Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
In a world of stark, white-on-white interiors, there’s something refreshingly nostalgic and inviting about postwar design. This listing that recently popped up in West Vancouver is giving hopeful homebuyers a chance to own an authentic piece of the 1960s.
Dubbed the Higgins House, 5414 Greentree Road is an architectural time capsule of West Coast mid-century style. Built in 1963, this two-storey, 2,126-square-foot detached home was designed by Vancouver-based architect Ron Howard, who was a part of the postwar era of modern creatives. The Higgins House is currently listed on the West Vancouver Community Heritage Register for its intrinsic architectural value.
This four-bedroom, three-bathroom residence is a five-minute walk from Kew Beach Park, situated on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Most homes around here are listed in the multi-million dollar range, so an asking price of $1,888,000 is fair game.
The main level of this horizontal home sits upon a partially excavated basement garage. Rockery and leafy shrubs conceal the foundation walls in the front yard. Up a winding pathway, a flight of wooden open stairs joins the elevated porch, leading you to the front entrance.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
A lattice divider sections off the front entryway from the main living area. Pecan-coloured hardwood floors, seen throughout most of the Higgins House, are paired with rich, wood-clad ceilings and beam supports.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
In this spacious parlor, you’ll never have to step outside to feel close to nature. The floor-to-ceiling windows let in a ton of light. Through a windowed-door, you can take a seat on the front balcony, which provides views of the mature, wooded lot.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
A brick fireplace is nestled between a set of open shelves, adding a punch of contrast to the wood-heavy interiors.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
Left of the fireplace is a dining area, which hosts its own easy escape to the back porch.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
Older homes don’t typically embrace the whole open-concept layout thing — a doorway off the dining area takes you into the kitchen. Stainless steel appliances and matching white floors and walls cool this room down. While doing the dishes, you get a panoramic view of the back of the lot.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
A tidy breakfast nook is the perfect spot for a quick bite or less formal in-kitchen dining. Forget your average pot lights — these globe pendant lights add a dose of mid-century charm.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
A bedroom on the main level — presumably the master — shares the back porch with the rest of the floor.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
An ensuite bathroom dons vintage cabinet hardware and a single-sink vanity.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
The ground floor is starkly white compared to the upper floor, and is fairly multi-purpose. In one corner, there’s a small workspace, which sits next to another living area and a second brick fireplace.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
Photo: Angell, Hasman & Associates Realty Ltd.
You don’t have to jump in a time machine to find modern, mid-century style — at 5414 Greentree Road, there’s plenty of genuine postwar charm here.
