A Cottagey Row House Renovation in Philadelphia

Kalyn Matthews describes herself as a home stager and aspiring interior designer. Having done home staging for more than six years, she felt ready to take on an exciting new project. She bought a row house in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia and went on a two-year renovation journey. “The house was not in a livable state. The plumbing stack was cracked, so there was no working plumbing. The kitchen and bath were in really rough condition. Structurally, it was sound, but it needed a new roof, windows, plumbing and electric. The bathroom and kitchen had to be gutted and completely renovated,” says Kalyn. Read on to see how Kalyn transformed this broken down row home into a cozy cottage-style retreat.

“I respect the character and era of the space while infusing it with saturated color and a fresh outlook,” says Kalyn. The 1,000-square-foot, 3-bedroom house was originally built in 1925. Kalyn wanted to bring it solidly into the 21st century through her love of color. A Chesterfield sofa is brought to life with a colorful array of Suzani pillows. And the Persian rug in bright orange defines the color scheme and the home’s many floral moments. “I didn’t plan for floral details, but I seem to gravitate toward them because they capture the joyful cottage feeling. I wanted to use vibrant colors, and florals are a natural choice.”

“I create joy-filled spaces with vintage notes and unexpected elements,” says Kalyn of her aesthetic. To attain that vision, the living room needed a new identity. “We had to tear out many walls and drywall or shiplap every wall and ceiling,” she explains. “The living room best represents the property’s 'city cottage' design. The shiplap walls most strongly define the cottage style.”

For the home’s primary bedroom, Kalyn went to some of her favorite thrift stores to find furniture to fit the space. “I believe that good design is possible at any price point,” says Kalyn. “I was able to create a beautiful home using primarily thrifted items and DIY.” The headboard, nightstands and lamps were all discovered on one of Kalyn’s thrifting trips. With just a little paint, each piece was transformed and used to create a colorful bedroom retreat.

The kitchen had the home’s most considerable transformation: a gut renovation. “The kitchen was the most dramatic transformation in the property,” she says. “It went from rundown and poorly functioning to an efficient and beautiful kitchen. The blue-green tile was really the jumping-off point for the property’s color story. And the addition of a window overlooking the backyard entirely changed the space by bringing in much needed natural light and creating a wonderful nook for the sink.”

"With only one small window, the dining room felt dark and dreary,” says Kalyn of the small dining space. To brighten things up, Kalyn went to her go-to trick: color. “The vibrant blue accent wall completely cheered up and energized the space.” And structural changes were made to bring more light in as well. “We widened the opening into the kitchen, allowing more natural light to pass through and improve the flow between the spaces.”

“The focal point of the office is the custom painted wall. The colors were pulled from the vintage graphic framed print, which is at the center of the design. The keyhole design and color combination are retro inspired,” says Kalyn. For some modern edge, Kalyn went with traditional pieces painted in dark black. The color palette feels fresh and modern.

The guest bedroom is a study in blue and white. “This blue bedroom is a fresh take on monochromatic,” says Kalyn. “The blue is soothing, yet vibrant enough to be interesting.” Crisp white furnishings were brought in as a contrast to the Tiffany blue shade (Behr Premium Plus Blue Green Gem Satin Enamel). “I fell in love with the vintage Hollywood Regency headboard, and it became the inspiration for the design. The feel leans toward glam, but still manages to fit into this cottage home.”

The commitment to the color palette can be seen in all of the furnishings and accessories in the guest bedroom. The dresser and drapery reflect the Tiffany blue shade on the walls. And clean white vases and books were brought in to continue the color contrast in the space.

“The two focal points of this room, the custom shelving unit and the fireplace, are DIY projects that truly drive home the 'city cottage' look,” explains Kalyn. With a love of vintage, Kalyn scoured salvage shops, Etsy and even eBay for pieces to add to the architecture of the home. “I found the mantel support on eBay a year earlier and paired it with a custom mantel piece. I took a little road trip to a saw mill and found a rough pine board. I sanded it for hours and then gave it a custom stain finish followed by a few coats of polyurethane to seal it. We then installed the mantel and the support over the mortar finish. The result was amazing. It was beautiful to see how the finished fireplace completely pulled the living room together.”

The home is filled with vintage items that Kalyn has carefully curated. The addition of pieces with a past brings soul to a home that’s close to 100 years old. “My absolute favorite place to find great bargains is at the thrift store! You have to make the rounds and go frequently to really find the deals and hidden gems,” says Kalyn.