Cutie on Carpenter

Philadelphia is full of charming row houses, each one tucked snugly beside the next. You will find them in all neighborhoods, in all sizes, but there are a few things they have in common-long narrow spaces and limited storage. The clients of our Cutie on Carpenter reached out to help solve these design challenges and breathe some new life into their home. They urgently needed storage, more seating, and a kitchen refresh that played well with the rest of the space.

The Idea

Pre-construction design render

In the living room, our clients wanted plenty of seating for entertaining family and friends. This is their main TV watching space for the family too, and they wanted to be able to pile onto a sofa that felt comfortable and welcoming. By using a large, semi-custom sectional covered in a beautiful warm gray gridded performance fabric we created ample seating around the perimeter of the room while adding some dimension and texture with the subtle pattern on the fabric. A large round coffee table anchors the center of the room and ensures good flow through the space.

The Finished Living Room

Custom upholstered sofa in a quiet gridded pattern

Built-in storage is at a premium in a row home. We knew we needed to get creative with storage solutions, while making them easily accessible. We took advantage of a bump out that could not be moved due to ventilation ducting by adding floating shelves on either side, creating a library for our client’s book collection, and making the bump out feel more architecturally integrated, rather than a random addition. The bottom of the shelving extends behind the sectional, so it became the perfect spot overflow spot to hide baskets for hats, gloves, and scarves. For coats and bags, we installed a long handmade peg rail that runs the span of a wall going down to the basement. We also added hidden storage in the banquette seat base for longer term storage.

Double duty storage solutions, custom built in shelves function as a a console above the sofa and hide floor storage baskets below.

combining the two zones to maximize space

Using the long open plan space to our benefit, we designed an elongated custom banquette seat in the dining room that can also serve as overflow seating in the living room for larger gatherings. This addition allows the dining space to become part of the living room when needed, expanding the seating for more people.

Enhanced Dining

The dining space wasn’t living up to its full potential and had two different zones: a rarely used, awkward two-seat bar attached to the kitchen, as well as a dining table floating in the middle of the room. By removing the bar, we gained several feet of space. In its place, we designed an L-shaped banquette that nestled into the corner that allowed for more seating and a larger oak dining table, combining the two zones to maximize space.

Adding a fun cloud print and double shade linen and brass pendant brings in a bit of whimsy into the home.

A classic kitchen refresh with a bit of whimsy

In the kitchen, we took a lighter touch with a refresh of cabinets, finishings and lighting to create a more functional and interesting space for our clients. By removing and replacing the upper cabinets only, we were able to create taller storage that fits proportionally with the space’s higher ceilings. The upper cabinets were painted the same color as the walls to keep them looking light and airy in a narrow space, while the base cabinets were painted a rich green to keep them grounded. We replaced the counters with a beautiful quartz stone and carried it through to the backsplash for a clean uniform look. And of course, we couldn’t help adding a fun swoop and cutie sconce where the backsplash meets the custom banquette dining area for a bit more whimsey. While the kitchen space was narrow, we were able to add an island in the center of the kitchen to optimize the working area and add more storage below.

A fun swoop backsplash paired with a raw brass, modern sconce creates a curated sense of whimsey.

We love the design potential of a row home, these urban spaces offer great sight lines and seamlessly connected living areas.

Our clients already had a strong, light-filled open layout; it simply needed more seating, storage, and thoughtful pattern mixing in a harmonious palette to make it charming and unique.

Do you have a row home that needs a little love? These lovely Philadelphia gems are ripe for creating cozy, considered, yet unexpected spaces. Reach out via our Inquiry Page, and we are happy to start the conversation!

Cheers,

Nicole and the Vestige Home Team