He Lives in One of San Francisco's Most Famous Houses

Meet George Horsfall. He lives on 712 Steiner St, better known as the Baby Blue Painted Lady in Alamo Square. This video details what life is like inside one of San Francisco's most iconic houses.
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Resources
📌 George Horsfall on Instagram: / bluepaintedladyhousetour
📌 George Horsfall on TikTok: / bluepaintedladyhousetour
📌 Painted Ladies: San Francisco's Resplendent Victorians - / 959606.painted_ladies
🎶 Music from Epidemic Sound ➡️ share.epidemic...

[@KideoTime]

I love that someone, with a long San Francisco history, is able to live in one of The Painted Ladies. Thanks for sharing.

[@robertdunn6064]

Hello George. It's Bob Dunn. I'm glad you are doing so well. Thanks again for allowing me to use your home as the setting for one of my short stories. I live in Sacramento now. In this video I learned about your family for the first time. For those who might read my comment, George and I went to the same high school, and I swam with his older brother.

[@thatscool1550]

this is so cool!! what a small world :)

[@rick0e295]

I sincerely hope he has family members who will appreciate & continue his legacy 🙏

[@laurieallen8040]

What a lovely man and a gorgeous home.

[@worldofnuance]

Yes, indeed! You should go on his tour if you're ever in SF. It's a great experience.

[@chestyvulva]

I think the man is way more gorgeous.

[@laurieallen8040]

@@worldofnuance I live not far from the city so I will indeed visit.

[@acaring2440]

Thanks!

[@denniss5505]

I am so glad Georges mother bought this house when she did. I was a Realtor in SF in the 1990’s and represented its former owner, whom his mother purchased from, when they moved back east. This house had been loved and cared for by its former stewards since the 1980’s, when it was already one hundred years old. And like George said, this house had not been altered or tampered with like some of its neighbors. There are some redwood floor beams that are of one long continuous board, running from the front to back of the house. Due to the BayAreas climate and Redwood, there was never any termite damage or rot like most wood houses deal with. I’m so glad this house is in such good and loving hands. Bravo George and thank you World Of Nuance for sharing this with us.

[@Brendissimo1]

George is a lovely, generous person. I've been over for one of his tours with the Victorian Alliance's Christmas Party. He's the real deal.

[@joantrainor6584]

As a child in San Francisco I remember taking the bus with my mother every week and going by these houses. I had determined that I was going to have a Victorian house when I grew up. And my dream came true when we purchased a Queen Anne home in Denver's historic Lower Highland neighborhood.

[@DawnRyan-k8o]

I think George’s family history is as fascinating as the house itself, fantastic that they found each other!

[@fbarr6592]

George thank you for sharing your history and your wonderful home.

[@kelleylmiller]

Lovely man and story with such a rich history. It's so wonderful to see someone live here who truly appreciates it.

[@DawnRyan-k8o]

What a wonderful protector of history. I do hope that George has young relatives that are going to carry his torch for him.

[@nbrown8464]

I hope so too.

[@terrioestreich4007]

This video is so well made, and the gentleman is wonderful! Thank you!

[@grl9917]

We were admiring George’s house in January. We lucked out and got a parking spot on the other side of street in front of his house (not in front of his driveway! Haha) I had no idea he gave tours. Next time, for sure! He seems like a great guy. A hug from España!!

[@wmtrader]

I visited the house at 720 Steiner Street back in the late 1970s. My step grandfather knew the homeowner and he gave us a tour of his house. What struck me as a 10-year-old kid from suburban San Jose was how narrow the house was and that the hallway was on the side of the house and not down the middle of the house. The video says that they were run down in the 1970s/1980s, but I can tell you that they were in good shape in the 1970s and were famous (locally) before the book was published. What changed that area from a multi racial multiethnic neighborhood wasn't Redlining but the influx of high paid tech workers in the 1990s/2000s, resident tourist as I call them.

[@worldofnuance]

Cool thanks for sharing your experience and insight.

[@cathynewyork7918]

Not fair to call them "resident tourists" if they actually became residents.

[@williamcordell38]

Love your video. Fascinating hearing the history of the painted ladies and hearing from the owner of the light blue painted lady. Nice to see something positive about SF. ❤

[@patriciaramirez3139]

GEORGE IS SO NICE AND THE HOUSE IS BEAUTIFUL.

[@kateg7298]

I love the Painted Ladies. They were done by one architect and the detail in them and the craftsmanship are amazing. I grew up in that area and it was wonderful to see them over 30 years and how the owners changed little details and paint. They're such an iconic part of San Francisco.

