The storybook style is a whimsical nod toward Hollywood design technically called Provincial Revivalism, and embodies much of what we see in fairy-tale storybooks, stage plays and in our favorite dreams.
The exterior finish is predominately stucco, often rough troweled, and frequently with half-timbering. Exteriors also feature rubble stone, crazed brick, or clinker brick; all-stone, all-brick, and all-wood construction are sometimes used. Turrets with conical roofs are a common feature, as are faux dovecotes.
Walls can be sloped or curving, hand made or organic looking; wing walls are not uncommon.
Rooflines are usually curved in some way swaybacked, sagged, concave, undulating or sharply pointed; gables are usually jerkinhead or very sharply pointed; eaves are often rolled; use of catslides is common. Roofs are commonly finished with wooden shingles, wooden shakes, or slate laid down in a seawave or other intentionally irregular pattern; though the original materials have frequently been replaced over time, the irregular pattern is sometimes imitated in the more modern material.
This three-bedroom design features a quiet den, a vaulted Great room, and a special outdoor living space.