Rittenhouse Square Pied-à-Terre

Location

Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia

Size

1,270 sq ft

Type

Two bedroom pied-à-terre

Year

2015

A family of six asked us to renovate a two bedroom pied-à-terre they'd purchased overlooking Philadelphia's beautiful Rittenhouse Square. The apartment was built in the 1960s and was distinctly mid-century-modern in style. Prior owners had introduced architectural details that competed with rather than complemented this aesthetic. Since the apartment would be used infrequently, our clients wished to keep the finishes and furniture within a modest budget, so we devised a number of creative solutions to meet their needs. The overly traditional dark kitchen was gutted and Ikea cabinets and apartment-sized appliances were installed. We built shelving into the dining area for extra storage, carved a small mudroom out of a large hallway closet, created a tiny but useful nursery in another large closet, and added features like solar shades that were more of a natural fit than the heavy drapery prior owners had installed. We sourced furniture, lighting, and other items from a variety of retail and online outlets to help keep costs in check.