[@alethalovato3300]

George is such a lovely man. I love history, and seeing this house and hearing about its history was amazing. Thank you.

[@worldofnuance]

Thank you for watching and leaving a comment, Aletha!

[@DEIDREROG]

Wow! His mom was a teacher and she bought one of these beautiful houses. Incredible absolutely amazing historical story about all the collected items saved from his family all those years in storage. Yes, we came to watch the video because of his house but we definitely left appreciating this wonderful man.

[@jfarinacci0329]

Good topic. Good time to review this well known landmark. Thank you John Santiago for this inspirational video.

[@worldofnuance]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@nancyhillard6456]

The corner house was where they filmed Mrs. Doubtfire.

[@HollyTexasProud]

Yes I commented that as well

[@krystaylor1313]

I thought so!

[@bobdurna3588]

I stumbled across this video…and am so glad I did. When I saw these homes years ago I wondered about who lives in them. This video partially answers that question. Both the home and George are so charming. Watching was a delightful way to spend 18 minutes. Thank you for making this.

[@Cobbmtngirl]

He forgot the large Italian presence. My great grandmother immigrated from Italy to this neighborhood where my grandfather was born & raised. Great grandfather passed away from flu while the children were young. This community helped them out immensely. Times were different them.

[@MicheleMaliano-t9c]

Northern California has a huge Italian presence. So much so that it may not be mentioned because it’s a given.

[@retrovelcro]

I liked hearing about his story, especially since his family has lived there for multiple generations. I lived there as a child and had extended family there after we moved, so we'd visit frequently every month. Even though the city has had/is having some rough times, there's still a charm to the city. It's history is rich and the arts/culture there is cool to experience.

[@worldofnuance]

Yeah I agree. SF is still rough in certain parts, but places like Alamo Square great to visit.

[@xrrrismickey]

It's a shame what it's like today because it was a world class beauty

[@meximlt59]

What a lovely home and a lovely homeowner. 😊

[@AdamDoesNotExist]

Such a good video, Jon! This is an iconic place that so many people have passing familiarity with. But this deeper story is incredible to see.

[@Nigelrathbone1]

Fuul House family of course

[@worldofnuance]

Appreciate that Adam!

[@user-bi8rz5ci1m]

Lucky man! Good for him.

[@davidkennerly]

I used to live a block away on Steiner some forty years ago. It's a lovely neighborhood that I always take visitors to see.

[@susanh1447]

My daughter lived on Steiner for a while. The owner, an elderly lady, lived upstairs. The place looked great from the outside but it was quite run down. The old woman died and the relatives, who my daughter had never seen before, swarmed in and renovated it.

[@suecox2308]

He's such an interesting guy and gracious host--with a beautiful home and a fascinating family history in that fascinating city.

[@beehappyalways]

Wonderful story. I always wondered about those beautiful “Painted Ladies”.

[@bradfordbarrettluckotheIrish]

Lived and worked many years in the garage business in SF, loved this video.

[@worldofnuance]

Awesome, thank you for watching Bradford!

[@opera93]

Thanks, interesting overviews… We fell in love with SAN FRANCISCO, on a trip (four days, plus ?) in 1986…….

[@BillyLapTop]

Great video! Wonderful insights into San Francisco's iconic properties.

[@shereemoon]

Grateful for your sharing this lovely story!

[@jscottmills1539]

Back in 1998, I was able to be a guest of a friend who once lived in San Francisco, but at the time Berkeley. He was so gracious in taking me around the city to see the sights. Imagine the afternoon when he took me to Alamo without mentioning the Painted Ladies. Once I saw them, I felt as though I had stepped through the looking glass, for to me they were one of the city's most iconic features. I'll never forget sitting on the lawn across the street...and just taking in their beauty and the history behind them.

[@nbrown8464]

How lucky you were! 😊

[@nataliachartier6986]

What a great storyteller. I loved George ! Thank you for this video

[@erinmiller8387]

You are a gracious human, George. ❤

[@lizaburgos]

Lived in Sf practically all my life and this is the first time I’ve heard about this tour. Will definitely visit soon. Great video.

[@LaurenceDay-d2p]

Beautiful old homes! They should build more like them!

[@cathynewyork7918]

How can they go back 100 years and build more old Victorian houses? Time travel??

[@LaurenceDay-d2p]

@@cathynewyork7918 The blueprints are available to any architect. Queen Anne was a beautiful architectural style. (I said build more LIKE them).

