When a contemporary designer overhauls his grandparents’ Victorian, the result is a mix of old, new and everything in between.
Think of this house as a hot rod,” says Norman Petersen of his 1905 Noe Valley Victorian. “The exterior is original, so it looks exactly as it did when my grandparents lived here, but inside there’s a modern, 21st-century drivetrain.”
For Petersen, this fusion of old and new was the only way to adapt the century-old house to the needs of his active and artistic family. “I have always intensely disliked Victorian houses,” says the architectural and furniture designer, who prefers a more streamlined style.
