History / Inspiration
The Bay Area's famous Victorians have already been through plenty of transformations. At first, the mass-produced, brightly-colored buildings horrified some locals, who considered their gaudy paint jobs to be "uncouth." Over time, many of the original homes were torn down, and in the 1940s, most of the remaining Victorians were painted a drab "battleship grey" with leftover Navy paint.
In the 1960s, the old houses were transformed again. A San Francisco artist named Butch Kardum painted his house in a blue and green scheme, and the colorful trend swept through the neighborhood. In 2007, mural artist Sirron Norris reimagined another Victorian transformer — with the painted ladies joined together into a high-tech defender of the Mission. Norris's original "Victorion" mural can be found amongst the murals of SF's Balmy Alley, and in the imaginations of Bay natives worldwide.
About the designer