[@cathynewyork7918]

@@LaurenceDay-d2p Queen Anne architect style is very slightly different from Victorian, it's a bit more "lacy" although they are very similar. The Victorians are slightly more simple, and I like them better.

[@GingerNinja1]

Always wondered about those homes! What a cool story & incredible home! So glad he wanted to share his story! Thanks.

[@donttouchmysilver8202]

Just zooms over to some of his family stuff, including a $1 million Tiffany lamp. Love this guy

[@mylesgarcia4625]

Hi John. Thanks for doing this video. Good one. Thanks for sharing. Might do the tour one day.

[@davids.4175]

Lived near there when I was in my twenties, thought "meh." Looking at it now at 59, I think "wow!"

[@janetr5929]

What a special tour. Born and raised in the Bay Area, I’ve seen the Painted Ladies. What a privilege to own one of these treasures. Thank you for sharing your home and your knowledge.❤ it’s a beautiful home. I love that your mom went after her dream home and made it happen.

[@helensmith7177]

I wish I had visited there after seeing this video. I visited S.F. Several years ago when my daughter asked me to travel to Calif. with her for a medical convention. She went off to the convention all day and I went out exploring. I totally remember walking past these houses as well as sitting in the park across the street and taking photos of the houses. If I remember correctly I believe one of them was having some kind of construction going on at the time.

[@howardarch]

Great show! The owner is such a great speaker and story teller. I have worked on several historic projects. Each has its own story. Yours is a very memorable one.

[@Running4Daze]

My close friend and I just spent an afternoon in SF last week, and of course the Painted Ladies area was high on the list of must sees-that n dnr in Chinatown :) Such a beautiful area with a wonderful park across the street from these homes. So many people enjoying the day and taking pictures while we were there that day- talk about a perfect memory:) Thanks to the residents for sharing ur neighborhood and putting up with us tourists ❤❤❤

[@SantaRosaKat]

This is such an awesome video. I just happened upon it as a recommended and I love it George you and that house are made for one another. I was there not long ago, even though I’m a Santa Rosa native it was my first time seeing the painted ladies. I parked across the street and sat in the park for about an hour just soaking it all in. I wish you many years of health and happiness and good times in your house. Blessings abound. 🌺 thank you for your mini generosities and sharing.

[@maryhurst4663]

Always knew them as Painted Ladies. Closet I’ve been was to picnic in the park across the street.

[@amiw9339]

I really enjoyed this pleasant experience… thank you for doing amazing coverage of your tour …. Absolutely stunning WSJ 😉

[@modernone9276]

I really enjoyed this video! The furnishings and design are impeccable. Thank you to George for sharing this fascinating house and it's history!

[@jeffwynings3782]

I have no idea how or why this came up in my feed, but I'm sure glad it did. What a wonderful interview and he seems like a decent person. Thank you for uploading this.

[@1710justine]

One of my (and my late mom's) dreams is to own a victorian-esque house this beautiful. How wonderful he kept all his family treasures.

[@jackiestewart3651]

George is such a generous man and a great story teller 😊

[@Acadian_Proud]

Thank you for sharing this with us!

[@suebraschio6763]

As I'm reading the comments I think some of them think his family lived in this house , apparently you did not hear his mom bought it in the early 2000's , the artifacts and furniture and such in his house are his family's .. nice vid It was quite interesting thank you 😊

[@pjt3887]

Hi George, I love the Painted Ladies. Grew up being a huge fan from the first time I saw them in photos. God bless you for sharing your home with us. I remember when they were apartments. They Painted Ladies need to be spared. You shouldn't be allowed to change anything! Without significant oversight by San Francisco historical society.

[@sorij3560]

Thank you for the tour of your unique, lovely home. I’ve visited this neighborhood multiple times and I always wonder about the lighting in these homes being so close together.

[@marysmyth8288]

Have so loved the story History of this wonderful home Myself born in Ireland , There was so much beautiful sharing , so resonated With my Heart❤ Mary Vancouver Canada 🇨🇦

[@KrensRTS06]

He seems like he is having fun and embracing the situation. Such a lovely man❤

[@epicsseven7686]

720 Steiner is the house where the movie 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' was used during 1978. It's one of my favorite sci-fi thrillers movies. The house that actress Brooke Adams's character resided in.

[@HollyTexasProud]

And Steiner Street is the same used in Mrs. Doubtfire

[@lotusdolphin]

Came by this accidentally. John, I really really enjoyed it. What a lovely man in the painted lady is absolutely stunning. Really enjoyed this thank you. From LIZ in Northern California.

