Cover Designed by Jonathan Rachman, the home exudes elegance and luxury that he describes as “Victorian Reimagined,” each with a distinct personality while maintaining a cohesive, character-rich atmosphere
Designed by Jonathan Rachman, the home exudes elegance and luxury that he describes as “Victorian Reimagined,” each with a distinct personality while maintaining a cohesive, character-rich atmosphere
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Interior designer Jonathan Rachman transforms a 19th-century Victorian home in Pacific Heights into a richly layered retreat with English and French influences
Few cities in the world possess a surviving collection of Victorian-era houses as extensive as that of San Francisco, California. Built largely between the mid-19th century and 1915, these homes have developed a distinct local character that sets them apart from Victorian architecture in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
Beyond the quintessential bay windows that define many Victorian homes around the world, and the highly polychromatic façades exemplified by the iconic Painted Ladies, what distinguishes the Victorian architecture here is its widespread use of timber-frame construction.
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Above The three-storey Victorian home in Pacific Heights is believed to date back to 1870
The three-storey Victorian home in Pacific Heights is believed to date back to 1870
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At the time, timber was both abundant and relatively inexpensive, giving rise to streets lined with finely crafted wooden residences. The material lends the city streetscapes a lighter and more delicate character than their British counterparts, where brick, stone and terracotta predominated.
Timber construction also proved particularly well suited to the Golden City’s seismic conditions. During the devastating 1906 earthquake, many wooden-frame Victorian homes demonstrated a degree of flexibility that masonry structures lacked, helping them withstand the disaster while numerous brick and stone buildings were destroyed.
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Above The entrance hall lined with antique French black-and-white cement tiles
Above A design and style that reflects the homeowner’s personality and lifestyle
The entrance hall lined with antique French black-and-white cement tiles
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Among these surviving residences is a three-storey Victorian home in Pacific Heights, believed to date back to 1870.
The homeowner divides her time between this residence and a country home located roughly an hour and a half away.
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Seeking a complete renovation and expansion, the Salesforce executive enlisted Indonesian designer Jonathan Rachman to reimagine the home, “not only to update it, but to upgrade it, with a design and style that reflects her personality, and also supports the practicality and functionality of her lifestyle,” shares the self-described “Balifornian” designer.
Above The formal living room anchored by a bay window
Above A signature Jonathan Rachman bay-window bench
The formal living room anchored by a bay window
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Above A mix of custom, vintage and antique furnishings
Above Verdant Lee Jofa wallpaper decorates the space
A mix of custom, vintage and antique furnishings
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Rachman recalls their first meeting at the site over afternoon tea, served in an eclectic assortment of antique teacups and saucers. Though no two pieces matched, the designer noticed that together they formed a surprisingly cohesive tableau.
“It is very clear to me that we both are anglophile and francophile and have similar appreciation of style in interior and fashion as well as arts,” says the San Francisco-based designer, who describes their collaboration as a “marriage made in heaven.”
Above Each space has a distinct personality while maintaining a cohesive, character-rich atmosphere
Each space has a distinct personality while maintaining a cohesive, character-rich atmosphere
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Over tea, they compared notes on their shared obsessions with antiques, vintage furniture and decorative objects–conversations that continued long after the project was completed.
“All these various elements of style, colours from her porcelains and her sense of personal style in her outfits and accessories instantly become my inspirations [for this project],” he adds.
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Above The formal dining room with custom de Gournay wallcoverings and gilded ribbon detailing
The formal dining room with custom de Gournay wallcoverings and gilded ribbon detailing
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Above Separated by a portière is a sun room previously added by the homeowner
Above The chartreuse-coloured wet bar designed with the charm of a traditional English bar
Separated by a portière is a sun room previously added by the homeowner
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One of Rachman’s favourite projects to date, the 3,000-sq-ft residence–expanded from its original 2,190 sq ft–exudes elegance and luxury, a sensibility Rachman describes as “Victorian Reimagined.”
