My Houzz: Color and Texture Fill an Eclectic Pittsburgh Row House
Moroccan touches join exposed brick, salvaged materials and scads of books in this home for a creative couple
Great design comes in many forms. But one recurring constant is that great design happens at the hands of one or more creative individuals. How else could something like a dilapidated and abandoned Pittsburgh row house be shockingly transformed into an arty and eclectic home that perfectly embodies the couple who inhabits it?
That was the case for Alissa Martin, the owner of a local clothing and shoe company, and her husband, a psychologist. The creative couple spent a year working with mossArchitects and Botero Development in the initial stages to customize their run-down, two-bedroom space to seamlessly marry Martin’s modern-edged Moroccan design with her husband’s penchant for reading and collecting. In the end, color and texture dominate by way of exposed brick and ceiling beams, a vibrant wall mural and casual-cool patterned wallpaper and bedding.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Alissa Martin and her husband, pug Milo and Alaskan Malamute–mix Lakota
Location: Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh
Size: 2,600 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
That was the case for Alissa Martin, the owner of a local clothing and shoe company, and her husband, a psychologist. The creative couple spent a year working with mossArchitects and Botero Development in the initial stages to customize their run-down, two-bedroom space to seamlessly marry Martin’s modern-edged Moroccan design with her husband’s penchant for reading and collecting. In the end, color and texture dominate by way of exposed brick and ceiling beams, a vibrant wall mural and casual-cool patterned wallpaper and bedding.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Alissa Martin and her husband, pug Milo and Alaskan Malamute–mix Lakota
Location: Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh
Size: 2,600 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Martin requested that the reclaimed wood floors — rescued from a Polish dance hall that was torn down to make room for the Tower at PNC Plaza (billed as the greenest skyscraper in the world) — not be "refinished in any way in order to preserve the aged patina and unique color variations," she says.
Years of abandonment meant the kitchen had to be completely gutted. Exposed original ceiling beams, simple white subway tiles, open shelving and Ikea cabinets painted blue now highlight the couple's eclectic aesthetic. They spent extra time selecting the finishes in the kitchen, as well as in the bathroom, because they felt these would be a more permanent investment.
Kitchen cabinet hardware: Anthropologie; cabinet paint: Sea Glass, Martha Stewart Living (Glidden); sink: Ikea; shelves: Wade Caruso Woodworking
Kitchen cabinet hardware: Anthropologie; cabinet paint: Sea Glass, Martha Stewart Living (Glidden); sink: Ikea; shelves: Wade Caruso Woodworking
Reclaimed wood chandelier: Roxanne's Dried Flowers
Wallpaper: Grand Game for Anthropologie
Behind Lakota, the couple’s Alaskan Malamute mix, is a wooden console displaying travel mementos. The couple spend most of their time on this first floor entertaining friends and hanging out with their beloved dogs.
Milo, a 13-year-old pug, poses unimpressed in front of the living room's reclaimed wood bookcases, created by Wade Caruso Woodworking.
This sitting room, which is a work in progress, is home to the couple's vintage record player, acquired from the set of the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
The bedroom loft is on the third floor, where original pine flooring has been patched, sanded and sealed with polyurethane.
The bathroom features imported Moroccan hand-printed ceramic floor tiles by U.K. textile designer Dominic Crinson.
Reclaimed wood frames the door to the main bedroom.
Skylights lend a modern touch to the original exposed beam ceiling.
Bedding, curtains, rug: Anthropologie; chandelier: Pottery Barn; upholstered headboard: Hot Haute Hot
Bedding, curtains, rug: Anthropologie; chandelier: Pottery Barn; upholstered headboard: Hot Haute Hot
Pictured here is the couple’s shared office nook.
Desk: Flatiron, Restoration Hardware; folding chairs: Terai, Anthropologie
Desk: Flatiron, Restoration Hardware; folding chairs: Terai, Anthropologie
The second floor features a guest bedroom dressed in bold bursts of color.
Bedding: Anthropologie; wall paint: Sea Anemone, Martha Stewart Living (Glidden)
Bedding: Anthropologie; wall paint: Sea Anemone, Martha Stewart Living (Glidden)
The second-floor bathroom is outfitted in white subway tile, while alluring Moroccan-inspired ceramic tiles from Dominic Crinson line the floor.
Show us your renovated loft
Show us your renovated loft
Martin is originally from the D.C. metro area but has called Pittsburgh home for the past 11 years. College friends from Penn State initially lured her to Pittsburgh, and the architecture, character and affordability enticed her to stay and open Pavement, a clothing and shoe store.