The 1998 movie "Practical Magic" starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman was filmed at several locations, including San Juan Island in Washington State. To depict the house where the witches lived, production designer Robin Standefer built an architectural shell that was used just for the movie, and it was taken down after the filming of the movie was concluded.
The movie was also filmed at other locations in Washington, including Coupeville, where Sally's store was filmed, as well as the truck accident and where Sally first sees Michael. The house built for the film was a main character of the movie, and it needed to represent the Owens family's unique place as witches. Once the sketches of the house were made, it took 8 months to actually build it.
Standefer chose a Victorian model for the house so that its appearance was "rambling." She wanted to portray the multigenerational aspect of the family and their story, which spans 3 decades. Standefer also mentions that she designed the house to include elements that were timeless in nature. Since the house was temporary, other decorative elements like the flowers in the garden and the trees were made of silk. In addition, a lighthouse was added on top to highlight the fact that the women were traditionally light keepers.
