Revitalizing Queen Anne Victorian a labor of love
For David Fox, the Queen Anne Victorian in San Francisco’s Panhandle neighborhood bears a striking similarity to “The House That Jack Built.”
While no animals met their demise during the nearly 3-year remodel of 235 Broderick St., Fox found the process a labor on par with what the titular character endured in the famous British nursery rhyme.
“The home was nicely tarted up for sale, but buried beneath was decades of deferred maintenance,” said Fox, a native Australian who purchased the home in 2008. “What started as kitchen remodel and bathroom updates turned into a bottom-to-top process lasting 2 1/2 years.”
Gone are the compartmentalized public rooms and outdated appliances. Skylights and modern insulation are among the eco-conscious additions. Stained glass windows, ceiling medallions and a mile’s worth of molding and trim are among the Victorian details architect Sean Culman and contractor Brendan Uniacke incorporated into the redesign.
Fox once remodeled a home off 45th Avenue, and he purchased 235 Broderick St. with the expectation the effort would be similar. He admits he underestimated how much attention the 19th century home would require.
“I thought I was buying a mid-2000s BMW,” said Fox, an enthusiast of high-performance cars. “Instead it turned out to be a 1927 Rolls-Royce — still beautiful, but lacking in the areas of safety, reliability and performance.”
Construction of the home’s three-car garage turned out to be a harbinger of the work to come. During the excavation, he learned of the home’s brick foundation. The home’s location in earthquake-prone San Francisco led him to retrofit.
Work on the electrical and plumbing systems followed.
“The thighbone is connected to the hip bone,” Fox said. “You can’t do one part in isolation.”
Defining the transformation is the home’s great room, which originally housed five separate rooms but now features a custom kitchen with glass tile backsplashes and integrated appliances. Pocket doors off the great room conceal the formal dining room, a space offering darkstained moldings, wood-framed windows and an 11-foot ceiling. A sitting room off the foyer features a bay window with stained glass inserts and a wood-burning fireplace.
Dentils, columns and intricate plasterwork highlight the facade of the home, constructed in 1892. Its entryway includes a covered patio, a space where Fox has enjoyed many breakfasts.
Fox purchased the home just before the recession and said the economic downturn became a blessing in disguise. The lack of ongoing construction gave him an incredible selection of skilled workers to choose from, he said.
“I imagine it would be difficult to do this type of project now because tradespeople and laborers all seem to be so busy. The logistics are simply amazing when you consider this type of project,” Fox said.
For more information, visit www.235Broderick.com.