SF’s Colorful Houses Make Life Just a Little Bit Better
A friend of mine who recently traveled to Paris marveled at—of all things—the matching houses. He said that Paris actually has rules about what color you can paint your dwelling so that all the homes maintain a certain amount of “cohesiveness.” Whatever that means.
Other cities are known for beautifully coordinated neighborhoods as well. I’m thinking of the blue-roofed villas in Santorini, the pink architecture of Jaipur, and the New York Brownstones. What makes San Francisco stand out, however, is that you can be walking on a street of Victorians all painted colors from the Benjamin Moore Historical Collection and then see something like this:
Photo by the author
This is America, where you can paint your home however you darn well please, assuming you aren’t living in the suburbs and your HOA makes you choose between taupe and beige. And our great city, more than others in America, loves crazy colors. Maybe this is because SF is a diverse place that’s home to many artists and free thinkers. Or maybe it’s because the wacky topography attracts a lot of Dr. Seuss fans. Or maybe both! The Sunset (my neighborhood) seems to be the epicenter of the Crazy Colorful Houses Movement, perhaps because we’re so depressed by all the gray weather. The Sunset is home to the Star Trek House – which you can now book on Airbnb – the Bubble House, the Octopus House, the house that looks like a boat, and dozens if not hundreds of one-of-a-kind paint jobs.
The Crazy Colorful Houses Movement has spread far beyond the foggy fringe and well into the city’s sunnier climes. And frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. As a longtime San Francisco resident, there’s nothing I hate more than an entire block of gray houses. Sure, maybe there’s a bright yellow door on one of them, but why not an entire block of yellow instead? Life is hard, I don’t need more gray. I go out of my way to see houses that make my day a little cheerier.
Photo by Tyler Hedrick
Speaking of bright yellow, I recently chatted with Tyler Hedrick, the owner of an iconic, bright yellow house near the top of Bernal Hill. I used to walk by Hedrick’s house, which is somewhat of a local icon, every day. (One time, a cyclist stopped me to ask if I would take her photo in front of Hedrick’s canary-colored gem, and told me this house was a popular destination amongst her cyclist friends.) “Every time I come home it puts a smile on my face,” Hedrick said of his house, which he’s owned for two years now. “When I first looked at the house before buying it, the bright color was a big selling point for me.”
Photo by the author
After Hedrick did some repairs on his yellow house, he was even careful to re-paint with the exact same shade of yellow and the same brand of paint. I am ashamed to confess that despite my love of San Francisco’s colorful houses, I live in a beige house. This is my least favorite thing about my home. So mark my words, when it’s time to paint, I’ll be pushing for aquamarine. Or yellow. Or maybe white with black spots, like a Dalmatian.
Howdy! My name is Katy Atchison and I'm an Associate Editor for Broke-Ass Stuart.
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