“Why do you have a dragon on your roof?”

The dragon, I think, is becoming iconic. Most people love it, a few people fear it, and one person really thought I should remove it! Here’s the story behind the dragon, and how it became a design element throughout the chateau.

The house was framed, roofed and clad when our contractor called us in a bit of alarm: the steep rooflines on the front of the house had formed a sort of waterfall during any significant rain storm over the outside office door, and if we were ever to be able to landscape that area, we would have to create some sort of diversion to stop the flow. After much puzzling, it was determined that we would need to construct and place a “bowl” – otherwise known as a “scupper” – in the valley of the rooflines to catch the water and divert it into the closest gutter.

A BOWL?

I obviously was not having a bowl on the front of my house. The subject was tabled, and we moved on to other issues until a solution could be found.

I’m not sure if it was our stucco contractor, or John, or the designer we worked with for a time, but someone suggested we turn the “bowl” into a sculpture – but what? Well, what else, I mean, it’s a castle, and a castle needs a dragon. A brilliant and innovative metal artist, Brad Lorang, was located in Hood River. Brad did a mock-up before John got involved, who then set to researching the perfect kind of head that didn’t “look like a gargoyle” and the perfect sized scales. It took Brad about a year to construct, with his curling tail, wicked claws and outstretched neck – and yes, our dragon will some day breath fire.

The dragon theme brought a Disneyland-like feeling to the chateau, and as various rooms were completed the castle became a treasure hunt for the mythical beast. You can find its likeness painted into the formal dining room mural, forming part of the Great Room chandeliers, on main door knockers, door handles, and in bathroom fixtures and wallpaper. Dragons are carved into furniture . . . at one point the pool tile was going to be a giant dragon mosaic in 1” tiles, but I objected to the cost (ya’ think?). More dragons will no doubt be added as rooms are completed, even if they are almost unnoticeable unless pointed out.

Why the fantastical? We think it makes for a fun and interesting experience. After all, where else are you going to see a castle with a dragon on the roof?