Sacramento’s “Fab Forties” is a charming, historic neighborhood known for a broad range of architectural styles. Its broad streets are lined with mature trees, offering a walkable, social environment for residents. “This particular residence is the crown jewel of the neighborhood,” says interior designer Victoria Tanforan. “Built in 1926, it’s a French Eclectic Revival with strong Tudor influences.”
The home is owned by a young couple, both successful commercial developers, with three children and a busy schedule. The wife had one overall request: “For the home to feel cooler and not like a dark and stormy castle,” Victoria recalls. “The home had undergone a very period-sensitive renovation with the previous owner. It was packed with gorgeous character and detail that we knew we wanted to retain, but we also wanted it to feel alive with art, color, pattern, and unexpected furnishings.”
Victoria’s firm, Victoria Rose Interiors, was hired to select all construction finishes, from flooring and tile to paint and plumbing, as well as furnish the home and place each piece of art. While the 18-month renovation was a success, she admits there were challenges due to the home’s historic significance. “It had character worth preserving,” she shares. “I am such a believer that there is always more than one right answer. So when it came to ‘keep the original herringbone or replace it’ or ‘embrace the stain of the carved doors or paint them’ or ‘keep the paneling in study or clean it up.’ The opinions were rampant.”
It’s clear walking through the home that the right balance was struck, and the family couldn’t be happier to be in the home. “As developers, they were involved in a lot of the process of the construction, but as parents expecting their third child, they were very eager to get settled in their new space,” Victoria reflects. “They were particularly happy about how personal it felt…that they could see their art, their collections, their photographs, etc. in a whole new way that coexists with a design that feels cool and curated.”
