New blog post means we have another fun Before & After to share! We had the pleasure of working with a young couple who bought a new Rittenhouse condo and wanted help updating the space and moving away from the college furniture they had furnishing their previous home with. Our client gravitated towards modern, rustic, comfortable, with a hint industrial and glam. They had a mezuzah- (mezuzah definition) shown below- that we were able to use as a jumping off point for the design.
We started with the living area. This is an open concept space with tons of windows. We were challenged with ways to come up with a functional layout that felt cozy, and good for entertaining but also maintained a feeling of openness in the space. With so many windows we wanted to maximize the light and the views they offered. Center City Philadelphia has some pretty amazing views! We opted for no curtains and minimal art to allow the views to be the focus. Instead of bold colors, we selected a neutral palette of grays and textured wood. We wanted to add interest and layered in a mix of metallics and a hint of green – our clients favorite color. The result is a soothing comfortable yet still sophisticated room.
BEFORE
AFTER
One of our favorite parts of the transformation was the renovation of the fireplace wall. What started out as a pretty meek looking mantel above an equally meek ceramic tile fireplace was able to be built out into a showpiece for the room. We created a stacked stone fireplace flanked with custom built-in cabinetry and reclaimed wood shelves. This area quickly went from after-thought to statement piece. The stacked quartz stone next to the reclaimed wood creates such an organic feel that one quickly forgets they're in Center City, until they turn and see the views out the window!
FIREPLACE BEFORE
FIREPLACE AFTER
At our first meeting with my clients, we were able to talk them into a kitchen upgrade, and the results are outstanding. We made upgrades both aesthetically and functionally in this space. Lightening up the cabinetry seemed like a no-brainer, but we went one step further (okay, maybe 4 steps). Custom gray cabinets were installed as well as marble subway tile and a mix of quartz and quartzite countertops. We removed four of the five existing built-in wine racks, and we altered the island to be all on one level. We even had the space to make the island a little bit larger.
BEFORE
AFTER
We were really stoked when our clients went for this statement chandelier. It’s fun to blend a modern light fixture with traditional chairs.
Next up was the master bedroom. This room got a major overhaul! This room was unnecessarily large, so we split it into two spaces; a gracious master bedroom and an enviable dressing room. Another change was removing the weird built-in “box” that was previously part of a Murphy bed. It was too large to be a built-in bench or anything else useful, so we reclaimed the space to maximize our new smaller bedroom. Other upgrades in the bedroom include a custom wood headboard wall (swoon), grasscloth wallcoverings, new pendant lights, new carpet and new furnishings.
BEFORE MASTER BEDROOM LAYOUT
AFTER MASTER BEDROOM LAYOUT
BEFORE
AFTER
A year later we were called back for a renovation of the master bathroom. Our clients loved the feel of their bedroom so much that we played off those themes for the master bathroom. In the master bathroom, we used a blend of neutral, rustic and modern with some fun lighting.
BEFORE
AFTER
This project is a great example of one of our favorite types of projects - a little bit construction, a little bit decoration. We really enjoyed being able to transform and improve early every inch of this space. We couldn't have done the revonation so effortlessly without the talents of our general contractor, Matt Seip of Grain High Performance Homes. Lastly, thanks so much to our very sweet clients for trusting us with this project, being open to a few new ideas and just being lovely people to work with!
All photography by Joe DiDario
