PACIFIC HEIGHTS

This 1890s Victorian sits on a coveted corner lot in Pacific Heights, its southern exposure and generous ceiling heights setting it apart from many of its neighbors. A library on the main floor, an uncommon luxury in homes of this era, added further distinction. The bones were exceptional. The interventions of subsequent decades were less so: wood floors stripped away, walls inserted without logic, trim poorly matched, hardware accumulated across eras without intention. The house retained its grandeur in the primary rooms and had lost its way everywhere else. This is Jill Lewis's own family home, and the project was undertaken with the particular attentiveness and ambition that comes from designing for oneself.

The work operated on two levels simultaneously. At the scale of the whole, a complete rethinking of the floor plan untangled decades of ad hoc decision-making, restoring a clarity of circulation and spatial sequence appropriate to the architecture. At the level of detail, the finest original elements were carefully catalogued, preserved, and used as the standard against which everything new was measured. Missing floors were restored, trim was reconciled throughout, and custom cabinetry was designed and built on site. All mechanical, plumbing, and insulation systems were replaced in their entirety. A collection of furnishings, art, and objects gathered over a decade of living abroad served as the departure point for the final palette of colors and finishes, grounding the restored Victorian in a life fully and specifically lived.

Location: San Francisco, California

Size: 4,000 SF

Status: Completed 2022

Architecture: Jill Lewis Architecture

Contractor: Urban Crew Construction

Photographer: Bess Friday

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