San Francisco homes carry a century of history in their walls — sometimes literally. The goal of a modern renovation here is rarely to start over. It is to keep what gives the house its character and fix what makes daily life harder.
Open up, but keep the rooms legible
Removing every wall tends to produce one large, echoing room. A better approach is to widen openings between spaces so sightlines connect while each area keeps a clear purpose. A wide cased opening between kitchen and dining often does more than a full demolition.
Light is the real upgrade
Many Victorians and Edwardians are long and narrow, with daylight only at the front and back. Borrowed light — interior glazing, a skylight over a stair, a glazed door to the garden — changes how a house feels more than any finish.
Modern systems, period details
Replacing wiring, plumbing and insulation is invisible in photos but matters most over time. Once the walls are open, it is also the cheapest moment to do it. We keep original trim where it is sound and mill matching profiles where it is not.
Choose fewer, better finishes
A restrained palette of two or three materials repeated through the house reads as considered. It also ages better than a different statement tile in every room.
