Penny Greene has some impressive home-staging transformations to go with her vast portfolio of inspiring interior design projects. She does both well, but it was through her staging work that she cultivated a lasting five-year relationship with one client, in particular.
“I’d staged their home in Radnor, which was for sale,” says Greene. “Once it sold, they asked me if I’d come do the interior design work in their new home.”
The homeowners expected Greene to work the same magic on their new Gladwyne home—and Greene certainly delivered. The basic builder’s spec house had all the luxury details you’d expect, but it lacked personality.
“Everything was white,” says the owner. “Color can change your mood and really make a difference in how you live. My husband and I couldn’t wait to get color on the walls.”
Greene’s assignment: Add some flair to the space with dramatic light fixtures, custom window treatments and lots of color. “I utilize many of the same vendors,” says Greene. “I trust the experts at these places, and they always can help me find exactly what I’m looking for.”
The client’s extensive art collection also had to be incorporated into the home. “We have a very eclectic [mix],” says the owner. “I like a lot of vintage posters. Whether it’s a painting or a poster, we’re attracted to art that has a lot of color.”
While the home’s exterior is the more traditional manor style, the owners were looking for a strikingly contemporary aesthetic on the inside. “The house was built in 2007, and it’s a fine example of how traditional and contemporary design can be blended to fit tastes and lifestyles,” says Greene.
The owners had definite opinions on furniture, paint colors and accessories. “It’s easy to work with people who know what they want and how to make decisions,” Greene says.
Since much of the furniture came from the previous house, the main focus was on picking appropriate finishing touches for each room. “It was part of my job to help them decide what furniture and accessories they could keep and what to let go,” says Greene. “I’m not into throwing things out if you don’t have to. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make a gorgeous home—I really believe that.”
A framed vintage Andy Warhol poster created for Chanel No. 5 is among the owner’s most treasured pieces. “It’s my absolute favorite,” she says. “When we see a piece of art we like, we get it and figure out where to put it later.”
The massive poster deserved to be displayed prominently—and the living room was the perfect spot. The print’s gold and blue shades inspired the colors throughout the room. “If that piece of art was missing, the room would be missing,” says Greene, who chose a yellow-gold paint for the walls.
The beige, kidney-shaped ultra-suede couches and oversized chocolate-brown ottoman—all solids—complement the striped grommet drapes and custom copper rods. Greene managed to find an amazing area rug with a pattern and colors strikingly similar to those of the drapes. “I’m not a matchy-matchy type of designer,” she says. “However, it worked very well in this room.”
The fabric from the drapes was also used for a set of custom pillows on the couches, accented with a second set in blue and brown. A vibrant unframed painting by acclaimed local artist John Stango rests atop the stone fireplace mantel. “Not all art has to be framed or hung,” says Greene. “You just know when a piece can stand on its own.”
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Though Greene is always willing to experiment with color, she firmly believes that the interior design has to flow. That allows for a certain familiarity as you go from room to room. “Similar hues of yellows, blues and browns are used throughout the first floor,” she says.
In the formal dining room, an exotic Parsons-style zebrawood table takes center stage. Eight black basket-weave chairs work perfectly with the black stripes in the table and the stainless steel sideboard with basket-weave front. “I bought that piece for a previous home,” says the owner. “It’s neutral, and I knew a lot of different furniture could be mixed with it.”
Poised atop the sideboard, a dainty MacKenzie-Childs tea set brings an unexpected element to the room. “People are surprised when I say that I’m a fan of MacKenzie-Childs, because they assume it’s more traditional,” the owner says. “I think it goes with both traditional and modern décor.”
Chocolate brown was the agreed upon color for the dining room, but Greene knew the space needed something to make it pop. An accent wall done in a variation of the yellow gold used in the living room was enough. “Paint is the most inexpensive way to dramatically change any space,” says Greene.
A single oversight made a dramatic impact on the breakfast room. The owners had found a spectacular light fixture for the center hall. But when the electrician came to install it, there was a problem. “It hung too low,” says the homeowner. “People over 6 feet would smack their heads on it.”
The electrician suggested hanging it above the breakfast room table, with its dark, high-sheen wood and set of cream-colored leather chairs—plus an additional set of bench seats—all with square cutout details in the backs. A vintage poster depicting pasta on a fork lends a playful air to an otherwise sophisticated space.
The adjoining gourmet kitchen has a large granite-topped island, stainless steel appliances, a granite backsplash with pot-filler, and a built-in desk area. A nod to the owner’s love of animal prints emerges in the subtle giraffe-print window treatments above the sink.
In the master bedroom suite, Greene was inspired by the bedding, resulting in the muted Tiffany-blue walls. Stripes on the bedding were echoed in a fabric for two club chairs in the adjoining sitting area. A stately dark-espresso standing mirror balances the small area.
Animal-print towels and rugs were the accents of choice in the luxurious master bath, with its corner soaking tub and dark-espresso cabinetry. Deeper hues of blue were used for the young sons’ bedrooms. In the smaller of the two, a print taken from the famous “Blue Dog” series by George Rodrigue fit perfectly with the color scheme—along with a vintage Mickey Mouse print their son likes.
Here, Greene took a calculated risk, combining extra-wide, horizontal navy-blue stripes with a contrasting lighter shade of navy. “I was afraid the stripes were going to make the room look smaller,” the owner admits. “But they didn’t.”
While the home’s third floor is already devoted to a playroom, Greene is set to begin working her magic on the lower level, which will include a gym, media area and guest bedroom.
“All homes should be a reflection of the people living there,” she says. “My job is to guide owners in the right direction.”
RESOURCES
Interior Design: Penny Greene, Penny Greene Interior Design and Home Staging, Gladwyne, (610) 220-8334
Furniture: Dwelling, 4050 Main St., Philadelphia; (215) 487-7400, dwellinghome.com
Lighting: Details Lighting, 167 Bala Ave., Bala Cynwyd; (610) 667-9938, detailslighting.com
Window treatments: Walls & Windows, 169 Bala Ave., Bala Cynwyd; (610) 664-7666, wallsandwindows.net
