An Artful English Philadelphia Rowhouse Reveal
Welcome friends!
It’s been almost a year since our last client project reveal, and yet, it still feels like just yesterday since we revealed the Highland House. But despite that lag (thanks to this whole COVID thing that has slowed some things down this year), we're really grateful that 2020 kept our little firm very busy and that thanks to a little bit of creativity and some new technology, we were still able to move forward on client projects.
This particular project, that we are affectionately calling our #ArtfulEnglishRowhouse, came to us in early April 2020 from a client that found our firm via a web search of all things. Despite the chance connection, it couldn’t have been more serendipitous. The clients here are a kind, wonderful couple and signed onto a delightful design plan that was great fun to execute. The homeowners are both Art History professors for a major university and love design with historical references. We were under a stay-at-home order when our clients reached out and we are so thankful they were up for zoom consultations so that we could still utilize our full design process and really drill down into what they needed from their space both functionally and aesthetically.
The scope of this project centered on creating a large living room/library room in the front portion of the house, giving their existing kitchen a refresh and carving-out a dedicated eat-in space. We tapped into traditional English design - rich, layered materials that denote a sense of time, place and comfort - accented with modern touches.
“Create a comfortable, cozy, and visually compelling space with traditional details juxtaposed with modern elements.”
- Project Design Statement
Prior to bringing on our firm, our client had installed floor to ceiling bookshelves for their lovely, extensive book collection and had the room painted their favorite blue color. We also learned that our clients are avid art collectors and wanted us to create a space that highlighted all of their beautiful pieces of art.
“Before” PHOTOS
We loved the idea of a blue in the room, but we felt that it needed to be tweaked a bit - something a bit more grey-green to bring the intensity down. The color we settled on is very close to a traditional, historic blue. In typical vestige HOME style, we also recommended that all the trim be painted in the same color as the walls so that the eye would be able to focus on all the amazing artwork and thoughtful furnishings in the room. Additionally, painting out the bookshelves let’s you see what’s on the shelves vs. the shelves themselves.
This home is very long and narrow so we created duel zones in the living space that would allow us to have a special spot for the two homeowners as well as a zone with larger seating pieces to accommodate friends and family.
In the front living room there was an existing bump out that we thought might have remnants of an old fireplace (fingers crossed that we could uncover a real treasure!), but upon doing some exploratory cuts in the drywall, we found only HVAC ductwork, no fireplace. It was time to move on to Plan B. We still wanted to create the look and feel of a fireplace in the room, so we sourced a vintage mantle from a local architectural shop. It has some wonderful details and grounded this area of the room so that it really felt like a cozy spot, perfect for two, to gravitate to at the end of the day.
Meanwhile, mid-project while doing some research for another client, I came across an image of a room that had a mirror in the fireplace firebox. I loved how the mirror opened up the room and created a spot of brightness so I sent it over to the client for consideration. We’re always thinking about our client projects, even in the “off hours” and this idea felt like something that would be fun to try. Fortunately the clients were into the idea and we love how it turned out! It also led us to paint the mantle a dark color to contrast with the walls.
For the life of me I can’t find that image or designer created that inspiring space - if anyone reading has seen it, please sent it my way!
To round things out, a beautiful wool rug, two deep and comfy tufted leather chairs and a set of mobile nesting tables make this a cozy spot to relax. We were able to utilize the homeowner’s Rococo mirror above the mantle and paired it with a well worn asian vase with simple faux maple leaves and willow branches.
In terms of functionality and storage, our clients didn’t need much additional storage thanks to the expansive bookshelves but we added this gorgeous arched cabinet to accentuate the height of the ceilings and to house the client’s growing silver collection.
We designed the back portion of the library space to accommodate larger group gatherings, with the ability to flip the leather chair around to join the group. A sofa with a linen-look performance fabric lightens up the color-saturated space while the bench seat cushion, and turned wood legs on casters are classically English in style. Paired with a deep blue velvet traditional armchair it creates a special spot by the bookshelves. We contrasted the furniture selections with contemporary lighting including a very mid-century styled wall lamp by the sofa and a two-shaded floor lap that can provide lighting for both the armchair and the tufted leather chair. The wall behind the sofa was the perfect spot to create a freeform gallery wall that can grow as the clients continue to collect more art. I love that this dramatic wall sits towards the back of the room, drawing you in to explore the space.
Moving back into the kitchen, our clients wanted us to create a cozy eat-in kitchen with the more of the English Country feel that they love. The space before was standard builder-grade complete with beige walls so we had a lot of room to inject some personality here.
I’ve loved this sweet dot print wallpaper for a long time and I was just waiting for the perfect project to showcase it. We delivered both texture and pattern by adding wainscoting to the walls to give architectural interest and had that dot wallpaper installed above. Through the overall space-plan we freed up the longest wall in the kitchen for a dining space. We designed a built-in bench along the wall and then peppered lovely vintage chairs into the mix. We made sure to source a table that can expand with additional leaves to host larger gatherings.
To insert a bit of design tension we brought in an articulating wall light that branched out over the table for more intimate dining or can be tucked away against the wall for more space. It almost reads like a sculptural piece amongst the artwork and is instantly charming. The dark paint color on the wainscoting contrasts beautifully with the wallpaper and is carried onto the color of the bench as well.
We’re absolutely thrilled with how this space turned out and that we were a part of making this couple’s first home feel special and feel like them. I can’t think of a better way to wrap this post up than a testimonial that they left us after the closing of the project.
“We couldn’t be happier with vestige HOME’s concept and realization of our new living and kitchen space. We purchased a home during the summer and were completely at a loss of how to begin decorating. Nicole and her team stepped in and discovered ingenious ways to incorporate unexpected and surprising design moments in these two spaces, and at a very limited budget at that.
Every stage of the process was superbly executed. We also enjoyed working with other team members at vestige (thanks, Brooke, Emily, and Maureen!) Nicole is extremely creative, fun and laid-back—and a testament to her work is that we are already hoping to work with vestige HOME on our third floor. They also dropped off cookies and coffee while our kitchen was being remodeled—so thoughtful! During these challenging times, it is such a pleasure to sit, eat, relax, and live in a space that is made just for you.
Thanks, Nicole and vestige HOME, for making us feel at home.”
— Artful English Rowhouse Client
