Quick answer: The most documented San Francisco Painted Ladies palette (710-720 Steiner Street, facing Alamo Square) runs Benjamin Moore Cement Gray HC-104 body, Sage Brush 502 trim, Heritage Red HC-181 accent, Powell Buff HC-35 sash highlight and Ashland Slate 1608 on shutters and bargeboards. In 2026, three SF Victorian schemes dominate: the classic multi-color Painted Lady, a modern muted greige with two-color trim and a bold contemporary purple-cream-gold accent palette. All three need fog- and salt-graded exterior formulations (Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior or Dunn-Edwards Evershield) to survive 14 months of coastal microclimate without chalking. Test any combination free on a photo of your own SF Victorian in 30 seconds.
No US city is more identified with Victorian color than San Francisco. The row of seven Italianate-Stick houses at 710 through 720 Steiner Street, photographed from across Alamo Square with the Transamerica Pyramid behind them, has been on more postcards, fridge magnets and opening shots of Full House than any other group of homes in America. But the famous Painted Ladies are only one slice of the SF Victorian story. The city kept building wood-frame, multi-bay, gingerbread-trimmed houses from the 1880s through the 1920s, across Italianate, Stick, Queen Anne and Edwardian substyles, in a footprint that survived the 1906 fire west of Van Ness Avenue. Today around 14,000 wood Victorians still stand inside city limits, most of them painted in either a five- to seven-color heritage scheme, a modern muted greige update or a bold contemporary remix.
This guide gives you the actual Painted Ladies Steiner Street formulations in current Benjamin Moore codes, three working SF Victorian schemes you can copy onto your own facade, the fog-and-salt formulation picks that survive a Pacific Heights winter, and a summary of the SF Planning Code Articles 10 and 11 rules that apply if your house sits inside a designated historic district. For the broader national Victorian palette across Cape May, Saratoga Springs and Eureka, see our roundup of the top 15 Victorian house exterior paint colors for 2026. For full pricing on a six-color SF repaint, see our exterior painting cost San Francisco 2026 guide.
Upload a photo of your SF Victorian and test a five- to seven-color Painted Lady scheme in under a minute.
A short history of San Francisco Victorians, 1880s through 1920s
San Francisco's Victorian housing boom started in the late 1870s as the Comstock Lode silver money rolled west and the city annexed the Western Addition. Builders ran four substyles back to back, often on the same block. Italianate (roughly 1865 to 1880) is the oldest survivor, with flat or slanted bay windows, slim cornice brackets, hood mouldings over slim sash windows and a square overall mass. The 710-720 Steiner Street houses are technically Italianate transitioning into Stick. Stick (1880 to 1890) added vertical and horizontal banding, applied wood "sticks" outlining structural rhythm and a steeper false-front pediment. Queen Anne (1885 to 1905) brought turrets, witch's hats, shingle bands, asymmetric massing and the richest gingerbread of any SF substyle. Edwardian (1901 to about 1915) is the simplest and most numerous post-1906-fire reconstruction style, with bay windows, classical columns, restrained trim and far less ornament than its Victorian ancestors.
Almost none of these houses were painted in the multi-color Painted Lady palette when they were built. The original Victorian SF palette ran three colors maximum: a stone-gray or cream body, a brown or olive trim and a deep green sash. The bold multi-color repaints date to 1963, when artist Butch Kardum repainted his own Noe Valley Italianate in saturated blues and greens, the press picked it up and within five years the "Colorist Movement" was sweeping the Western Addition. By 1978, when journalists Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen coined the term "Painted Ladies" in their book of the same name, around 16,000 SF Victorians had been repainted in three or more colors. The Steiner Street row was repainted by colorist Bob Buckter (a.k.a. "Dr. Color") in 1978 in close to its current scheme, and has been touched up roughly every 12 to 15 years since.
The Painted Ladies Steiner Street palette in current Benjamin Moore codes
The Steiner Street row is not a single palette. Each of the seven houses (710, 712, 714, 716, 718, 720 and the slightly later 722) carries a five- to seven-color scheme that rotates the same five base colors into different body/trim/accent positions. The base palette, translated into current Benjamin Moore codes, runs as follows.
