Attack of the Drapes: Chintz-Covered Manse Cuts Price $496K

The mansion that sits at 860 Fell Street may be exquisite, but it's hard to tell because the place is buried beneath a pile of chintz, gilt, and gaudy. The decor reaches its overwrought peak with a boat-shaped chandelier, masts aloft, sailing across the kitchen. What could be a gorgeous decorative fireplace in the living room is drowned out by the surrounding blue velvet curtains, decorative vases, and an oriental rug. Beneath all of that, we think that this home may be beautiful, but it's hard to imagine. The house was designed by Albert Pissis, the architect who brought the Beaux-Arts style to San Francisco, in 1894. Pissis is best-known for the Hibernia Bank building and the dome at what is now Westfield San Francisco. The home landed on the market in early September asking $4.095 million, but buyers appear to be afraid of chintz, because it just dropped its price to $3.599 million, a $496K cut.
· 860 Fell Street [Redfin]