B.C. woman transforms house through dynamic designs with connection to moon mission
Despite the dark paint on the exterior of Susan Strangway’s heritage house, there are hints of her home’s bright interior.
“It’s fun,” Susan Strangway says as life-sized statues of musicians seem to perform a sunny soundtrack along the wrap-around front deck.
“The whole feeling of the house is just fun.”
From the moment you walk into the front entrance, which features a large carousel horse and hot-air ballon chandelier, you’ll find moments of magic.
“My nephew gave me this set of Harry Potter dolls,” Susan points to a cabinet featuring Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the residents of Hogwarts.
While wizards greet you below, when you walk-up the ornate curved staircase to the second floor, you’ll pass a wall displaying dozens of quaint characters collected from McDonalds.
“I had to drink a lot of coffee to buy these little dolls,” Susan says.
When you enter the main living area, which is painted all in Barbie pink, don’t be surprised if you feel like you're nestling in a container of confectionary treats.
“As long as it looks like candy and edible,” Susan smiles. “That’s a big rule of mine.”
There’s a coffee table featuring a doll offering a tray full of doughnuts, and the dining table sports a centrepiece surrounded by sweets.
It’s a major transformation from the relatively plain space it was when Susan first walked into it.
“I don’t know what it was,” Susan says of the walkthrough with her realtor. “[The house] was just calling me.”
Susan answered the call by buying the place right away. Before her designs, ideas would often arrive in the middle of the night.
“They’re a-ha moments,” Susan says. “I never second-guess it. I just execute it.”
The professional graphic designer says she worked fast, filling the rooms with her bright prints and bold fabrics.
While the rooms are filled with the whimsical, they’re also inspired by the historical.
“That’s a big moon rock there,” Susan says, pointing to a framed photo of her father holding a large space stone.
Dr. David Strangway was the former chief of NASA’s geophysics branch, who worked on half a dozen space missions, from Apollo 11 through 17.
“He was telling the astronaut, ‘Yes. Pick that up’ or ‘No. Leave that behind,'” Susan says of her dad’s role in Mission Control.
While David studied the samples on Earth, he also brought them to Susan’s Grade 2 class for show and tell.
“His motto was reach for the stars, and he did,” Susan smiles. “He literally brought me the moon.”
It ultimately inspired Susan to boldly go beyond the beige box when transforming her house into a dynamic home.
“Maybe it will give people inspiration,” Susan says of her joyful design’s mix of bold patterns and bright colours. “To be brave enough to do what they want to do.”
And perhaps bring whatever seems out of reach, closer to home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.