LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA
DESIGN, STYLING & PHOTOGRAPHY: Fareez Giga Design
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: One of our largest projects, we completely transformed this classic Philadelphia townhouse through a gut renovation process. Additional enlarged windows reinvent both the exterior and interior of the home, while the newly painted brick exterior gives this townhouse a unique identity on the block. The entire ground floor retains the original 100-year old pine wood floors, refinished in a white oil to add brightness to the home while maintaining its historic character.
Upon entering this townhouse, you see the full length of the space, through the living room to the kitchen and out the new window to the backyard. Surrounded by natural light from both sides of the home, you immediately sense the scale of the home you have entered, understanding its intimacy and coziness from the get go. In the living room, you are welcomed by a bright and expanded space along with its new carefully selected furnishings, including a cozy tan leather chaise lounge sofa, two perfectly sized armchairs, a beautifully textured rug and a clear acrylic coffee table that helps to maintain a sense of openness.
Between the living room and kitchen sits the primary design feature of the space, a newly defined stairwell featuring a custom slat wall facade on either side. This wood feature provides definition to each room while allowing for transparency between the two.
At the back of the townhouse sits the newly designed kitchen. A dramatic change, this kitchen now has double its original storage, and features a new island with counter seating for four, a necessity for the home which lacks an area for a dining room. Low cabinets in a gloss white are contrasted with tall cabinets in a matte black, separated by a new glass door to the backyard. Custom wood floating shelves add warmth and provide additional storage for this compact yet efficient kitchen.
Upstairs, the primary bedroom is completely reworked by removing an existing small closet tucked into a corner adjacent to the newly removed brick fireplace chimney that was no longer in use. This lengthened the room and allowed us to design a new wall of closets adjacent to the bed that drastically increased the usable storage space in the bedroom.
The bathroom, a small but mighty space, features a black marble floor that wraps up the back wall of the shower and meets the new enlarged window—flooding the room with natural light. White subway tile, white walls and the white cabinetry brighten the space, while brushed nickel fittings add a softness to the room. New gold sconces cast a warm glow and floating wood shelves above the toilet provide additional storage.
The office, adjacent to the bathroom at the rear of the house, features new wood floors and furnishings that maximize its efficiency and give it a cozy feeling perfect for a home work space.