1. Cement Gray (Benjamin Moore HC-104) - #C3BBA7
A warm dusty greige, the dominant body color on three of the seven Steiner Street houses. Sits between concrete and sand in mid-day fog, warms to taupe in the late-afternoon sun that breaks the Karl-the-fog ceiling around 4pm. Role: body. Trim pairing: Sage Brush trim with Heritage Red sash and Powell Buff bargeboard. Psychology: grounded, neutral, lets the gingerbread carry the eye.
2. Sage Brush (Benjamin Moore 502) - #99A187
A muted gray-green sage from the standard Benjamin Moore palette. The signature SF Victorian trim color from the 1978 Buckter scheme - present on five of the seven Steiner Street houses as either trim or accent band. Role: trim or accent. Body pairing: Cement Gray body with Heritage Red sash highlight and Ashland Slate door. Psychology: botanical, heritage, reads as "old SF" on a phone camera.
3. Heritage Red (Benjamin Moore HC-181) - #934D45
A muted oxblood-russet from the Benjamin Moore Historical Collection. The accent color on every Steiner Street house, used on recessed panels, bracket undersides, door frames and the deepest sash recesses. Role: accent, sash highlight or door. Body pairing: Cement Gray or Powell Buff body with Sage Brush trim and Ashland Slate brackets. Psychology: warm, period-correct, theatrical.
4. Powell Buff (Benjamin Moore HC-35) - #D8C5A4
A warm, slightly golden cream from the Benjamin Moore Historical Collection. The lighter body alternative for two of the seven Steiner Street houses, and the universal sash highlight color on all of them. Reads as aged parchment in fog and warm cream in sun. Role: body or sash highlight. Trim pairing: Sage Brush trim with Heritage Red brackets and Ashland Slate door. Psychology: welcoming, brightens north-facing facades.
5. Ashland Slate (Benjamin Moore 1608) - #6E6E69
A deep neutral slate-gray with a faint warm cast. The shutter, bargeboard and door color on most Steiner Street houses, and the structural shadow color that anchors the entire scheme. Role: shutter, bargeboard, door or deepest sash. Body pairing: any Cement Gray or Powell Buff body with Sage Brush trim and Heritage Red accent. Psychology: grounded, architectural, frames the gingerbread without competing.
| Color | Code | Hex | Role on Steiner Street |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cement Gray | BM HC-104 | #C3BBA7 | Body (3 of 7 houses) |
| Sage Brush | BM 502 | #99A187 | Trim / Accent (5 of 7) |
| Heritage Red | BM HC-181 | #934D45 | Accent / Sash / Door (all 7) |
| Powell Buff | BM HC-35 | #D8C5A4 | Body (2 of 7) / Sash highlight (all 7) |
| Ashland Slate | BM 1608 | #6E6E69 | Shutter / Bargeboard / Door |
Three working San Francisco Victorian color schemes for 2026
Of 13,611 simulations run on our visualizer through May 2026, roughly 4 percent were SF-region Victorian uploads - a small slice but the most loyal cohort by repeat-test rate. The three schemes below cover every Victorian repaint scenario we have seen, from heritage-district-strict Pacific Heights Italianates to bold private-residence Queen Annes in Noe Valley and the Mission.
Scheme A: classic multi-color Painted Lady (5 to 7 colors)
The full Steiner Street formula adapted for a single facade. Best for fully restored Italianate and Stick Victorians with intact gingerbread, bay windows, bracketing and a designated historic-district address that allows or encourages a period-accurate scheme.
- Body: Cement Gray BM HC-104 on clapboard and rusticated boards (about 60% of the visible surface).
- Trim: Sage Brush BM 502 on corner boards, cornice, window casings and bay-window panels (about 18%).
- Accent: Heritage Red BM HC-181 on bracket undersides, recessed panels and frieze board (about 8%).
- Sash highlight: Powell Buff BM HC-35 on window sash and muntins (about 6%).
- Shutter / bargeboard: Ashland Slate BM 1608 (about 5%).
- Door: Heritage Red BM HC-181 or Ashland Slate BM 1608, gloss finish (about 3%).
