Pac Heights

Pac Heights is a minimalist home located in San Francisco, United States, designed by Innen Studio with architecture by Rae & Heath Architects and styling by Austin Whittle. Victorian architecture presents a particular challenge in contemporary adaptation – the ornamental language that defined 19th-century domesticity often conflicts with modern spatial needs and living patterns. This project navigates that tension by treating historical detail not as museum preservation but as foundational grammar for layered intervention, drawing unexpected resonance between San Francisco’s Painted Lady typology and the restrained elegance of Georgian London townhomes.

The 11-foot ceilings and period mouldings established clear parameters – any intervention had to acknowledge the vertical drama and decorative framework inherent to the Victorian vocabulary. Rather than stark contemporary insertion, the approach introduces English sensibility through material restraint and tailored proportions. This cross-pollination between American Victorian exuberance and British refinement creates dialogue between ornament and composure, allowing the home to function for contemporary family life while maintaining architectural integrity.

Reconfiguration focused on circulation and room relationships, addressing the compartmentalized nature typical of Victorian planning. Walls were selectively removed to improve flow while preserving the rhythm of formal and informal spaces that gives these houses their character. The ceiling height, often overwhelming in poorly executed renovations, becomes an asset through careful furniture scale and placement – pieces are substantial enough to anchor the volume without competing with the architectural envelope.

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