Storybook architecture is a style popularized in the 1920s in England and the United States. Houses built in this style may be referred to as storybook houses.

Description

The storybook style is a nod toward Hollywood design technically called Provincial Revivalism and more commonly called Fairy Tale or Hansel and Gretel. While there is no specific definition of what makes a house storybook style, the main factor may be a sense of playfulness and whimsy. Most seemed snapped out of a craggy old-world village with intentionally uneven roofs, many cobblestone, doors and windows which may look mismatched and odd-shaped. It took a foothold in California, particularly in Los Angeles, during the 1920s and 1930s. A primary example can be found in the 1927 Montclair, Oakland, firehouse, and in a more traditional English cottage-style in the 1930 Montclair branch library.

Idora Park Idora Park was a Victorian era trolley park in north Oakland, California constructed in 1904 on the site of an informal park setting called Ayala Park on the north banks of Temescal Creek. It was leased by the Ingersoll Pleasure and Amusement P ...

in north Oakland, California, is a four-square-block storybook architecture development begun in 1927 on the grounds of the old amusement park. Other examples in Los Angeles are the Snow White Cottages, designed in 1931 by architect Ben Sherwood; Charlie Chaplin Studios, built in 1919 by architects Meyer & Holler; the Charlie Chaplin Cottages, built in 1923 by Arthur and Nina Zwebell, a husband-and-wife architectural team; and the " Hobbit House" built between 1940 and 1970 by Disney artist Lawrence Joseph.

Architects and examples

The primary architects that worked in this style are Harry Oliver, Ben Sherwood, William R. Yelland, Walter W. Dixon,

Hugh W. Comstock Hugh White Comstock (April 17, 1893 – June 1, 1950) was an American designer and master builder who lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. He and Michael J. Murphy were responsible for giving Carmel its unique architectural character. Com ...

, and Carr Jones among many other local architects.

Los Angeles area

Oliver is noted for his

Spadena House The Spadena House, also known as The Witch's House, is a storybook house in Beverly Hills, California. Located on the corner of Walden Drive and Carmelita Avenue, it is known for its fanciful, intentionally dilapidated design, and is a landmark i ...

in Beverly Hills, and the

Tam O'Shanter Inn The Tam O'Shanter Inn (colloquially known as The Tam) is one of Los Angeles' oldest restaurants. Established in 1922, it serves hearty pub fare with a touch of Scottish flair, and is known for its prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. It is located i ...

in Atwater Village, Los Angeles. Harry Oliver worked on more than 30 Hollywood films as an art director or set decorator between 1919–1938. The

, also known as the Witch's House was originally built to function as offices and dressing rooms for Willat Studios, a silent film studio in

Culver City Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

. It was moved to Beverly Hills in either 1926 or 1934 (accounts vary) and has served as a private residence since that time. The

, also a Storybook building, was designed by Oliver and built in 1922. Harry Oliver was also responsible for Van de Kamp bakery's trademark windmill buildings which were designed during the same time period. Sherwood is noted for the Snow White Cottages built in 1931 in Los Angeles. Another example are cupola-topped storybook homes in a lot in Culver City constructed between 1946 and 1970. They are collectively known as the Hobbit Houses.

San Francisco Bay area

William Yelland is noted for his (Thornburg) Normandy Village and Tupper & Reed Music Store, both located in

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

. Yelland designed homes in Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley, San Leandro, Hayward, Woodland, Modesto, Clarksburg, Sacramento, Kensington and San Francisco. W. W. Dixon is noted for his work with developer R. C. Hillen in creating the Dixon & Hillen catalog of home plans. Dixon is noted for Stonehenge & Stoneleigh villages in Alameda as well as Picardy Drive in

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

. Carr Jones is noted for the post office (now Postino Restaurant) in Lafayette. He also designed and built one-of-a-kind homes in Oakland, Berkeley and Piedmont such as the impressive Houvenin House at 85 Wildwood Gardens in Piedmont. He also built the

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; a ...

home in Palo Alto. Hugh W. Comstock is noted for his "Fairy Tale," storybook architectural style, that has been closely identified with

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and ric ...

Gallery

File: Storybook houses.JPG, Storybook houses in Oakland, California File:Stoneleigh.jpg, Storybook houses in Alameda, California File:Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, California LCCN2013630533.tif,

The Tuck Box The Tuck Box is a historic Craftsman Storybook style commercial building in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. It was built in 1926, by master builder Hugh W. Comstock. The building was designated as a significant commercial building in ...

storybook house in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, California

References

External links

Oakland California Storybook House neighborhoodStorybook Style homeowners club maintained by John Robert Marlow
by Daniella Thompson, Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association {{Authority control House styles American architectural styles Novelty architecture