Environmentally Friendly House Remodel

The remodeled kitchen and garden of a San Francisco Victorian home.

Photography by Thomas J. Story; styling by Miranda Jones

A new backyard ― on the roof

For many couples with children, the desire for a spacious backyard forces them to leave the city. Not so for San Franciscans Reed and Jennifer Gosselin.

Architect pal Jonathan Feldman helped them replace part of their Victorian’s top floor with a green space, opening up the interior to light, views, and family-friendly flow.

Plus "it's a super-eco project," says Feldman, pointing out the reused cabinets and flooring, the solar photovoltaic array, and radiant floor heating.

The home's kitchen, prior to the remodel.

Photography by Thomas J. Story; styling by Miranda Jones

Before: Cramped breakfast nook

Cramped rooms on the house's third floor, including this eating area, were removed to make way for open living spaces and garden.

The renovation reduced the house's total square footage from 3,700 to 2,997 ― an eco-friendly move.

“It’s sometimes hard to see the potential, but the house has exceeded our expectations,” says Reed.

The remodeled living and dining space of a Victorian home.

Photography by Thomas J. Story; styling by Miranda Jones

After: Creating a view

Now new windows and a glazed pivot door open up the family room and eating area.

The roof's tall railing has frosted glass panels to protect privacy and open sections to frame city views.

Landscape: Loretta Gargan, San Francisco (415/850-5482)

Builder: Lorax Development/KLM Builders, Inc., San Francisco (415/264-4428)

The house's floorplans, both before and after the renovation.

Floor plan: Before & after

Cramped rooms on the house’s third floor (left, above) became open living spaces and a 540-square-foot roof garden (left, below).

The staircase of a Victorian home prior to be remodeled.

Photography by Thomas J. Story; styling by Miranda Jones

Before: A dreary stairwell

Typical of Victorian-era townhouses, the original stairwell was dark and confining.

The remodeled staircase of a Victorian home.

Photography by Thomas J. Story; styling by Miranda Jones

After: Bring in natural light

Now, the Gosselins enjoy a more open landing and new skylights, along with open stair risers and a glass foyer wall.

The remodeled kitchen of a Victorian home.

Photography by Thomas J. Story; styling by Miranda Jones

Soften a modern edge

Colorful backsplash tiles contribute a mix of whimsy and history.

The Iznik design (annsacks.com) is based on 16th-century Turkish originals.

The kitchen also features eco-friendly cast-stone countertops and reclaimed wood floors and cabinets.

A less expensive alternative to the tiles used in this kitchen remodel.

Photography by Thomas J. Story; styling by Miranda Jones

The look for less: square deal

Turn to Turkish tile for colorful flair, as in this handmade piece called Constantinople ($24 each; sintraantiquetiles.com or 305/856-3828).

The remodeled dining room of a Victorian home.

Photography by Thomas J. Story; styling by Miranda Jones

Encourage flow

With the old interior walls taken away, traffic and light move easily from room to room.

To keep things looking airy, Feldman installed overhead cabinets with textured glass doors between the kitchen and dining room; the cabinets can be accessed from either area.

An inexpensive alternative to the pendant light used in this Victorian renovation.

Photography by Thomas J. Story; styling by Miranda Jones

The look for less: Clearly modern

Add light without blocking the view with the multilevel Firefly pendant lamp ($199; cb2.com or 800/606-6252).

A blue and white living room in a remodeled Victorian home.

Photos by Thomas J. Story, styling by Miranda Jones

Pull it together

The living room, located at the front of the house, retains its original window bay.

For the soothing blue furnishings and accents, interior designer Lisa Lougee (415/252-1100) drew inspiration from the nearby kitchen backsplash.

An inexpensive alternative to the blue armchairs in this remodeled Victorian home.

Photography by Thomas J. Story; styling by Miranda Jones

The look for less: Into the blue

Anchor a crisp navy- and-white decorating scheme with a pair of streamlined armchairs. Klappsta chair with Nyarp white/Sanne blue/black cover ($199; ikea.com).

Eco-friendly Victorian remodel

A new backyard ― on the roof

Before: Cramped breakfast nook

After: Creating a view

Floor plan: Before & after

Before: A dreary stairwell

After: Bring in natural light

Soften a modern edge

The look for less: square deal

Encourage flow

The look for less: Clearly modern

Pull it together

The look for less: Into the blue