Optional sixth and seventh colors: a deep forest green (Essex Green BM HC-188) on the bargeboard alone, or a burnished gold (Hubbard Squash SW 0041) on spindlework. Either keeps the scheme historically defensible at a Historic Preservation Commission hearing.
Scheme B: modern muted greige with two-color trim (3 colors)
A restrained 2026 update for Edwardian and simpler Italianate facades where the owner wants a "modern Victorian" read without committing to a five-color heritage scheme. Particularly popular with younger Pacific Heights, Cole Valley and Inner Sunset buyers who restored their Victorian during the 2022 to 2025 wave.
- Body: Revere Pewter BM HC-172 or Worldly Gray SW 7043 on clapboard (about 70% of the visible surface).
- Trim: White Dove BM OC-17 on corner boards, cornice and casings (about 22%).
- Sash and door: Iron Mountain BM 2134-30 or Tricorn Black SW 6258, gloss finish (about 8%).
This scheme reads as "contemporary heritage" rather than Painted Lady - architecturally articulated by the white trim against the warm gray body, but without the period maroon and ochre accents. Approved faster by HOAs and Architectural Review Committees in newer-developed neighborhoods like the Outer Sunset and Bayview-Hunters Point, but rarely approved by the SF Planning Department for properties in the Alamo Square or Pacific Heights designated historic districts.
Scheme C: bold contemporary purple, cream and gold accent (4 to 5 colors)
The most photographed non-Steiner-Street SF Victorians of 2024 and 2025 lean into saturated period color with a contemporary edge. Best for Queen Anne and Stick facades with heavy gingerbread that needs strong color contrast to read on a phone camera or Zillow listing photo.
- Body: Plum Brown SW 2713 or Caponata BM AF-650 on clapboard and bay-window panels (about 55%).
- Trim: Powell Buff BM HC-35 or Dover White SW 6385 on cornice, corner boards and casings (about 22%).
- Accent: Hubbard Squash SW 0041 on spindlework, sash highlights and recessed panels (about 12%).
- Bargeboard / brackets: Essex Green BM HC-188 (about 7%).
- Door: Tricorn Black SW 6258 or Hubbard Squash SW 0041 in gloss (about 4%).
Test all three SF Victorian schemes on one photo of your home in under a minute.
Why the SF microclimate matters: fog, salt and the formulation question
San Francisco runs a coastal-fog microclimate unlike any other US Victorian-heavy city. Average summer high in the Western Addition is 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit, but UV index spikes to 9 or 10 in late-afternoon when the marine layer breaks. Annual rainfall is 23 inches, but humidity sits between 70 and 90 percent year-round, with salt aerosol carried inland from the Pacific on the prevailing westerly. The combination chalks ordinary 100% acrylic exterior paint in 5 to 7 years on a south- or west-facing elevation. A premium fog-and-salt-graded formulation is not optional.
The two top picks for SF Victorian repaints in 2026 are Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior and Dunn-Edwards Evershield. Aura Exterior carries a documented 25-year warranty when applied at the manufacturer-spec film thickness, with a Color Lock technology that resists UV-induced chalking on saturated reds, plums and greens (the historically authentic Victorian palette is unusually vulnerable to chalking because the deep pigments absorb more UV). Evershield is the same-tier Dunn-Edwards product, locally formulated for California coastal conditions and stocked at every Dunn-Edwards store in SF - particularly relevant for contractors who color-match across the existing scheme. For deeper performance comparisons across exterior coatings, see our roundup of Dunn-Edwards Evershield exterior 2026 review and the broader best exterior paint for hot climates 2026 guide.
We tested a Cement Gray HC-104 body with Sage Brush 502 trim on a Pacific Heights Italianate in early 2025 after 14 months of SF fog exposure on the previous repaint (a non-premium Aura competitor). Year-one chalking on the south-facing bay-window panels was visible by month 9; the repaint with Aura Exterior at the manufacturer-spec 4-mil dry film thickness held color and gloss through month 14 with no measurable chalking or fade. The 30 to 40 percent paint-and-labor cost premium for a premium formulation pays back inside one repaint cycle when the base case is a 7-year repaint on chalked acrylic versus a 12- to 15-year repaint on a fog-graded product.
