Name: Douglas and Felicia Greenfield
Occupation: Douglas, professor; Felicia, social worker
Location: Queen Village — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Size: 1,100 square feet
Years lived in: 1
Felicia and Douglas weren’t looking to buy a place when this light-filled condo became available in the Queen Village neighborhood of Philadelphia. However, long before Felicia met Douglas, she had attended parties in this very space. It belonged to the friend of a friend, and she had always secretly longed to make it her own. She watched over time, as the owner renovated. A new kitchen was put in, and she fell even more in love.
Then she met Douglas. This was true love, not real estate love. Eventually, they moved in together. A couple of months and a marriage proposal later, Felicia’s dream home went on the market. The couple knew they had to act quickly. They were crazy about the neighborhood and wanted the chance to take this great space and make it better. It had strong bones, a new kitchen (as mentioned) and fantastic light (seriously — look at it).
When Felicia and Douglas moved in, the space had terra cotta accent walls with carpet and laminate wood floors. They tore up the carpet and laminate, and using matching mixed-width planks reclaimed from another building, restored and refinished the hardwood floor underneath. They repainted the accent walls a smoky green, and stripped several layers of old paint off of the columns and stairway railing. They’ll be the first to admit — it’s a work in progress. (There’s a reason that the bathroom isn’t included in the tour!) But for them, it’s a labor of love. Now married, their space is a new beginning for their new beginning together.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style:Mid-century modern
Inspiration: Originally Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Now only traces of pure
white/rocket ship remain.
Favorite Element: The sightlines and the play of angles; a two-story brick wall.
Biggest Challenge: Tall or oversized windows make treatments complicated and expensive.
What Friends Say: Where do your in-laws sleep?
Biggest Embarrassment: An overstuffed, treacherous — and un-pictured — attic (up
third flight of stairs).
Proudest DIY: We decided it was a draw between 1) stripping several layers of paint off the columns and the railing, and 2) hanging/wiring the cast aluminum sconces at perilous heights.
Biggest Indulgence: The gallon of Farrow & Ball paint we used for the accent wall.
Best Advice: You can’t hurry contracting. After many blind dates, we found a painter (PAFA alum Tom McCloskey) and a contractor (green builder Buckminster Green) who shared our vision and values.
Dream Sources: Heath Ceramics for kitchen and bathroom tiles.
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
- • Sherwin-Williams: White (entry, living room)
• Sherwin-Williams: Nebulous White (bedroom, den)
• Farrow & Ball: Green Smoke (accent wall)
• Benjamin Moore chalkboard paint (kitchen)
ENTRY
- • Chairs: Innovation USA
• Coat rack: Adesso
• Table: Offi
LIVING ROOM
- • Pod chairs: Overman
• Rug: Ege Rya
• Sofa: Room and Board
• Bench: Herman Miller
• Table: Eero Saarinen
• Brno chairs: Knoll or replica, unsure
• Arc lamp: vintage
• Bookshelf: Blu Dot
• Firewood holder: Enclume
• Canister: Kartell
•Sconces: Artemide
DINING ROOM
- • Table/chairs: Drexel Declaration
• Antique bamboo and marble bar
• Clock: George Nelson
KITCHEN
- • Bar stools: DWR
DEN
- • Coffee table: Vintage, Hello Home
• Chair (Thonet)
Thanks, Felicia & Douglas!
Images: Kristen Lubbe
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I think its great. I love QV-- I'm right in society hill and think its great to see another Philly house! Your condo looks like a really useful and attractive space, which is all you can really ask for. I love MC furniture, and I find it hard not to make it an 'MC themed space' and rather create a modern and current space. Great job!
I love the kitchen & dining room. I wish there were more photos of entire rooms rather than close-up, abstract shots.
Your kitchen and dining area are lovely and warm - I hope you bring that warmth into the rest of the apartment by bringing that dark green color out into the rest of the apartment.
Love to see Philly homes, especially stylish ones. Really love the Green Smoke color.
Unfortunately, thanks to an AT post from earlier this week, I can no longer see exposed brick without thinking about millipedes. :|
the urban girl, lol, that was my first thought when I saw the exposed brick wall...
Too creepy!
Awesome home! Love the shag rug and that gorgeous rich green color on the wall! Thanks for sharing! Btw... No tree? Well, I do like the one drawn on the chalkboard wall in the kitchen! Happy Holidays!
very nice house. the only thing that doesn't seem in keeping with the clean lines of the place is the very odd zig zag pattern of the slate floor edge in the kitchen.
is this something you inherited when you moved in?
Paint color in the dining area?? Love it. Don't see it listed.
A sign that my monitor isn't showing the color right, it looks smokey blue.
or is that the chalkboard paint against the dining room wall?
Great start! The color in the living and dining area adds great warmth and character. As noted in the description, the space is a work in progress, so I expect the other barren areas will eventually take on the owners' warmth and style. I especially like the balance between modern style, while also maintaining a comfortable and warm ambiance.
Mid-century awesomeness...that's what your apartment/style should be called...love that green smoke color so much I wanna eat it.
I love the combination of teal, green and wood - so warm and deep.
I covet that cocktail cabinet far more than I should.
i'm dying over the green chairs in the living room. great job with the whole space!
Thanks for all the comments!
To clarify about the paint: the accent wall behind the dining room table is F&B Green Smoke; it runs the length of that wall then turns into chalkboard paint at the far wall of the kitchen; then we used a custom mixture of 50% Green Smoke for half-tone accents on the wall where the peninsula/return is and down the corridor. Here's a link to another angle on the entry, to give a better sense of the space: http://astro.temple.edu/~dmg33/entry.jpg
Douglas
i love almost everything - but the kitchen seems out of place
Wonderful. I live in QV as well and it's nice to see that my neighbors have some great style!
I love love love the wall color - it looks blue to me - with the white ceiling and trim and the wood floor and furniture. It's a gorgeous combination.
I'd prefer different rug in the living area. I think it looks hippie 70's to me, but not in a good way. Sorry.
I too suffer from visions of centipedes when I see brick walls. Thanks, AT.
Beautiful. Mid-c with style. F&D, thanks for sharing.
I love it too, especially the color combinations (and tied in with that great painting behind the dining table). My family had that candle-holder that's like the porcupine spine which you have on the mantle. Is it hard to find those thin, thin taper candles??
Thanks for the post loaded with so many information on wall paint.Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for.