Making fun of Gabe and Cecil is a favorite past-time around here. We got some laughs out of these shots.

I got sumfin in ma toof

"Before" pics

So this is our new flat. The three-story apartment building we live in was built in 1900. As you can see, much of its Victorian architectural heritage is intact: crown mouldings, coved 12 foot ceilings, wainscotting - both wood panel and floral-etched plaster, a large bay window, a built-in china cabinet and two hand-crafted fireplace mantles. Trav and I are Victorian architecture enthusiasts so San Francisco is a real feast for the eyes. It's going take some time, but we're looking forward to putting our signature on this place.

This is the front hallway. To the right is the double-parlor with the bay window (see below). To the left is the entry (see below). The hallways in this flat are typical for the period, very long and narrow. This section is just the beginning. It winds around the corner for a short stretch and then into yet another long narrow hallway. Notice the floral-etched wainscotting to the left.

Double Parlor

To the right, off the entrance hallway is a double parlor. There are pocket doors which separate the two rooms - perhaps so the ladies could plot their suffragette revolution while the gents smoked cigars and talked business. The front parlor has a large bay window which Gabe has made his station for his manifold sentry duties. He resisted temptation to jump up on the window seat for the first few days we lived here. He would look at us longingly and then look at the window seat and back at us, kinda like this... 

After a while we gave in. Lacking a flock of sheep, the poor dog needs something to do with his time. Looks like we're going to have to special order a very large dog bed.

Entry way

We're thinking some leopard-print wingback chairs and bookshelves are what this space needs...

more hallway

To the right are the bathrooms. In older homes in SF the "split bath" is common. This basically means there's a full bath and then a half bath right next to it. The logic of this arrangement escapes me...I suspect it has something to do with economizing plumbing.

At the far end of the hallway is the master bedroom (and an old Sheltie) which so far looks like this:

The colorful panels are yesterday's arts and crafts project yet to be hung as wall art - Kimono fabric stretched over canvas stretchers. I need a job.

oh but aren't they pretty?

And finally...the kitchen and dining room

Victorian houses were built with separate public and private spheres in mind. Each room was assigned a purpose and a degree of formality based on its location in the flow from front to back. The front of the house, or front parlor, was reserved for formal social gatherings e.g., business associates, new acquaintances, gentleman callers etc. The back parlor was typically a less formal space where close friends and relatives would be received. The entry way served as a filter of sorts, a place where servants would greet visitors who in turn would present a calling card and either be received or turned away by the home's occupants. In the grand victorians, a front staircase served as the setting for formal greetings while the back staircase was reserved for more utilitarian purposes. What fuss! Next in the flow was the dining room and finally the kitchen where the real work of everyday living took place behind closed doors.

As you can see (sort-of, my apologies for the underexposed photo), our kitchen has been thoroughly modernized but the dining room still hosts vestiges of its victorian past.