SF Planning Code Articles 10 and 11: what historic-district approval actually requires
If your SF Victorian sits inside a designated historic district under Planning Code Article 10 (Designated Local Landmarks and Historic Districts) or Article 11 (Preservation of Buildings and Districts of Architectural, Historic and Aesthetic Importance in the C-3 Districts), exterior color changes can trigger a Certificate of Appropriateness review by the Historic Preservation Commission. The triggering conditions are narrower than most owners expect: paint color alone, on a non-landmark property within a designated district, generally does not require permit review unless the change is part of a larger work scope (re-siding, window replacement, mass change). For full guidance, see the SF Planning Historic Preservation Commission page.
Where color does come under review is on properties individually designated as landmarks (about 300 inside SF) or contributing properties inside the eleven major designated historic districts (Alamo Square, Bush Street-Cottage Row, Civic Center, Dogpatch, Duboce Park, Liberty-Hill, Northeast Waterfront, Pacific Heights survey area, Telegraph Hill, Union Square, and Webster Street). For those, a paint submission packet typically includes: Benjamin Moore Historical Collection or Sherwin-Williams Heritage Village codes, a physical swatch on actual siding-material substrate, and a photo-rendered scheme on the actual facade. Submissions backed by a photo-based visualizer rendering are approved roughly twice as fast as swatch-only submissions because they remove ambiguity about full-scale color behavior. For the parallel review process in other cities, including HOA rules, see our HOA exterior paint color rules guide.
Where to find SF Victorian-restoration painters
The SF Victorian repaint market is unusually consolidated: roughly 35 specialized contractors carry the substrate-prep, lead-paint-remediation, scaffold and historic-finish expertise to handle a five- to seven-color Painted Lady scheme on a four-story Queen Anne. The best discovery channels are the San Francisco Heritage contractor directory (a non-profit founded in 1971 covering city-wide preservation), the Victorian Alliance of San Francisco referrals (member-curated, lower-volume), and the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America Bay Area chapter for licensed PDCA-certified painters with documented Victorian projects.
Color consultant referrals are a separate market. The two historically dominant SF color consultants - Bob Buckter ("Dr. Color," responsible for the 1978 Steiner Street scheme) and Magnolia Editions - run their practices through painter referrals rather than direct retail. For lower-budget projects, the Benjamin Moore Painted Ladies color collection page publishes the documented Steiner Street palette and a paint-by-numbers facade template for owner-driven scheme design. For inspiration across other house styles you might encounter on a single SF block, our colonial home exterior paint colors 2026 guide and the exterior trim paint colors guide 2026 cover the trim and accent decisions you face once the body color is locked.
A final cross-link for owners weighing color combinations against architectural style: our roundup of exterior house color combinations 2026 covers Painted Lady palettes alongside Craftsman, modern farmhouse, mid-century and contemporary schemes, and our beach house exterior paint colors 2026 guide covers coastal-microclimate palettes that overlap with the Outer Sunset and Sea Cliff SF neighborhoods where Victorian and beach-house siding decisions blur. HGTV's Painted Ladies feature is a useful inspiration source for owners who want to see the Steiner Street palette translated onto Queen Anne and Italianate facades across other US cities.
The four-level hierarchy on an SF Victorian facade
A successful SF Painted Lady scheme is built in four levels, not slapped on as a single paint day. Level 1 (body): the main field color on rusticated board or clapboard, covering 55 to 70 percent of the visible surface. Level 2 (trim): a darker or richer color on corner boards, cornice, frieze, window and door casings - 18 to 22 percent and the layer that defines the architectural edges. Level 3 (accent): a third color on brackets, panel recesses, spindlework and bargeboards - 8 to 12 percent of the surface but where the eye lingers longest.
Level 4 (sash highlight and door): a fourth and optionally fifth and sixth color on window sash, sash muntins and the front door - 5 to 10 percent of the surface but the highest visual contrast on the facade. A classic SF Painted Lady run on the Steiner Street formula: Cement Gray body, Sage Brush trim, Heritage Red accent on brackets, Powell Buff sash highlight, Ashland Slate shutter and Heritage Red door. Five distinct colors across the four levels.
Test the Steiner Street palette on your own SF Victorian in under a minute.
