You Might Not Know Your Painted Lady Facts — The Bold Italic — San Francisco

By Kimberly Gomes

Many San Franciscans think the phrase “Painted Ladies” is synonymous with the Seven Sisters over on Steiner Street, a famous block featured in the opening credits of Full House. This natural association leaves many locals thinking a Painted Lady is strictly limited to these colorful Victorians across from Alamo Square Park. After noticing this confusion in the comments of a recent TBI article, I decided to clear up the gray area with a little blast from the past.

Despite popular belief, the term “Painted Ladies” actually refers to any Victorian or Edwardian-styled building painted with three or more colors to enhance its architectural and angular details. So, when can you use the phrase ‘a Painted Lady?’ Well, pretty much any time you see a Victorian building painted with three or more colors.

It’s true, Steiner Street’s ‘Postcard Row’ houses the most famous of the bunch. However, these historic homes are hardly limited to Alamo Square. Other areas throughout San Francisco, like The Haight, house their fair share of brightly painted beauties. These attractive properties can also be found in nearby cities like Berkeley and Sacramento, with others stretching as far as Texas and New Jersey.

While these Victorian homes were built from the mid 1800’s to early 1900’s, the term wasn’t born until 1978 when Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen’s published their book, Painted Ladies: San Francisco’s Resplendent Victorians. Since then, locals have affectionately embraced the name; and on occasion use it to reference other distinctly painted residences like Nebraska Street’s “Shoebox Houses” noted today on SFGate.

So, when it comes down to it, Matthew Kavanaugh’s Seven Sisters will undoubtedly remain San Francisco’s most adored series of Painted Ladies. Yet, for the sake of random trivia, it’s good to know the phrase stretches far beyond Steiner Street and into many other neighborhoods — just one of the many reasons to love our charming little city.

Photo of Lego Painted Ladies by Mark T.

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