While at first glance the interiors may appear maximalist, each space possesses a distinct personality, with every detail thoughtfully curated to maintain a cohesive, character-rich atmosphere–carefully orchestrated to suit the home’s architectural character while reflecting the homeowner’s lifestyle and love of entertaining.
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The kitchen houses a custom hood and bespoke cabinetry
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The expansion introduced a new living area in the street-levelled “basement.” Here, a two-car garage, mechanical and storage rooms, and a mudroom share the additional square footage with a dog spa area enveloped in cheerful Thibaut garden wallpaper, as well as a media room that doubles as a guest suite complete with its own bathroom.
Accessible via a staircase from street level, the main floor opens with an entrance hall lined with antique French black-and-white cement tiles from Exquisite Surfaces, leading into interiors layered with custom, vintage and antique furnishings, many sourced from Chairish and the J Rachman Collection.
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This includes the formal living room, anchored by a bay window and adjoining library, where Lee Jofa wallpaper decorates the space, alongside a vintage Murano glass chandelier, a signature Jonathan Rachman bay-window bench, a vintage Italian coffee table and a custom sofa by Coup D’Etat San Francisco.
Above The kitchen opens directly onto the backyard with a garden
The kitchen opens directly onto the backyard with a garden
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Above Rachman oversaw every detail of the design, from the front yard to the backyard
Above A perfect setting to entertain guests and long conversations over afternoon tea
Rachman oversaw every detail of the design, from the front yard to the backyard
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The formal dining room features custom de Gournay wallcoverings depicting hand-painted English scenery, with gilded ribbon detailing draped across the corniced ceiling; while the kitchen–housing a custom hood, bespoke cabinetry and a built-in breakfast banquette–opens directly onto the backyard with a garden.
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Wedged between the two spaces and separated by a portière is a sun room previously added by the homeowner. Once, in Rachman’s words, a “drab, boring room with a giant clear sun roof, and a large frame of either an old doorway or a mirror,” the space inspired him to reconceive it as an unconventional extension of the dining experience.
“It could be an extension of her kitchen, or it could be something even more fantastic,” he elaborates.
The mudroom and dog spa area, enveloped in cheerful Thibaut garden wallpaper
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Designed with the charm of a traditional English bar, the built-in wet bar features a chartreuse ceiling soffit and walls hand-painted by a painter in the same colour palette, complementing the lattice-patterned upholstery of the dining chairs beyond.
Reminiscent of a classic English pub, the custom millwork is finished in a high-gloss lacquer and fitted with ‘caged liquor’ doors, alongside a copper countertop and display cubbies.
“The two-in-one room has become the jewel box of the house, and the talk of every visitor who has been lucky enough to be included in her parties,” Rachman quips.
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Above One of the guest bedrooms in soothing blues with a tented aesthetic
Above Bold without being loud, romantic without being schmaltzy
One of the guest bedrooms in soothing blues with a tented aesthetic
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Finally, occupying the top floor are the private quarters. Although the home was originally configured with four bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms, the owner converted one of the bedrooms into a personal parlour positioned between the primary suite and bath, wrapped in English-style chintz wallpaper and Schumacher fabric.
Meanwhile, the remaining rooms comprise a guest bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and a media room finished in Celerie Kemble studded wallpaper.
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Above The personal parlour wrapped in English-style chintz wallpaper and Schumacher fabric
Above Positioned next to the parlour is the primary bathroom in tinges of blush pink
The personal parlour wrapped in English-style chintz wallpaper and Schumacher fabric
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Above The primary bedroom suite in romantic blush pink
Above The primary suite is equipped with a walk-in closet
The primary bedroom suite in romantic blush pink
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“While I never intended to go full blown Victorian era interior, this does not mean I am hesitant in using bold patterns and colours,” Rachman concludes. “It’s bold without being loud, romantic without being schmaltzy–where more is never enough yet.”
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Credits
Photography: Courtesy of Jonathan Rachman
Celeste Goh is a senior writer covering architecture and design. Based in Malaysia, she reports on emerging architectural and home design trends, as well as insights by local and international architects and interior designers.
Previously, she covered men’s lifestyle, fashion, music and entertainment.
