We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with friend and colleague Gary Beyrouti to discuss his restoration of an 1895 Queen Anne Victorian located at 925 Fulton. Our goal? To learn what it takes to perform a historical restoration, what challenges one can run into, and what lessons he learned from the overall project. Gary’s experience should be able to help readers who are contemplating similar projects, and at the very least, provide an incredible tale of this labor of love. Buckle up, because you’re not going to believe the details involved.
The story begins in 2003, when Gary and his partner purchased a dilapidated Victorian located in San Francisco’s Alamo Square historical district. At the time, the home was the ugliest on the block. Gary laughed as he recalled entering the home for the first time “…the home had no kitchen, no garage, and had not been lived in for many years. There was no wall by the staircase, and for some reason there was a bath tub sitting in the middle of the dining room.” But what Gary saw that day was a work of art… a piece of San Francisco history that had so much potential, if only it could be brought back to life.
BEFORE - 925 Fulton as it stood in 2003
What Gary would embark upon was a multi-year project, one in which he would live on the top floor of the home while work was performed throughout the rest. Once the lower levels were finished, he would move downstairs and then finish the top floor. Gary’s goal was to
