The Painted Ladies of San Francisco

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we visit the houses known as the Seven Sisters of Steiner Street.

The painted ladies of Steiner Street, as seen from Alamo Square Park, with downtown San Francisco in the background. The colors of the houses are clean and crisp, and the white trim makes the porches and arcade columns stand out. Some of the porches are arched. All have ornate gingerbread trim, with some featuring brighter accent colors. Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock

The 1849 California gold rush made millionaires of gold miners in San Francisco. To show off their wealth, they adopted the Victorian style of architecture, building multistoried homes that were relatively simple for their time but ornate to us today: stained-glass windows, crown molding, wainscoting, trim, wood floors, tile, and bright colors unless the house was renovated and redecorated outside.

The Seven Sisters of Steiner Street, six identical single-family dwellings with one larger corner home in the Victorian style, survived San Francisco’s great quake of 1906. After the earthquake, the homes were restored with more exterior detail to celebrate their survival. The architecture was sturdy, with striking roof lines and balconies. The homes reside on what’s now known as Postcard Row.

The exterior décor, unique to each home, features gingerbread trim, scrolled brackets, sawn balusters, braced arches, and fancifully cut and pierced frieze boards. House colors changed and brightened over the years, especially during the 1970s. The vivid exterior styling led to the coining of the nickname “painted ladies” as an architectural term describing bright multicolored homes. George Horsefall owns the fifth house from the corner, at 712 Steiner Street, and offers tours on a daily basis for anyone gathered in front of the house at 4 p.m.

The 1970s brought bright colors to the façades of Steiner Street's homes. Usually, two complementary colors are used on each house's exterior, including the gingerbread trim. The look inspired the architectural term “painted ladies,” now used to describe multicolored houses. Atosan/Shutterstock

The blue and white corner house at 722 Steiner Street anchors the Seven Sisters. Completely renovated after it was sold in 2022, the light-filled house features bay windows and skylights. (Courtesy of Indigo Real Estate)  

The front door of 722 Steiner Street was kept as close to the original as possible during renovations.  Stained glass allows light inside and offers privacy, while two larger mirrored panels reflect the street outside.  Courtesy of Indigo Real Estate

The foyer and front staircase of 722 Steiner Street were maintained in the Victorian style until a renovation in 2022. The chandelier is most likely original, as are the gilded mirror and ornately carved wooden posts on the stairs. The detailed wood carving under the staircase was completed by the original builders. All floors are wood, highly polished, and covered with Persian carpets. Courtesy of Linnea Key Realty

The dining room, shown here before the 2022 renovation, showcased an original ornately carved marble fireplace with brass hearth and andirons. Note the intricate carvings at the top of the wall and chair rails with a simple design. Courtesy of Linnea Key Realty

This room, shown here before the 2022 renovation, hosted a baby grand piano in the bay window, presumably for all to see.  The fireplace was topped with an ornate gilded mirror with brass fixtures on the tiled hearth. Richly upholstered furniture with gilded trim was the perfect way to seat visitors for a piano recital. The stained-glass window and the accessories on top of the fireplace showed the wealth of the owner. Courtesy of Linnea Key Realty

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