This house is fanciful, but when you stand next to it or enter, you can feel how solid it is. This is no Cinderella castle from Disneyland, no holiday mockup. Indeed, this house could have been part of an old-world urban development. It includes numerous arches, pointed pediments, and sturdy retaining walls. The second story juts up out dramatically. The materials feature a medley of stone, brick, plaster, and wood finishes. All this is brought together in a singly, unifying upward movement. This house is a cozy fairy-tale world, suggesting a little town filled with gingerbread houses, their walls half-timbered, their turrets sloping gracefully; the fairy-tale look may be European, but it’s reproduced faithfully in the Moscow region. This house is intricate like a Mozart piece, layered like a delicious strudel. Not every residence looks good against a snowy landscape—but this one certainly does: fluffy snowbanks will only add to its fairytale presence.