[@user-et7sp3hd4x]

That was fascinating to learn about something so unique and close to home, I definitely want a tour of the home!!! Thank you so much for sharing 😊

[@MB-pr1eo]

Beautiful story. Thank you for the video.

[@dianecopas1471]

Loved this story! Thanks for sharing!

[@dheveroh]

informative!! I love history & have always wondered about this story. Another great video Jonathan!

[@worldofnuance]

Thanks for watching Desiree!

[@brendamathieu1069]

George, you have a truly lovely historic house!!!

[@djhg84]

I saw em in a social study textbook when I was a kid. Back then I saw clips of, 'full house' and saw them again. I finally saw em when I visited SFO.

[@suerussell497]

Thank you sir. So very interesting, heartwarming and delightful is the story of his home. Thank you for sharing with the world.

[@nbrown8464]

Thank you for posting this! And to George, your mother was beautiful. At 7:46, I saw pictures of a pretty little girl and thought that had to be his Mom. And I imagine that Shirley Temple doll was hers. Beautiful home, inside and out!!! Thank you John for the tour. ❤️💙❤️💙

[@YesItsMeGuys68]

George comes across as a sincerely beautiful man .

[@carsforgio]

Beautiful story, a legacy and love

[@dtwelve89]

Such an awesome video John!

[@worldofnuance]

Hey, thanks for watching Danny!

[@steves9905]

wow...that is a way more positive experience living in one of the most famous houses in the country than expected. I would have thought it to be a tiresome chore, and best left to someone who could afford to leave the house vacant. the reality is so much nicer...and George seems like a peach.

[@worldofnuance]

Yeah Steve, he really embraces all the opportunities it brings about in his life. Good for him to open his doors and share his house with the world!

[@rosynomad5263]

❤ is wonderful to appreciate a family heritage

[@JMc.D]

Sitting in my house in Cork Ireland right now! Sounds like he definitely had a great sense of humour.

[@Hof79905]

How in the world is it possible to build houses 1 inch apart from each other.

[@sclogse1]

I've been in one of them. The owner had a collection of player pianos. Great sounds!

[@MrBigislandguy]

Lived in San Francisco in the 1970's. Best time of my life.

[@ChristynaPatterson]

you should try to see if the people that own the house that the tv show Charmed used for all the outside shots. The Innes House 1329 Carroll Ave. Los Angeles, CA

[@jlongino51823]

This was a treat. ❤

[@suzukibn1131]

Fantastic video! Love your format of not being the center of attention-the subject is!!!

[@djspike969fm]

People will now go to see the house & GEORGE!

[@Thundercloud25]

Thank you for making this very interesting video

[@paisleypeach44]

I’ll bet the upkeep is enormous.

[@julievanderleest]

Am I the only one singing the Full House theme song in my head as I’m watching this?😂. I have always wondered what they were like inside. This guy’s house looks nothing like I pictured. While I’m not surprised, I always let my imagination wonder about it.😊 Awesome video!

[@krystaylor1313]

So Im not wrong in thinking that they showed these houses in the opening of fullhouse?

[@julievanderleest]

@@krystaylor1313 not at all. These are the houses from the scene of Full House.

[@Thundercloud25]

George has a lot of interesting facts.I am glad he hasn’t remolded the historical inside.

[@thatscool1550]

this is on an xbox game called watch dogs 2 and as a 40 something year old that has never been to southern Cali... this was really cool! i think video games really can teach us stuff... and show us places we cannot get to visit. interesting how things work out. thank you for opening your home George. I would love to hear more about your mother and family. such a fascinating history!! cheers

[@katysummer9418]

Great house, guy and story.

[@acquanellaogbemudia9930]

Beautiful Home ❤❤❤

[@Lulu-kt6gr]

Great video. I think your settings have washed out the color however. Just add back saturation and the colors will be more vibrant. The video is overexposed.

[@djhg84]

Thank for sharing

[@karencrecco2922]

What a sweet story!

[@toniadugger3954]

❤ thank you 🎉

[@janetcarbone4213]

Lovely story❤

[@dre4011]

Another famous 700 block San Francisco home... ❤.....710 Ashbury.....❤

[@CherylFreeman-bf9rj]

Thankyou very interesting

[@chestyvulva]

Handsome bear! Dang, he's beautiful.

[@cheryldodd-marko9787]

Thank you 🕊🇺🇲💕