Sue Eggen, artist and creative director at Urban Jungle, and writer and librarian Nathaniel Eddy have put a lot of love into their Philadelphia home. “Nestled in the East Passyunk neighborhood of South Philadelphia, our beloved little rowhouse came to us from a friend of a friend who was trading Philly for Manhattan and a new romance,” Sue Explains. “Never put on the market, we quickly agreed to purchase after opening the door and realizing the potential to reimagine the space into what we affectionately now call our Alder Doll House.” 

They focused their renovation efforts on the kitchen and bedroom first, working with a carpenter on the projects. “We completely gutted the kitchen and added open shelving, lower cabinets, and a double farmhouse sink, all from IKEA, and found the most perfect Andersen casement window on Craigslist for a song,” Sue explains. “Always drawn to earthy tones, we exposed the brick on one wall in the living room to create a divider from the dining room. We fell hard for the look, so we exposed another wall in our bedroom, as well as vaulted the ceiling and enlarged the closet for my vintage clothing and clog collection.” 

The renovation took three months to complete, and then Sue and Nathaniel moved in and began furnishing the space. “Mostly everything is thrifted, trash picked, or gifted, which lends to its interesting charm and always keeps new guests intrigued by what they might find in each room,” admits Sue.

My Style: Botanical, colorful, vintage, cozy, organized.

Inspiration: Nature, heritage, travel, art, color. 

Favorite Element: Natural light from the east and west. When the sun dances into the kitchen in the morning, it is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee and a spinning record. It sets the tone for the day, and as a cancer survivor, reminds me that I have another chance to do what I love. When it glows into the living room and floods our bedroom in the afternoon, it creates a sense of overwhelming calm, but also gives a tremendous amount of light to our plants. 

Biggest Challenge: Lack of green space. As Creative Director at Urban Jungle, it is safe to say that I am obsessed with plants and want to be surrounded by nature at all times. We have about 30 indoor plants, container gardens, a Japanese maple tree in the front of the house, and a wall garden atop the dividing wall on the back patio.

Proudest DIY: Our coat rack, a vintage butcher’s bar. On one of our trips to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, we noticed a yard sale on the side of the road. Standing in the corner of an old barn we spotted super sharp hooks mounted on a long shiny stainless steel bar. Intrigued by what this thing might actually be, my design brain began racing on how we could use it in the house. It must be our coat rack! We figured out how to bolt it to the wall and it’s been in use as we imagined ever since. 

Biggest Indulgence: Our toilet seat, the Toto Washlet. After beating cancer, Nate and I went on a celebratory trip to Japan, my dream destination of all time. It was life-changing, to say the least! Almost every public restroom there had some version of this bidet, and I knew upon returning home I had to have one of my very own. Since indulging on this luxury throne, we have saved money and the earth by reducing our toilet paper consumption, but the most comforting aspect is sitting on a heated seat to do No. 2 in winter!

Best Advice: Hire a professional. If you get to a point where things just aren’t working out, or you’re running out of time, raise your defeat flag with pride and let someone who knows what they’re actually doing finish the project for you. We’ve had lots of luck with Taskrabbit in a pinch, but your best bet would be to ask friends and neighbors in your area who they’ve trusted to get the job done right. 

What’s your best home secret? Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Pure Castile Liquid Soap is magic in a bottle. I use this as my go to wake up body wash or in a hot bath for sore muscles, but also as a household cleaning product. A little bit goes a long way and I love that there are so many uses in just one bottle!

Another fave that I swear by is Volta Naturals All Purpose Cleaner, which contains only three natural ingredients: peppermint castile soap, basil essential oil and washing soda. The scent transports you to a fancy hotel lobby and works like a charm not only on surfaces, but as a room refresher on curtains, rugs and upholstered furniture. 

• Front door — Sherwin-Williams Deep Sea Dive SW 7618
• Living room/hallway — Sherwin-Williams On the Rocks SW 7671
• Kitchen — Sherwin-Williams Fleur de Sel SW 7666
• Office/bathroom/bedroom/patio wall — Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa SW 7551

• Wood Bench — Handmade by Juston Stens
• All pots and plants — Urban Jungle
• Bent wood plant hanger — Philly Aids Thrift
• Nude lamp — Gift
• Cat baskets — HomeGoods
• Stainless Steel Butcher hook — Craigslist
• Storage — IKEA
• Green chair — Gift
• Frog print — Jinxed
• Women painting — Philly Aids Thrift
• Paint by number — Yard sale
• Sofa — Craigslist
• Mudcloth sofa cover — Moon and Arrow
• Pillows — Target/Handmade by Sue/Home Goods/Philly Aids Thrift
• Rug — Nicole Miller
• Coffee table — Craigslist
• Floor Pillow — Philly Aids Thrift
• Pendant light — One Forty Three
• Edison bulb — Urban Jungle
• Red chairs — Plaid Pony Vintage
• Metal plant stand — Trash picked
• Terrarium — Target 
• Vase — Jinxed

• Seated woman painting — Trash picked
• Red step stool — Trash picked
• Fan — Amazon
• Credenza — Samantha Alston
• Marantz receiver/Technics turntable — Craigslist 
• Mid century light — Etsy
• Bunny painting — Emily Martin
• Fern mount — Nick Pileggi
• Still life — Philly Aids Thrift
• Cactus girl drawing — Joanna Quigley
• Mirrors — Urban Jungle
• Velvet curtain — Anthropologie
• Cactus print — Philly Aids Thrift
• Dining set — Jinxed
• Glass jug — Philly Flea

• Shelving/cabinets/sink — IKEA
• Farm pendant — Etsy
• Curtains — Handmade by Sue
• Girl painting — Lisa Congdon
• Jungle Queen print — Gift from Cecilia Ithuburu
• Self destruction print — Heavy Slime
• Singer sewing machine bar — Sue’s great-grandmother’s 
• Rag rug — HomeGoods

• Curtains — Philly Aids Thrift
• Bed frame — IKEA
• Hope Chest — Nate’s grandmother’s
• Metal cart — Trash picked
• Plants — Urban Jungle
• Dresser — Gift
• Nightstands — Yard sale
• Pocket doors — Trash picked
• Bedding — HomeGoods
• Star garland — Gift
• Bunny jewelry holder — Gift
• Vintage bangles — Thrifted/gift
• Painted laundry hamper — Trash picked
• Kimono — Thrifted in Japan
• Map letterpress — Amanda Mello

• Twemco clock — eBay
• Shower curtain — HomeGoods
• 16 Candles drawing — Gift from Kate Bingaman-Burt
• Shelf — Philly Aids Thrift
• Macrame — Made by Sue
• Toto Washlet
• Bunny lamp — Target

• Plants — Urban Jungle 
• Floor planter — trash picked
• Hope chest — Nate’s mom’s
• Guitar — Gift from neighbor
• Wire stand — Trash picked
• Macrame — Urban Jungle 
• Desk — Amazon 
• Rug — Amazon 
• Eames chair — Library auction in Indiana
• Sewing machine — Bernina Activa 220 eBay
• Cat doorstop — Came with the house
• Palmer Plant Company pot — Vault and Vine
  Dog pincushion — Flutter 
• Iron — Delonghi
• Light fixture — ReStore

Thanks Sue!

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