A 1937 Georgian-style brick home in Haverford charmed its new owners with its stately façade. But its off-center front entry and dated interior weren’t in line with their personal aesthetic. “Our sense of style is classic with a twist,” the owner says. “We love clean, simple lines, but we also wanted a beautiful, warm, personalized space.”
Respectfully modernizing the 7,800-square-foot home required a team of professionals, starting with Ernst Brothers + Builders of Lower Gwynedd and Malvern’s Period Architecture. “When we moved in, the roof had asphalt shingles in the center and flat roofs on either side,” recalls the owner. “The flat roofs were both leaking, so we decided to use the repair as an opportunity to give our exterior a big facelift.”
In keeping with the symmetry that’s a hallmark of Georgian architecture, the home’s main entry was relocated front and center.
Period Architecture’s solution: Replace the flat sections with graceful pitched roofs. Out with the asphalt shingles, in with copper-accented synthetic slate.
In keeping with the symmetry that’s a hallmark of Georgian architecture, the home’s main entry was relocated front and center. “The original location of the front door created an asymmetrical exterior, as well as an awkward vestibule to greet guests,” says Period cofounder and president Joe Mackin. “By moving the front door, it created a balanced exterior façade, along with an inviting, formal entrance, making better use of the existing stair hall as the focal point of the architectural design and guest arrival.”
“In the study, opulent moldings and walls are painted slate blue.”
Matching the brickwork for the new entry presented a challenge. “We were so impressed with how carefully the Ernst crew worked to make sure the new brick colors and grout were a perfect match with the old,” the owner says.
The new front door opens to a spacious foyer with a handsome curving staircase. The original foyer is now a barrel-vaulted vestibule between the new entry and the dining room. The paneling artfully conceals a secret cloakroom. “The hidden door allowed us to keep the exterior window as is, achieving the symmetry we were looking for—and it’s a fun detail,” says Tim Ernst, the firm partner who managed the project.
“The living room and kitchen are swathed in white and sophisticated creams.”
“A striped sock with the owners’ favorite colors became the springboard for a glamorous dining room.”
When the family began working with Philadelphia-based interior designer Michele Plachter, they gave her a striped sock with their favorite colors. That became the springboard for a glamorous dining room, its walls covered in a dramatic floral pattern set against a moody dark background. In the study, opulent moldings and walls are painted slate blue. The living room and kitchen are swathed in sophisticated creams and white.
“When we look around our house today, we can see how she used that palette to create a look that really feels like us,” the owner says.
ERNST Brothers + Builders
1104 N. Bethlehem Pike, Lower Gwynedd Township, (215) 453-5124
Period Architecture
53 Church Road, Malvern, (610) 719-0101
Michele Plachter Design
709 Walnut St., Suite 2F, Philadelphia, (215) 518-9912
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