The Painted Ladies in San Francisco Used to Be White – Here’s How They Got So Colorful

The Painted Ladies, San Francisco

You may not know their names, but if you watched anything shot in San Francisco, you’ve likely seen them at least once. But these seven pastel Victorians, sitting pretty on Steiner Street since 1895, are more than just a nice backdrop for shows and tourist photos. Here’s the story behind the Painted Ladies, SFs legendary colorful homes.

The Original Group of Seven Houses

The name ‘Painted Ladies’ refers to seven identical houses at 710-720 Steiner Street. Matthew Kavanaugh, the developer who built them, lived in the biggest house on the corner, which spans about 4,831 square feet. Each of the other houses is about 2,500 square feet and cost thousands of dollars to build in 1892.

How The Houses Got Their Colors

At first, these Victorian homes were painted chalky white with sand mixed into the paint to protect the wood. In the 1960s, an artist named Butch Kardum started what became known as the colorist movement when he painted his Victorian home in bright blues and greens.

Features That Were New for Their Time

When these houses were built in 1892, they had some of the newest features available in San Francisco. They were among the first homes to have indoor plumbing with copper pipes and central heating that used coal furnaces. The houses have crown moldings that are wide and decorative brackets that stick out inches from the walls.

Instead of being carved by hand, the wooden decorations were made by machines in Kavanaugh’s lumber mill. The fronts of the houses look like wedding cakes, with five layers of decorations including sunbursts, bows, and flower garlands that get fancier as they go up the 30 to 40-foot-tall facades.

How The Painted Ladies Survived the 1906 Earthquake

Smart building choices helped the Painted Ladies survive when many other buildings fell in the 1906 earthquake. The builders used the balloon framing method, where long wooden boards run all the way from the bottom to the top, letting the houses bend slightly during earthquakes.

On top of that, the houses sit on solid rock instead of loose dirt, with support posts that go six feet deep into the ground. The redwood used to build them also helped them survive the three-day fire after the earthquake, which burned down 28,000 other buildings in San Francisco.

It’s Hard Work Keeping Them Beautiful

Each house needs seven to nine different paint colors to look right. It takes four months and costs over $100,000 to paint one house completely. Painters have to use special methods to handle all the detailed trim work, and they need special scaffolding to reach the highest parts, which are 48 feet up.

They use colors that match what was available in the 1890s, but today’s paint is special – it can stretch with the wood and protect it from San Francisco’s foggy weather.

The Fine Details Inside Each House

Walking into a Painted Lady reveals the skill of Victorian craftsmen. The houses have sliding doors that are twelve feet tall, built-in cabinets that reach the ceiling, and detailed woodwork made from redwood trees from Mendocino County.

Each house was built with grand living rooms that have 11-foot ceilings and dining rooms with special pantries that have zinc sinks. There are even separate staircases that household workers would use. Many houses still have their original decorations, including hand-carved ceiling designs, crystal doorknobs from Belgium, and stained glass windows from Germany.

Early Examples of Green Building

Long before anyone talked about eco-friendly houses, the Painted Ladies had features that help save energy. The steep roofs and ventilated attics keep the houses warm in winter and cool in summer, while the tall windows create air flow that helps control the temperature.

The houses were built using redwood from nearby Mendocino County, which naturally resists rot. Today’s owners have added modern features like solar panels and systems to collect rain while being careful not to change the houses’ historic look.

These Houses as Cultural Landmarks

The Painted Ladies have become more than just beautiful old houses – they represent San Francisco to people around the world. They’ve appeared in more than 70 movies and TV shows, making them one of the city’s most recognizable sights.

Cities from Cape May, New Jersey to Melbourne, Australia have copied their style when fixing up their own old buildings. More than 75,000 people visit Alamo Square Park each year to see these houses, which show how Victorian buildings can be preserved while still being comfortable modern homes.

The Rising Value of These Historic Homes

In the 1890s, you could buy one for a few thousands of dollars. Not anymore. One of San Francisco’s iconic ‘Painted Ladies’ houses, the pink one, was recently sold for $3.55 million, which was $800,000 over its original asking price of $2.75 million.