I am completely amazed by architectural details, color palettes, and everything there is to know about old houses. They are like people – and I just want to get to know them, hear all their fascinating tales, and spend time together.
I absolutely fell head over heels in love with San Francisco’s gorgeous Victorian Painted Ladies all over again this week.
This charming, quaint, PERECT home on Sacremento Street was my favorite. I am ready to move right in and water that delicious Bouganvillea and those adorable window boxes with love and care.
I always love the yellow houses…as evident from my own.
This vertical flower garden full of climbing pink roses is such a perfectly tended cottage style design…I wanted to sit a spell and enjoy.
I spent an entire day in the city wandering neighborhood to neighborhood to explore. It was such perfect eye candy. Between the handsome houses and the fabulously lush floral – I was in awe.
Look at the architectural detail on this house alone…the layers upon layers of shingle siding, dental molding, spindle work, Ionic columns, spooky shaped stucco at the roofline…it is amazing to me how much goes into each exterior.
For hours upon hours (and hill upon hill!) I roamed, admiring but a FEW of the 48,000 houses in the Victorian and Edwardian styles built between 1849 and 1915.
Does anyone else see the row of lovelies above, and flashback to the tv show “Full House” and the opening credits?
All six homes are varied in their soft, pastel hue, with three or four different shades painted on their siding, trims, ornaments, moldings and more.
And those perfectly manicured topiary style trees…they are the icing on the cake.
That row of infamous “Painted Ladies” are on Steiner Street, on Alamo Square, which is just spectacular.
The “painted” sky was pretty as a postcard, don’t you think?
Even the children in the park have their own personal painted ladies to climb, run and play with. Darling!
The vegetation in Northern California just blows the midwest out of the water…everything is in full bloom, dense, abundant, gorgeous.
I am obsessed with Bouganvillea. I am from the midwest, and we don’t have the pleasure of it’s company. I am going to do my next window in this palette – I love the fuscia and the terracotta.
I ask you – have you EVER seen a more manicured, picturesque garage?
With it’s very own charming transom?
I, for one, have not.
And these glorious Bottle Brush Trees…
I had never even seen one before. In full bloom they are just magnificent and filled with a beautiful, bright orange.
I love the attention to every minute detail – garden and flowering shrubs matched to the exterior paint color. Gorgeous!
Which do you find more interesting to admire – the homes, or the flowers?
After walking – errr – HIKING for hours on end, I am going to say it is a tie.
Debi Lilly, aperfectevent.com
