James and Florence Peck House

Turning the ordinary into the extraordinary is a theme that runs through the timeline of Peck House, from the architect’s blueprint to its current owners’ sympathetic makeover. The first homeowners, James Peck, a Motorman with BC Electric, and his wife Florence came from prominent farming families in East Delta. They commissioned architect E.G.W. Sait to design this British-influenced Arts and Crafts home. Sait applied his trademark style: very large windows to create a sense of space in light-filled rooms; a large entry foyer to enhance the home’s prominence; and a half-width porch to ensure maximum interior space. The home’s low-pitched, hipped roof with cross gable and exposed beam ends are typical of the Craftsman style. The various eave levels suggest a Prairie style influence. The Pecks lived in their Saint Patrick Street home for 10 years, returning to East Delta in 1921. In the ensuing decades, Peck House fell into serious disrepair as a rental home until the 50s, when the Sturmanis family, refugees from war-torn Europe, applied their careful stewardship, taking it into the 21st century. The current owners have embarked on a sympathetic renovation, keeping the home’s exterior cladding and signature “Sait” windows intact. Last updated in the 50s, the owners enlarged the kitchen and added cream cabinets, Aga appliances, and an apron sink. A re-configured butler’s pantry, a convenient new powder room, and wood floors reclaimed from the New Westminster Masonic Hall complete the main floor’s major projects. The owners also added a beautifully appointed gas fireplace and wall sconces in the parlour, William Morris reproduction wallpaper and a period ceiling fixture in the dining room, a new basement suite, and a rear-covered deck and hot tub. Upstairs features the original layout, complete with four bedrooms, a separate tub room, and a water closet – plus a renovation bonus – mountain views from the private rear upper deck.