If A Parisian Townhouse Was In Philly
REBECCA McALPIN Photographer
VESTIGE HOME Stylist
When you’re an interior designer, and if you’re lucky, your clients welcome you not only into their homes, but also into their lives.
This has to be one of the very best parts of what we do. We get to see families grow, and sometimes, we get to come along for the ride when our clients begin a new chapter with a move to a new home. This is just what happened when, after years of searching for just the right place, our Rittenhouse Revival clients jumped at the chance to purchase a new home to meet their changing needs. They reached out to us prior to the closing to begin the design process for a few of the main rooms, including the formal living room, dining room, and a more relaxed den.
The new house has so many beautiful details but also felt a bit formal, stuffy, and outdated for this young and busy family with two growing boys. We embraced the good things - including the historic details like the amazing moldings - while bringing things “down to earth” with kid-friendly fabrics, some fun colors, and modern, oversized lighting to add casual drama to the space. The overall scale of the spaces was much different from their previous home so we also had to look at balancing the larger spaces with appropriately sized pieces.
The Living Room
“Create a relaxed, comfortable space with saturated punches of color, natural elements, and modern lines. .”
— Living Room Design Statement
The hero of the new living room is the custom sectional upholstered in an eggplant colored performance fabric. Durable enough to hold up to life with two kids and a dog, and large enough for all the family snuggles. The articulating sconce brings plenty of light right where you need it and also acts as a sculptural element. In the very light and bright space, pops of black with the sconce, vitrine, and even the accent table, keep they eye moving around the room. To break up the white paint, create a focal point between the doors, and to balance the saturation of the sofa, we painted the fireplace a dramatic shade of green pulled from the soft, pink marble.
The hero of the new living room is the custom sectional upholstered in an eggplant colored performance fabric. Durable enough to hold up to life with two kids and a dog, and large enough for all the family snuggles. The articulating sconce brings plenty of light right where you need it and also acts as a sculptural element. In the very light and bright space, pops of black with the sconce, vitrine, and even the accent table, keep they eye moving around the room. To break up the white paint, create a focal point between the doors, and to balance the saturation of the sofa, we painted the fireplace a dramatic shade of green pulled from the soft, pink marble.
These chairs, that light, the art! Custom swivel chairs in a soft, durable boucle allow for the conversation to be centered in the living space, or to swing around to the adjoining dining room. The art was purchased by our clients and we happily incorporated it into the final design.
The Dining Room
The living room opens into the adjacent dining room. As is the case in the majority of city row homes, the center of the home is a bit darker and relies on the natural light from the front and back of the building. With light flooding in from the living room, we saw a chance to go darker and added interest to the space through an organic, textural wall treatment. Here we were able to utilize the chairs from their previous home (and added two more of them!) to accommodate a more appropriately scaled dining table we selected for the space. A new modern light fixture echos the shapes from the living room while perfectly juxtaposing the formality of the dentil moldings. A touch of brass breaks up the darker lines of the furniture and wall treatment.
The Whiskey Room
This room sits off a lush courtyard at the back of the house and is away from the hustle and bustle of everything else. When our clients moved in, the red wallpaper and fixtures made the room feel heavy and dated. If you love a good “Before and After”, get ready!
“Create a cozy and layered space juxtaposed with modern and traditional elements that’s durable for kids and a sanctuary for adults. ”
— Whiskey Room Design Statement
Talk about a transformation! By painting out the darker stained wood around the closets and exterior doors, we were able to immediately create a feeling of lightness in the space. The tone-on-tone wallpaper balances the masculinity of the room while also adding a bit of whimsy. The ceiling was painted in a high-gloss paint to help reflect the natural light from the garden outside. We swapped out the door hardware to modern brass with the most lovely backplates. A warm, textural rug balances the crisp lines of the millwork and the glossy ceiling.
With the groundwork set, we were able to select some truly special furnishings to bring the small space together. Custom swivel chairs came to the rescue again since there’s a small TV in the space, so they can be watching things and also participating in the conversation zone. The larger blue plaid contrasts in style and form with the wallpaper and is unexpected on the more modern shape of the swivel. Overall, the rounded lines her help create flow though the space while maximizing the amount of seating. The classic leather sofa adds a sense of timelessness. Sculptural elements with the coffee table and lighting keep the space feeling modern and grown-up.
With our client’s feeling more at home, we hope that these spaces are able to serve our clients in their day-to-day lives and serve as the setting for many happy memories. Our business is based on a commitment to service and our repeat clients are a testament to the values that we extend to every part of our projects. We are continually grateful to our clients who trust us to design spaces for their homes, their families, and their lives.
