"Back in the early 1980s I was marketing manager for a company in Vancouver that manufactured these. Most buyers wanted them for their high-end resort homes in places like Whistler, as they were unattended much of the year. Other sales struggled because people couldn’t decide if the look of them was a positive or negative value. Even 40 years later the perception hasn’t changed in North America, while in Europe it’s not really an issue. Our indulgence in curb appeal home aesthetics I imagine."