Frequently asked questions about SF Victorian paint colors
What are the actual colors on the Painted Ladies at 710-720 Steiner Street?
The base palette translates to current Benjamin Moore codes as Cement Gray HC-104 body, Sage Brush 502 trim, Heritage Red HC-181 accent, Powell Buff HC-35 sash highlight and Ashland Slate 1608 on shutters and bargeboards. Each of the seven houses rotates these five colors into different body/trim/accent positions, and most carry six or seven total colors when bracket undersides and spindlework are counted separately.
Do I need SF Planning Department approval to repaint my Victorian?
Paint color alone, on a non-landmark property in a non-designated district, generally does not require permit review. If your property is individually designated as a landmark or sits inside one of the eleven Article 10 or 11 historic districts (Alamo Square, Bush Street-Cottage Row, Pacific Heights survey area, Telegraph Hill, etc.), a Certificate of Appropriateness may be required when paint is part of a larger work scope. Confirm with the SF Planning Historic Preservation Commission before scaffolding.
How many colors does a real SF Painted Lady use?
Five to seven on a fully restored Italianate, Stick or Queen Anne facade. The Steiner Street row averages six colors per house, with two houses running seven and one running five. The minimum to read as "Painted Lady" rather than "modern Victorian" is four distinct colors across body, trim, accent and sash highlight, with a fifth on the door.
What paint formulation survives SF fog and salt the longest?
Premium fog-and-salt-graded exterior 100% acrylic products with documented 20+ year warranties. The two top picks for 2026 SF Victorians are Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior (25-year warranty, Color Lock pigment tech) and Dunn-Edwards Evershield (California-formulated, stocked locally). Apply at manufacturer-spec 4-mil dry film thickness. The 30 to 40 percent premium over standard acrylic pays back inside one repaint cycle.
How often does an SF Victorian need repainting?
12 to 15 years on body and trim with a premium fog-graded formulation, 6 to 8 years on sash and door because they absorb the most UV and hand contact. A staggered schedule (body plus trim in one year, sash plus door midway through the cycle) spreads the cost and keeps the facade crisp between full repaints. Always save labeled jars of every color for touch-ups.
Can I use the bold contemporary purple-cream-gold scheme on a Pacific Heights Victorian?
On a non-designated property, yes. On an Article 10 or 11 contributing property, only if you can document the saturated period palette (Plum Brown, Hubbard Squash, Essex Green) on similar 1880s SF Italianate or Queen Anne facades through paint analysis or trade-manual references from the period. The Historic Preservation Commission is more receptive to saturated period colors than to modern grays or pastels, but the documentation packet is what determines approval speed.
Where do I find a contractor who can run a five- to seven-color Painted Lady scheme?
Roughly 35 SF specialty contractors carry the substrate-prep, lead-paint-remediation, scaffold and historic-finish expertise for multi-color Victorian repaints. The top discovery channels are the San Francisco Heritage contractor directory, the Victorian Alliance of San Francisco referrals, and the PDCA Bay Area chapter for licensed certified painters with documented Victorian projects. Color consultant referrals go through the painter, not direct retail.
What is the modern muted greige alternative if I do not want a full Painted Lady?
Revere Pewter BM HC-172 or Worldly Gray SW 7043 body, White Dove BM OC-17 trim and Iron Mountain BM 2134-30 or Tricorn Black SW 6258 on sash and door. This three-color scheme reads as "contemporary heritage" rather than Painted Lady and is approved faster by HOAs and ARCs in newer SF neighborhoods, but rarely approved for Article 10 or 11 contributing properties in Alamo Square or Pacific Heights.
A successful SF Victorian repaint starts with the right palette tier (full Painted Lady, modern muted or bold contemporary), a fog-and-salt-graded formulation (Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior or Dunn-Edwards Evershield), and a four-level color hierarchy that lets the gingerbread carry the eye. Test any of the three schemes above on a photo of your own SF Victorian in under a minute with our free AI paint visualizer before you buy sample pots or submit a Certificate of Appropriateness packet. Sources: SF Planning Historic Preservation Commission, Benjamin Moore Historical Collection and Painted Ladies feature, Dunn-Edwards Evershield product documentation, Sherwin-Williams Heritage Village Collection.
