Yerba Avenue

Built in 1896, Yerba Avenue is not merely a house — it is a piece of San Francisco history. A Spanish Colonial Revival standing on one of the city's most coveted hillside streets, this home carried 129 years of stories within its walls: the arched windows that once framed a different skyline, the terracotta tiles that had weathered a century of fog and sun, the ironwork entry gate that greeted generations of families.

When Homee Renovation took on this project, the charge was clear and uncompromising: honor every inch of what made this home extraordinary, while rebuilding it entirely for the way people live today. No shortcuts. No approximations. A full gut renovation — inside and out — executed over ten months with the precision and care this landmark deserved.

"The goal was never to make it look new. The goal was to make it feel like it had always been this beautiful — as if the house had simply been waiting for the right hands."

The exterior was stripped back to its bones and rebuilt with intention. The original white stucco façade was fully restored, the terracotta roof tiles replaced with period-correct materials, and the signature arched windows — a defining feature of the Spanish Colonial style — were reframed in steel to carry their historic silhouette into the next century. At dusk, the home glows from within like a lantern on the hillside.

Inside, the transformation is equally breathtaking. The kitchen is now a chef's sanctuary: custom full-height cabinetry in warm white and natural oak, a marble waterfall island of extraordinary scale, brass pendant lights that echo the home's original hardware, and a professional range flanked by a custom plaster hood. Every detail was sourced through Homee's wholesale dealer network — the same materials that would cost a homeowner retail prices were delivered at contractor cost, without compromise on quality.

The formal dining room may be the most photographed space in the house. Six arched windows — fully restored and reglazed — wrap the room in light from three sides, turning every meal into an event. A live-edge walnut table anchors the space; the room needs nothing more.

The primary suite occupies the entire upper floor, a private world of calm above the city. The spa bathroom features a freestanding soaking tub positioned beneath a skylight, heated marble floors, and custom vanities in brushed brass and honed stone. The bedroom itself is quiet and warm, with custom millwork, white oak floors, and windows that frame the San Francisco hills like a painting.

Throughout the home, Homee's in-house design team made decisions that lesser renovations would have left to chance: the precise tone of the stucco, the exact width of the oak floorboards, the weight of the crown molding, the finish of every piece of hardware. These are the choices that separate a renovation from a restoration — and a restoration from a work of art.

Yerba Avenue is now, without question, one of the finest homes in San Francisco. It is a testament to what becomes possible when deep craft, wholesale material access, and genuine love for a building come together under one roof.