Fashion guru Jenny Capano has always loved New York City’s hip vibe. But she also yearned for a more suburban setting that offered great schools and beautiful homes filled with character. Bryn Mawr provided the perfect slice of calm for a high-powered couple and their two young daughters, Tallulah and June. Capano is director of wholesale for fashion brand Sacai, and her husband, Joe Purzycki, is co-founder and CEO of the new golf media venture Pro Shop.
The owners were intent on preserving the architectural integrity of the home while infusing it with contemporary sophistication inspired by the Crosby Street Hotel, a destination in lower Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood.
When Capano saw the first brush strokes of Farrow & Ball’s Broccoli Brown paint on the kitchen cabinets, she wasn’t sure about the choice. “That’s when you have to let go and trust the designer,” she says.
In keeping with a vintage home, sheer off-white linen drapes hang from iron rods, covering many of the windows.
Relocating from Brooklyn, the family purchased a traditional center-hall colonial built in 1930. They were intent on preserving the architectural integrity of the home while infusing it with contemporary sophistication inspired by the Crosby Street Hotel, a destination in Lower Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood that’s drenched in color, whimsy and glamour.
“Because they really use the house, the furniture needed to be durable, kid-friendly and not pretentious.”
– Designer Brittany Hakimfar
“We brought in some fun and unexpected patterns, like the stripe on the living room chairs or the Tiger Mountain fabric on the entry iron bench.”
— Brittany Hakimfar
They didn’t have to look far to find a designer who understood their aesthetic and lifestyle. Capano met Brittany Hakimfar, founder of Far Studio, when their daughters became friends at school. “Because they really use the house, the furniture needed to be durable, kid-friendly and not pretentious,” Hakimfar says. “The layouts also needed to be moveable and flexible for different seating arrangements, depending on who’s in the home.”
The edgy yet elegant design retains the home’s lovely hardwood floors. Outdated bathrooms were gutted and restored. In keeping with a vintage feel, sheer off-white linen drapes hang from iron rods, covering many of the windows. “We brought in some fun and unexpected patterns, like the stripe on the living room chairs or the tiger mountain fabric on the entry iron bench,” Hakimfar says. “The furniture silhouettes kept in mind the more traditional style, but with an updated flair—like the living room sofa with the pleated skirt or the curved settee in a light sage velvet.”
The owners also developed an appetite for Farrow & Ball’s Broccoli Brown paint. When Capano saw the first brush strokes of paint on the kitchen cabinets, she wasn’t sure about the choice. “That’s when you have to let go and trust the designer,” she says. “I said, ‘OK, let’s do it.’”
Now the cabinets are one of her favorite things in the house. “I couldn’t love them more,” says Capano.
Far Studio
872 Penn St., Bryn Mawr
(610) 420-4221
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