provincial Revivalism, Fairy Tale, or Hansel and Gretel style, Storybook Style seems to have been popular on the West Coast. I've seen only a handful of examples in the Chicago area--my bus in high school used to pass by one we called the hobbit house, because it looked as if Frodo would step out at any moment.
Lights, lanterns, and sconces are great ways to transform a room or facade, I think. The porch light we currently have is a round ball of light with this whopping huge motion activator attached to it. It's ugly. Period. I figure a storybook style light might add the touch of whimsy I'm looking for.
I really, really like one porch light made by Mica Lamps: Storybook Granada Six-Side Wall Sconce. I think it would be perfect, but it's seven hundred dollars. Yes, $700. For a porch light.
Now I need help in justifying just why such an expenditure would be necessary, seeing as the cost of this lamp is more than two car payments--although the car will be paid off in May! (Hooray!) Really, it's a lamp. How does a lamp get to be $700?Here's another one I like, and it's currently on sale for the bargain price of six hundred dollars. Still more than two car payments, but look how charming it is!
Seriously, if anyone has a source for similar style lamps that are designed for my modest and humble budget, I'd love to hear about them.
A very cool external link that you must check out to learn more about this style is this: Storybookers.com
3 comments:
I love the Storybook style too! It's so charming. Have you looked at any of the Historic Revival lighting at Rejuvenation? It's not inexpensive by any means, but it's not $700 expensive!
http://www.rejuvenation.com/location32/collections/Historic_Revivals_Lighting.html
Or even some of their Arts and Crafts lighting - I think certain pieces, like the Brogan, for example, have a Storybook cottage look to them:
I'd also suggest checking out eBay from time to time. You never know what might pop up if you searched for "Gothic Lantern."
The Box House looks like a wonderful project. I've always loved Evanston! (My husband and I went to college in Chicago.)
Oops! I forgot to include the link!
Here is the whole Arts and Crafts collection:
http://www.rejuvenation.com/location115/collections/Arts_and_Crafts_Lighting.html
Several have sort of a Storybook look to them:
http://www.rejuvenation.com/fixshowW742/templates/selection.phtml
http://www.rejuvenation.com/fixshowW735/templates/selection.phtml
http://www.rejuvenation.com/fixshowC638/templates/selection.phtml
Thanks for the links, Stephanie! I do like the "Brogan" example.
I regularly shop eBay for lights, and have picked up a few antique ones that I'll have to photograph as they get unpacked. But more often than not, I end up getting outbid!
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