Hot Property
Bernal Heights Victorian combines period details with high-tech amenities.
Harry Turner and his partner, Brian Keil, had some work to do upon moving into 172 Precita Ave. in the summer of 2008. The Bernal Heights Victorian had recently been expanded with the addition of a lower level. The structural rehabilitation was finished, yet new challenges awaited inside.
“It was an odd house,” Turner said of the 19th century four-bedroom. “All the finishes were quite dated and old. Aside from a minor kitchen remodel, there had been no improvement to the house in 20 or 30 years.”
The couple hired designer Maria Iacobucci and got to work. They updated the kitchen and added high-tech amenities. Classical finishes were restored or recreated, and they added an Ipe deck and a redwood fence to the terraced backyard.
A wealth of contemporary amenities can be found inside. The home features a Navien
Combi tankless boiler, Bosch washer and dryer, Nest home automation and wireless access points on every level.
Though the home stands as a testament to contemporary living, it stays true to its Victorian roots.
“We took pains to maintain moldings, ceiling heights and room proportions,” Turner said.
The Victorian home offers more than 2,400 square feet of luxury living. A modern fireplace anchors the living room and the contemporary kitchen opens to the outside.
Soapstone counters and a Carrara marble backsplash accent the kitchen that includes custom cabinets and a dining peninsula.
All four bedrooms reside upstairs. This level includes a luxury bathroom with a marble tile shower finished in Restoration Hardware fixtures. The lower level features a family room, a private office and another full bathroom.
Outside, the terraced garden features three levels of built-in planter boxes and the deck. There’s also a patio off the lower-level family room.
The house receives a wealth of southern light, and Turner said that makes it easier to cultivate a garden.
“Anything will grow back there,” he said.
Learn more at www.prideof precita.com.