I usually avoid posting house tours from the mighty Design*Sponge because I assume lots of you will have already seen them. However I loved this house so much I’m making an exception. It belongs to Philadelphia duo Tara Mangini and Percy Bright who run the Jersey Ice Cream Co (an online shop selling vintage furniture, not dairy treats).
I think what grabs me about this home is that despite being bang slap in the centre of Philadelphia, it has quite a European feel. Obviously this is a sweeping generalisation, but I often feel that the American approach to interior design can feel a bit too contrived for my British tastes. I love how this couple have revealed the fabric of the building in their renovation and decorated with reclaimed and vintage furniture in a way that feels honest and authentic.
The inspiration for the elegant grey room above was a photo of a panelled Parisian apartment. The couple set about recreating the look using reclaimed mouldings from an abandoned local school. The wooden floors are also salvaged from an old gymnasium.
My love of vintage maps as wall art shows no sign of abating.
It’s not often that a house with a damp problem is a good thing, but it did lead Tara and Percy to pull lots of the plaster from their walls exposing the lovely brick in several of the rooms. I’m very envious of all the light streaming into the first bedroom – note the shabby door headboard too.
One day, I will have an office / studio like this! I like the clothes peg and string memo board too. Another nice use of pegs below…
{all Tara Mangini via Design*Sponge & Jersey Ice Cream Co}
I don’t think I’ve seen blackboard paint used in a bathroom before. I think the way they’ve chalked up a simple all-over pattern to create a quirky kind of wallpaper is a great idea and a splash of yellow on grey never goes amiss.
If you’re loving this home too, you’ll find lots of similar vintage bits and pieces in the couple’s Etsy shop.
Decorator's Notebook blog 
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