My Houzz: DIY Efforts Transform a South Philly Row House
Elbow grease and creative thinking take an early-1900s home in Pennsylvania into the realm of knockout style
Using clever DIY methods, Craigslist bargains and materials from big-box stores, interior design couple Percy Bright and Tara Mangini have fashioned a gorgeous custom style for their three-story, early-20th-century row house in South Philadelphia.
They used laths to create a rustic wood accent wall, repurposed vintage green theater seats for a cool row in the kitchen and salvaged 400 feet of molding from an abandoned school, all for a knockout look that shows how far smart thinking and elbow grease can go.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Percy Bright and Tara Mangini
Location: South Philadelphia
Size: 1,900 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
They used laths to create a rustic wood accent wall, repurposed vintage green theater seats for a cool row in the kitchen and salvaged 400 feet of molding from an abandoned school, all for a knockout look that shows how far smart thinking and elbow grease can go.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Percy Bright and Tara Mangini
Location: South Philadelphia
Size: 1,900 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Bright built this his-and-her desk using salvaged butcher block from an abandoned North Philadelphia school. A clothesline between the windows displays the couple's collection of postcards, photographs and thank-you notes from clients.
In addition to decorating their home together, Bright and Mangini, shown here, own an interior design business together called Jersey Ice Cream Company, as well as a vintage furniture shop. "We get bored very easily," Mangini says.
Mangini took the wall text (a play on "mistakes and all") from custom notecards she used to make and sell through the couple's Etsy shop.
"It felt like the perfect match for a studio," she says, "where mistakes and aches would be occurring."
"It felt like the perfect match for a studio," she says, "where mistakes and aches would be occurring."
To create this graphic wall treatment off the kitchen, Bright cut waxed freezer paper into about 550 circles over two days; he then ironed them onto a white wall and painted the wall a hand-mixed light gray.
The couple scored the row of vintage green theater seats off Craigslist.
The couple scored the row of vintage green theater seats off Craigslist.
Bright spent about $15,000 remodeling the kitchen himself. The renovation included all-new appliances, a sliding door, cabinets, counters and tiles. He also removed a dividing wall between the original kitchen and a small dining room.
Cabinets, hardware, appliances, countertops: Ikea
Cabinets, hardware, appliances, countertops: Ikea
Sink and walnut butcher block countertops: Ikea
The couple used classic white subway tiles from Home Depot in the kitchen. "A unique tile can make a difference, but if you're on a budget, going with a classic tile from the hardware store is nothing to be ashamed of," Mangini says. "It always looks great, and you can save a few hundred to a few thousand dollars that you can put toward something else that really does need the money."
Subway tile: Home Depot
Subway tile: Home Depot
The front room has a temporary setup. It holds the couple's many vintage pieces while they decide whether to turn the space into an appointment-only showroom for their business or a formal dining room.
"This is a beautiful space that hasn't found its true calling yet," says Mangini.
"This is a beautiful space that hasn't found its true calling yet," says Mangini.
Though it looks authentic, the room's beautiful molding is not original; it's the creation of Bright, who salvaged, cut, installed and painted 400 feet of oak basecap molding from an abandoned school in North Philadelphia. He did the whole room for about $500 in paint and caulk costs.
Bright added a smoky custom-mixed gray to the room, which was previously "hideous red," he says. He left the fireplace surround unpainted for contrast.
Stacks of vintage books fill the fireplace.
School lockers: Brimfield Antique Show
Stacks of vintage books fill the fireplace.
School lockers: Brimfield Antique Show
A vintage U.S. map purchased for $50 at a Philadelphia flea market, a handmade coatrack and a salvaged wood bench adorn the home's entryway.
This stained glass door is original to the home, which was built in the early 20th century.
In less than a day, Bright installed narrow strips of wood, called laths, that he had accumulated during the renovation process to create a rustic wall in the guest bedroom. "You can't beat free materials," he says.
The iron bed, dresser and bedding are all vintage.
The iron bed, dresser and bedding are all vintage.
Chalkboard paint creates a custom "wallpaper" design in the guest bathroom.
Light fixtures: Progress Lighting, Home Depot
Light fixtures: Progress Lighting, Home Depot
After discovering that the framing on the front of the house wouldn't accommodate a new door, Bright used the planned replacement to create this unique headboard in the bedroom.
Door: vintage, ReStore
Door: vintage, ReStore
After removing a closet system along the main bedroom wall, Bright was left with nothing but cracked plaster. Rather than patch the wall, he chipped the plaster away to expose the brick.
Area rug: HomeGoods
Area rug: HomeGoods
He then upgraded the remaining walls in the bedroom with custom plaster work.
Bright made these yellow fixtures from porcelain sockets and cloth-wrapped wire. "We often struggle with finding lighting that we have a strong love for, so making our own is often the solution," he says.
Curtains: Ikea
Curtains: Ikea
This heirloom dresser, from Bright's grandmother, is one of the only pieces in the main bedroom that the couple didn't make themselves.
Door: vintage, Provenance Architecturals
Door: vintage, Provenance Architecturals
Bright says it cost about $6,000 to renovate the main bathroom, including $1,000 for a plumber to tap into the cast iron drain stack.
The homeowner saved a lot of money by doing most of the work himself. He estimates he spent between $30,000 and $40,000 on materials, hiring help and doing various outdoor projects. That includes $1,500 for cement and rebar for a deck trellis and plants, and $6,000 for a rooftop deck and staircase.
Light fixtures: Illumine, Home Depot
See more photos of this home
The homeowner saved a lot of money by doing most of the work himself. He estimates he spent between $30,000 and $40,000 on materials, hiring help and doing various outdoor projects. That includes $1,500 for cement and rebar for a deck trellis and plants, and $6,000 for a rooftop deck and staircase.
Light fixtures: Illumine, Home Depot
See more photos of this home
While oak floors on the first level were exposed when Bright moved in — he met Mangini just as he was finishing up the renovations — he had to remove wall-to-wall carpeting and layers of paint to uncover the original flooring on the second and third levels, a project that he estimates cost around $1,000 and a few weeks of his time. "The stairs got new treads and risers, and dry times were longer in the winter," he says.
Bed frame: Brimfield Antique Show