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A house on one of the most iconic streets in America was remodeled for 21st century living, keeping the historic character while upgrading for modern amenities, including a beautiful steam shower spa bathroom. Here's the story of a Feel Good upgrade for a Painted Ladies home in San Francisco.
Current owners of the anchor home at the far left, Côme Laguë and Charlene Li, remodeled nearly all rooms in the interior of the 4,773 square foot Queen Anne style home. Expertly marrying a transitional vibe to the tradition of the home first built in 1892, Laguë and Li balanced respect for the storied history of the “7 Sisters” Painted Ladies with their desire to create a relaxing oasis for their active family. “We call it ‘Modern Victorian,’” Laguë said.
The Master Bath Steam Shower Remodel
The home has five and one-half bathrooms, including the master bathroom that had last been updated 25 years ago. Li was thrilled to find a MrSteam steam shower had been installed. “We used it, even this old thing,” she said. “It was working fantastically. It’s durable.”
As Laguë noted, however, the old steam shower system did not have in-shower controls, nor any other features that make today’s steam showers a joy to use and easy to maintain.
Martha Orellana helps Charlene Li customize her new MrSteam steam shower.
“This is my baby,” Li tells visitors as she opens the door to the shower with the MrSteam system. Li likes to steam first thing in the morning.
Li said she used to take frequent baths to relax. “But here in California, with the conservation of water, [a steam shower] makes so much more sense.” A typical 20-minute steam uses approximately 2 gallons of water.
“I travel so much,” and always seem to come home feeling congested, Li continued. I just come home and get right into the steam shower. “It gets so much use.”
>> See Steam Bathing 101: Seven Steps For an Effective Steam Bath
>> See The Science Behind the Health Benefits of Steam Showers
Laguë and Li had the iSteam control installed, so they can listen to streaming content while steaming. “So this is our fight,” Li said, laughing. “My husband likes to listen to Pandora. I like to listen to news.” With iSteam, the system can be custom programmed for Laguë and Li, so with a simple swipe touch, both can immediately access their ideal settings for music, temperature, chromatherapy and aromatherapy.
The MrSteam iSteam swipe touch control customizes settings for both Laguë and Li
“It’s been just wonderful,” Li said.
As Laguë describes the master bathroom transformation on his blog about the Painted Ladies project, they kept the basic layout the same for the master bathroom. Working with Butler Armsden Architects of San Francisco, they added more space by removing a fireplace and chimney that had been part of the master bedroom.
With the additional space, they created a focal point in the room with a sculptural free-standing tub that overlooks a view of downtown San Francisco towards City Hall
The Painted Ladies home master bathroom before the Feel Good upgrade.
The Painted Ladies home master bathroom after the Feel Good upgrade.
By moving the tub, they could add add a full wall of cabinets and expand storage while maintaining a sleek appearance with undermount sinks and wall-mounted faucets. A separate water closet houses a smart toilet. Fixtures and fittings are DXV by American Standard, cabinets are Decora and floor and accent tile is from Shaw.
“The glass backsplash tile was carried into the shower and on the entire wall behind the bidet toilet, making the appearance of rain,” Laguë says. “The high end finishes of the DXV bath sink and shower faucets, plus the incredible experience of the MrSteam steam shower, make this room an absolute joy to be in!”
A History of the Painted Ladies
The row of Painted Ladies on Steiner Street in San Francisco is one of the most familiar streets in the US, featured in more than 70 movies, ads and TV shows--most notably the opening scenes of the late 1980s series “Full House.”
Builder/carpenter Matthew Kavanaugh built Laguë and Li’s five-bedroom home for himself in 1892, and then built the six additional “sisters,” all slightly smaller than the first home, and with identical floor plans. According to the research Laguë and Li did, the homes first sold for about $6,000 each. Kavanaugh sold the home in 1900, and it has changed hands about 15 times since, surviving the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes.
Renovating older homes almost always includes “surprises,” both good and bad.
>> See Dealing With The Unexpected In A Full Home And Steam Shower Remodel.
This renovation was no different in terms of unexpected delays arising from challenges unearthed behind the walls. It was a fascinating archeological process, however, and Laguë saved many of the artifacts for a display.
The nails in the image are solid steel square cut nails.
Laguë and Li were enchanted to uncover remnants of a built-in “speaking tube” that connected the bedroom to the kitchen. Clearly a technological marvel of its day, each end of the tube was covered by a whistle valve that signaled someone wanting to talk.
“We love that we could restore and update the house for modern-day living — while honoring its deep history.” Lague said. Truly a remodeling project to feel good about, all the way around.
Have you been involved in renovating an older home? What surprises did you encounter? How did you make sure your project got a true 'Feel Good' upgrade?
