"Oh, gods of surprise and joy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

You're driving around San Francisco, seeing all of those Victorians with their brackets, "spoked" gable ornaments, crazy paint jobs, "Stick" this and "Italianate" that.  It gets just plain oppressive, if you know what I mean. 

And then peeking out is the relief....a well-placed and welcome permastone, two-flat wonder breaking up the monotony and saying exuberantly to its neighbors, "Look at me!"

280-282 Jersey Street

Those crisp details at the base of the stairs catch your eye and lead you up, up, up....to the sky floating above the engaging facade.  I paused after taking these photographs, amazed at my luck, and thankful to the anonymous artist who created this masterwork.

 Eyes into the soul of permastone.

In some instances, beauty MAY be only skin deep....

but what a beautiful skin this is!

Clement Street between 15th and 16th Avenues

Craigslist upstaged

We love Craigslist, and, for that matter, Craig. 
Craig and his crew have operated out of a modest house in the Inner Sunset for years.  In spite of the success of Craigslist.org, think of what they could have achieved had they occupied a fine example of San Francisco permastone.

The real treasure of this block -- albeit somewhat marred by unsightly asphalt shingles -- is just three doors down the street on 9th Avenue between Irving and Judah.

A surprising treat (and a bit hard to see since the construction of a building next door) is this delicate treatment of an open-sided porch.

Flowers and permastone....bellisimi!

Row is a row is a row

London has its terraces, Philadelphia has its rowhouses....

but neither has this row of six houses showing bold innovation while adhering to a framework of elements -- arched entryways, centered bays on the second floor, and two windows on the third floor -- that unite.

Of course, the whole is enhanced by the one house clad in permastone.

 

California Street between 7th and 8th Avenues

Shingle-'stone style

2

2400 Block 21st Avenue

San Francisco's permastone excellence influences design in Half Moon Bay

Wow...permastone is so versatile! We made a special trip to Lemos Farm to see this beauty.

With permastone, even little houses look majestic

2500 Block of 21st Avenue