Houzz Tours
Top Ideabooks
Houzz Tour: Youthfulness Energizes a Philadelphia Townhouse
Shedding stuffiness for bold colors, art and contemporary pieces, this home's first floor is now fresh and family friendly
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
| Share: |
|
This once-stuffy federalist townhouse in Philadelphia's Society Hill neighborhood has undergone a transformation much like Philadelphia's own. It was once traditional and conservative, but art, creativity and youth have breathed new life into it. Interior designer Kelly Nelson and her husband moved in 13 years ago when she was pregnant with her first child, now 12. "After I had my second child, the first floor, with its galley layout broken into small rooms, wasn't working for our family," she says. "It was either move to a bigger house or renovate and stay in the neighborhood we loved."
The remodel opened up the first-floor rooms and back courtyard. Nelson preserved much of the traditional moldings, wainscoting and built-ins but freshened things up with bright colors, playful fabrics and abstract art. "By balancing contemporary choices with more traditional fabric and furniture choices, we created a home that felt true to both the architecture of the house and our own playful design aesthetic," she says. Check out how this bold mix of new and old turned out.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of 4 and cat Shadow
Location: Philadelphia
Size: 2,700 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms
The remodel opened up the first-floor rooms and back courtyard. Nelson preserved much of the traditional moldings, wainscoting and built-ins but freshened things up with bright colors, playful fabrics and abstract art. "By balancing contemporary choices with more traditional fabric and furniture choices, we created a home that felt true to both the architecture of the house and our own playful design aesthetic," she says. Check out how this bold mix of new and old turned out.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of 4 and cat Shadow
Location: Philadelphia
Size: 2,700 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
This narrow entryway sets the tone. High-gloss turquoise paint and a vintage 1960s light top traditional wainscoting. A marble checkerboard floor underlines the jewel box first impression.
Nelson also replaced the original square doorway with this arched one to echo the shape of the front door and its transom.
Wall paint: Peacock Blue 2049-40, Benjamin Moore
Nelson also replaced the original square doorway with this arched one to echo the shape of the front door and its transom.
Wall paint: Peacock Blue 2049-40, Benjamin Moore
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
This custom-painted cabinet was inspired by the colors in a Lucette White painting from the couples' art collection. "We made a very traditional French chest more playful by painting it bright colors," Nelson says.
Cabinet: Grange
Cabinet: Grange
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Before, the dining room was very traditional, with federalist furniture, a brass light fixture and these china cabinets, which had glass doors. Nelson had the doors removed and painted the backs a bold orange for a more contemporary look, then added tradition back into the mix with her brown toile transferware pieces. "I like to use a lot of color, but in a house this size it's easy to go overboard," Nelson says. So she painted most of the walls white and let the color come in via furniture, art, accessories and accents, like these shelves. The parrots are vintage 1950s majolica pottery, and the pansy print is from Natural Curiosities. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Nelson ripped out the existing brass light fixture and had Warren Muller, a favorite Philadelphia artist, create a unique chandelier from her grandmother's depression-era glass collection. "This fixture laid the groundwork for the home's fusion of traditional and contemporary elements," she says.
Wall paint: Patriotic White 2135-70, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Patriotic White 2135-70, Benjamin Moore
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Toile and striped fabrics on the parson's chairs are a nod to traditional townhouse style; the colors of the chandelier inspired the pink and green color palette. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
This brightly colored abstract painting in the dining room is by Ivan Stojakovic. Postrenovation, it's on the only remaining dividing wall in the downstairs interior.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Typical of a townhouse, the kitchen is long and narrow. Nelson opened it up to the living room and added a long kitchen island. "I can't remember when we all sat down at the table; we love to gather at the island," she says. Cabinets: Downsview; backsplash tile: handmade glass, Mixed-Up Mosaics; pendant lights: Le Klint |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| A painting the couple picked up on a trip to Portofino, Italy, inspired the orange and blue living room palette. The backs of the bookshelves are painted the same shade of orange as the dining room shelves. The same limestone used on the kitchen counters surrounds the fireplace. An Oriental rug pays homage to traditional townhouse style. |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| New French doors and large windows let in the light. "Opening up the living room to the back courtyard makes the house feel so much bigger," Nelson says. Coffee table: Eglomise, Beeline Home; lamps: Splatter, Beeline Home; vases: Arteriors |
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Tip: "When mixing throw pillows, I generally go with a solid, a large-scale pattern and a small-scale pattern," Nelson says. "To make them more modern, I stay away from piping them, and I like to make them big; if you're going to the expense of having them made, think bigger than 14 inches!" Although living in a construction zone (think: washing dishes in the bathtub) was a challenge, it was well worth it. The open layout and contemporary touches fit the family's lifestyle to a T. Painting: Rebecca Rutstein; floral pillow fabric: Schumacher; orange pillow fabric: Osborne & Little |
Ideabook published on Dec. 5, 2012.
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
Find Local Pros by Category:
Architects & Designers · Carpet and Flooring · Closet & Home Storage Designers · Design-build Firms · Fireplaces · General Contractors · Home Media Design & Installation · Interior Designers & Decorators · Kitchen & Bath Designers · Landscape Architects & Designers · Landscape Contractors · Specialty Contractors · Tile, Stone & Countertops
Find Local Pros by Metro Area:
Atlanta · Austin · Baltimore · Boston · Chicago · Dallas · Dc Metro · Denver · Detroit · Hawaii · Houston · Las Vegas · Los Angeles · Miami · Minneapolis · Nashville · New Orleans · New York · Philadelphia · Phoenix · Portland · Salt Lake City · San Diego · San Francisco · Seattle · St Louis
This home looks really personal and homey...nice job.