house love pt.6

Okay, so this post might a bit biased since this house belongs to Eric - but even if he wasn't my boyfriend, I'd still love it. About 4 1/2 years ago, Eric bought a 900 SF, 2-story rowhome in South Philly. The house was built in the early 1900's but not very many of the original details were left - the stairs, some doors (not all) and some trim around the doors and windows. He preserved as many of the original details as possible, but it required some updating - the before:




Look at that terrible arch! Eeek. This is what he did:

I removed dropped ceilings from some of the rooms and put up drywall. I installed bamboo floors throughout the living areas and bedrooms. I did a mini kitchen renovation that involved painting the cabinets, installing a new countertop, backsplash and cork floor. I installed some salvaged doors to match the remaining original doors. I painted every single surface of the interior of the home. The exterior of the house was in relatively good shape and just needed some minor sprucing up and painting.

And the after...



Can you believe the difference? Pretty amazing right? The change in flooring from that disgusting carpet to the beautiful, light bamboo probably has the most impact to the space - and also Eric's favorite element of his home:

They were my first DIY home improvement project, so I'm sort of proud of that. I love the color, it really warms up the house.



I love the image above - it shows off some of my favorite pieces that he owns: the gargoyle, Eames rocker, Saarinen end table, arco lamp and Badger (do you see him, he's lounging on the chair). It's a great mix of materials, styles and color - really shows off his design sensibility. This is how he describes his personal style:

I love modern design, but I also love old houses, so I'm really into mixing the two. I wanted the house to have a sort of mid-century modern, bachelor pad feel to it, while also retaining all of the original woodwork and detailing that still remained. The furnishings are a mix of classic modern pieces (eames rocker, saarinen table and arco lamp), vintage finds (refinished dining chairs and console) and new pieces with clean lines. I used color and some funky accessories to inject some fun into the space. Sary helped quite a bit too.

Thanks for the shout out Eric :)













Eric's work on his kitchen is probably the most impressive thing that he's done to his house. Not only is it an incredible transformation, but besides the countertop, he did it all himself. I can't say enough about his craft - he's a perfectionist. You wouldn't be able to tell that he's never had experience doing home improvement projects before.





Eric lives in the best part of South Philly (in my biased opinion - I also live in the area) and I was curious to see what he would say his favorite local spots were:

I'm fortunate that Fond, one of my favorite restaurants in the city, is only a couple of blocks away. It's an amazing little BYO on Passyunk that Sary has already given lots of love on this blog. Cantina de los Caballitos and Devils Den are two other local spots that I frequent often.

They would be my picks too:)

Awesome job, Eric! You did an incredible job - you should be very proud of yourself!!