'Like walking into Disneyland': The story behind the whimsical $4M home for sale in White Rock, B.C.
Outside, there are life-sized dolls perched along the railing of the upstairs balcony. Inside, a miniature train moves from one flamboyantly colourful room to the next, passing through holes in the walls on a track hanging from the ceiling.
Needless to say, the two-storey home for sale on Marine Drive in White Rock, B.C. – which an onlooker might fairly describe as a human-scale dollhouse – is unlike any of the other multi-million dollar properties that line the city's waterfront.
"It's beyond your imagination," said Cindy Russell, the realtor representing the property. "To be quite honest, it's like walking into Disneyland somewhat. It gives you that feeling."
There's the miniature ferris wheel on the rooftop. The iron bathtub in the living room. The sea of pink walls, patio umbrellas, bedspreads and upholstery – not to mention the pink water fountain.
Then there are the countless eye-catching knickknacks and keepsakes that adorn the walls, mantles and cabinets – much of it collected during the owner's lifetime of travel.
"It's just the most amazing, unique, artsy, flamboyant place you'll ever see," Russell said. "This house is alive."
With an asking price of just under $4 million, any potential buyer will need to have deep pockets – and Russell acknowledged that might come with expensive tastes that don't quite align with the current owner's penchant for whimsy.
"It's not everyone's décor," she said. "But it would be shame to see it cleared out. It was a labour of love, down to every fixture."
(Cindy Russel, eXp Realty)
The owner, Susan Strangway, did not want to be interviewed about the property, but was happy to share some of its history. She moved in back in the 1990s, after her father – Dr. David Strangway, former chief of geophysics for NASA and longtime president of the University of British Columbia – asked her to come care for one of his aunts in White Rock.
Over the years, Strangway and her partner Weave Cleveland made the property their own, gradually turning it into an eccentrically iconic part of the waterfront area. Their philosophy, Russell said, was to buck the boring norms of interior design in a way that would bring instant joy to those who stepped inside.
"And it's true, you can't be unhappy in that house," the realtor added.
(Cindy Russell, eXp Realty)
Russell was approached about representing the property after meeting the owner at a block party. The two clicked instantly, and it's not hard to see why – Russell is known to get around town in a pink range rover, and holds a magic wand in her advertisements.
Naturally, she jumped at the chance to list the home.
"I've been selling real estate for 25 years, it's the most unique house ever, bar none," she said. "I would not change anything about it if I bought it."
So why is Strangway leaving after all these years? The answer is as fanciful as the home itself.
"Everyone's asking why is she moving, because it's such an incredible property," Russell said. "It's because she wants to move to France. Her dream is to move to France and buy a castle."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.