Name: Erin & Chris
Location: Fishtown — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
These photos represent the culmination of almost 3 years of hard work, and certainly the most challenging experience of our lives. Starting in 2007, we gutted a 4,000 square feet building in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia and carved out two, two bedroom apartments, as well as an artists studio/commercial space. Purchasing and renovating with a construction loan smack in the middle of the mortgage industry meltdown presented plenty of challenges from zoning to inspection. We were unsure that we'd ever get to live in the house we worked so hard on! All worked out in the end though, and now we are thoroughly enjoying the fruits of our labor.
My boyfriend and I did all the finish work from drywall on. He is a blogger for joystiq.com and I am an artist and server. We are 99% done — only our green roof and a couple of built ins remain to be completed in our unit. Decorating the space after imagining it for so long was a rewarding experience; Apartment Therapy of course was an excellent source of inspiration! We made plenty of mistakes (our penny tiles, ugh!) but also had many moments of triumph. (an awesome rug, with dinosaurs?? Yes!!). Also, I'm pretty sure I spent more time at IKEA in the past year than an average employee.
Thanks Erin & Chris!
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Spectacular. Floor? Shelves? Desk? Details?
More please!
Beautiful! This is such a tease- house tour please! So good to see so many wonderful Philly features on Apt. Therapy.
Verrrrry nice! Is that photo above the bed a large format print? I've done large format designs printed on canvas and framed, but would love to try a beautiful photo.
A bit stark for my tastes, but I am digging the fume hood in the kitchen. Could you explain why the couch is set away so far from the wall. Is it to create walking space or to be closer to the TV? Or maybe just a nice lounging spot for the dog. :)
Your desk/table is so beautiful.
Your hard work was worth it! I love your style.
Love the shelves on the wall in the living room, very smart because the furniture could almost be arranged many ways. Great job overall.
love the rustic desk, love the photo/painting over the bed, love the way the sofa is set to create a more intimate space. we have the same kitchen, so obviously you are people of discerning taste. good job!
Thanks everyone! Deets: The floors are epoxy painted plywood (Benjamin Moore). The shelves are old church joists sourced from local architectural salvage store Provenance. The upstairs desk is made from joists salvaged from our own building and put on Ikea legs. Kitchen is 100% Ikea, the countertops are their butcherblock. Thats not a photo above the bed but one of my own paintings. Most of the artwork in the house is my own, and for sale! Sofa is a family hand-me-down, reupholstered. Other furniture finds came from a great place we discovered just down the street from us:
http://midcenturyfurniturewarehouse.blogspot.com/
I live in Bella Vista, way to represent our city with some beautiful digs!!
Wow. Love your sofa. Lucky you to have such a great family.
Yes! Creative people definitely know how to work IKEA. Here's a perfect example.
Absolutely amazing. Great work guys!! LOVE the painting over the bed. Is that yours, Erin? Gorgeous!
Wonderful! I'm an ex-Fishtowner and it's always great to see great ideas from the old neighborhood and to see Philly posts in general!
Love your sense of style and appreciate the three years of hard work. Thanks, too, for the Mid Century Furniture Warehouse tip. I didn't know about it.
I want to see a full tour!
holy macaroni i love this. i assume those skillets are either only for decoration or that you are guys are really tall? :)
Very nice! This left me wanting more! Thanks for sharing the info on Mid Century Warehouse. I was not familiar with them and I'm totally jazzed to find out about them.
awesome!!!!
so you laid down plywood sheets and painted epoxy over them? can you give more details please? what kind of epoxy? and i'd love a full house tour! this is so great!
Well we are pretty tall but definitely require a step stool to get to those skillets!
The plywood floors are painted with Benjamin Moore Super Spec epoxy paint in linen white. Its a two part paint that's pretty easy to work with, and I believe it can be tinted to any BM color. It holds up great, just make sure your plywood seams are really even.
Whoa, Erin, where do you sell your paintings? Here in Philadelphia?
And, YAY for more Philly on AT!
Beautiful paintings! Have a website? Please do tell!
Man, that beefy reclaimed wood shelving system in the living area is fantastic.
Thanks!! Check out www.erinmurray.org for more images and contact info.
I love the painting over the bed. And I really mean that as a big compliment, because I hardly ever see art that I really love. But I think that is stunning... I love the sense of possibility in all that blue. Beautiful.
Beautiful! Yay Philly!
great work on the bed frame.. and the mix of salvaged wood and IKEA metal supports really works on the desk. wish i had that much space...
I'm in Fishtown too & renovating a fixer upper. Nice to see something local!
Give me this house tour, anytime above this one http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/cj-renees-sleek-white-space-house-tour-105709....
I really love it.
And the fact that you had to rely on creativity and thriftness to get it done makes it all the better.
BRAVISSIMI!
Shelving is great! I also have a long wall like that with the tv and may try to do something like that (don't know if I could find the awesome salvaged wood, though).
I am also contemplating a kitchen remodel that will be open like yours. Do you feel that you have enough cabinet space since you only have upper cabinets on the fridge wall (versus both the fridge and stove walls)? Do you have a pantry or additional storage elsewhere in that area?
Hope you make a bid for a house tour when you are completed - would love to see more. Like what you have done in that space.
Erin! - amazing!!!
yes, a KenZinger is in our futures. . .