house love pt.3

Robin was my thesis advisor when I was in grad school for interior design. I loved working on my thesis and she played a big part in that - she was always encouraging and offered good constructive criticism. Plus she was really nice and fun - which is why we still keep in touch and she is now one of my friends! There are people who are good designers but aren't good critics, and there are people who are good critics but are so-so designers. Robin is neither of those - she has a talent for both. She lives in Pennsport (an area of South Philly) in a 2 story, 1,230 sq ft rowhome. It needed a ton of work when she first bought it:

I ripped out all the carpeting and refinished the floors, drywalled the entire house (there was wallpaper on plaster), drop ceilings in every room - got rid of those and drywalled, new front and back door, painted everything, new kitchen (knocked down walls), new bathroom (expanded), exposed brick wall going up stairs, new lighting everywhere.

Phew! Now, 3 years later, it looks incredible. Worth all the hard work!

Robin isn't afraid to change things around every so often. This set up is completey different than the layout I saw when I was over for a party at the beginning of the year. She used to have her home office set up where her dining table is now located and her sofa was in a different spot...I'm inspired to to rearrange my house now. Its such an easy and inexpensive way to redecorate!

One of my favorite things in her house are the lighting selections. She has a couple of these drum pendants throughout. I love how simple and modern they are. She also has a few fans from Modern Fan that I'm jealous of - unfortunately they don't show up in any of the shots.

Love the exposed brick running up the stairs!

Although her walls are a gray color, they have a warm tone to them that really works with the rest of the colors in the space. Here is what she says about her personal style:

I would say that I am definitely leaning towards contemporary design rather than traditional, but I don't generally love residential spaces that are extremely stark or sleek. For my home, I have definitely chosen products and furniture that are contemporary, but I have tried to stick with warm, earthy tones that seem to make me feel calm and very comfortable.

Her home is well designed but it certainly comes across as very comfortable and warm and laid back. Which is also very reflective of her personality.

This is her new home office location - aren't those desks great? I think they're from West Elm.

Her kitchen is fantastic! Can you believe the cabinets are from Ikea? They look so expensive! Everything works so beatifully together...the glossy cabinets with the matte counters, the colors, the lighting! I think its my favorite space in the house, as well as hers:

I think I have to say the entire kitchen is my favorite element of the house. I love the finishes (they're somewhat soothing to me) and I think it functions really well. I also love the adjacency to the back yard...sometimes I almost think of it as one space.

Ah, yes, her yard. Another space I'm extremely jealous of. I've already expressed my envy of it earlier this month...you can find that here.

Doesn't her bathroom feel like a spa? The colors have such a soft, soothing feel to them. I love white subway tiles - a classic option that always looks good and is affordable! I don't know if you can tell by the photos, but the penny tiles she chose to use as an accent on the walls are also on her floors.

Robin leads a very active lifestyle (you can often find her biking through the city) and she plays on a number of sports leagues including softball and bowling. When I asked her where her favorite local spot was she said:

I think right now my favorite spot is North Bowl. I practically live there between being in a league and practicing and just wanting to go and have fun.

North Bowl is awesome! The interiors is interesting, the food is pretty good and its cheap! Hmm, I should go there more often..

Thanks Robin for letting us into your home!!