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Category: Home & Design

Modern designs and mid-century touches live side-by-side in this renovated Lambertville home

As their family grew, Lauren Braun-Strumfels and Kyle Strumfels felt the walls of their 1895 rowhouse in Lambertville, N.J., closing in on them. With two kids, the 16-foot wide, one-bathroom house left a lot to be desired.

They pined after the neighboring standalone house built in the 1970s, an abnormality for the Victorian-era town that attracts antiques lovers to Hunterdon County year-round. Even though maintenance had been deferred for decades, the house sat on an unusually roomy lot for the dense, walkable downtown. The couple, unafraid of a renovation, had a vision for what it could become.

But creating the California modern-inspired ranch house they live in today was not nearly as straightforward. First, buying the house proved challenging.

The exterior of Kyle Strumfels and Lauren Braun-Strumfels’ home in Lambertville, N.J.

“When we finally got to the table and signed the deal, [the seller’s] lawyer said, ‘I thought she was gonna go breach of contract, like, three times!’” Braun-Strumfels, 46, said. The couple felt it on their end, too, as they helped guide their neighbor through the sale. “It was very stressful and very intense.”

They closed for $290,000 in August 2017. The young family moved into the two-bedroom house on Feb. 4, 2018, the day the Eagles won the Super Bowl, recalled Strumfels, 47. Their two kids, now 12 and 9, shared one room while the couple had the other. Everything needed updating.

“With the rowhouse, there were certain things that we just wouldn’t want to do to it, historically, to preserve the character,” Braun-Strumfels said. “This house was a total blank slate. It was neither historic nor attractive, so we felt like we could really transform it.”

In the first of their two major renovations, they funneled $150,000 into moving the kitchen to the front of the house, bumping the back wall of the house out to add more living space, and adding a Jack-and-Jill bathroom connecting the two original bedrooms on top of less exciting but no less important mechanical upgrades. They lived that way for a few years but always knew there was more work to do.

The kitchen, which was relocated in the first round of renovations.

The main bathroom.

The second renovation didn’t go quite as smoothly.

The couple began pursuing a $300,000 construction loan in 2018 that didn’t close until 2020, thanks to a zoning snafu. The amount was intended to leave a nice cushion for finishing details, but by the time the loan was theirs, the pandemic had driven up lumber costs and “our whole budget got eaten by two-by-fours,” Braun-Strumfels said. Their tile budget was whittled down to about $1 per square foot in the bathrooms, meaning Braun-Strumfels had to let go of her plans for elaborate tile and countertops.

They also had to part with one architect who didn’t quite get the couple’s vision. They then hired Princeton-based architect Peter Wasem.

The hallway near the entrance features a large painting that contrasts with the green front door.

Ultimately the renovation added 1,000 square feet for a new entry as well as what they call an “adult wing,” with a walk-in closet that leads to an en suite bathroom. Through a stroke of smart design, the en suite’s water closet doubles as a powder room, creating a circular flow through the wing.

Coming from their rowhouse, which only had two exposures, it was important to Braun-Strumfels and Strumfels to take advantage of the roomy lot’s natural light. The primary bedroom is lined in windows — with a partial view of their old property. Their living room addition also has a large window overlooking the backyard.

The primary bedroom has two-story windows, high ceilings, and a living space.

The original front porch was enclosed to become a shared office for Braun-Strumfels, an associate professor of history at Cedar Crest College, and Strumfels, a senior vice president of ESG and climate at Macquarie Group. A new carport gives the house a distinctly mid-century touch.

The result of the renovations is an open-concept house where the couple’s eclectic furniture, wares, and finishes can live in harmony. Their collection of mid-century furniture and wares from local joints like Rago Auctions coexists with original art, including Strumfels’ favorite piece from Philadelphia’s Material Culture. And that’s on a backdrop of modern finishes like sleek soapstone countertops and Herman Miller pendant lighting over the oversized kitchen island.

“Sometimes I wondered if people would be mad we stuck a modern house in the middle of this town, but people seem to really like it,” Strumfels said. Folks in the area can be very resistant to change, Strumfels said, but “we get a lot of nice feedback.”

Mid-century furniture and original art coexist in an eclectically decorated home.

They have no plans to move, but Braun-Strumfels said they do harbor a hope of someday returning to Philadelphia, where they lived for a year before moving to Lambertville.

Paintings hang on the wall.

One of the children’s bedrooms.

“We have our little pipe dream that we might retire eventually, get a little spot in the city, go back and forth,” she said.

But for now, they’re finally perfectly at home.

Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.

February 18, 2026
House of the week: An end-unit townhouse in Elkins Park for $499,000

She has been staying there only for a few months, but Samantha Robinson knows why her grandparents loved their Elkins Park end-unit townhouse and the neighborhood.

“Everybody says hello,” she said. “Everybody looks out for each other.”

Her mother, Kerry Rosenthal, said her dad “really liked the wall space and the lighting. Being an end unit made it easier for my mom to grow things.”

Rosenthal said it’s possible to walk through the neighborhood and think you’re in a rural area until you hear the commuter rail train nearby .

Her parents — Beverly Green, a writing teacher, and Stephen Green, an attorney — bought the condo in the gated Breyer Woods development in 2011, expecting to renovate it so they could age in place. The Greens died in October.

The back porch with a permanent gas grill.

The 2,936-square-foot house, built in 1993, has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and two half bathrooms.

The main level has a living room with a working gas fireplace, a deck, and a dedicated home office that could serve as a fourth bedroom.

A two-car attached garage leads directly to the laundry room.

The living room has a working gas fireplace.

The upper level primary suite has vaulted ceilings and multiple closets.

The finished walk-out basement has a half bath and kitchenette and opens to a second private deck.

Community residents have access to a tennis court and can join the adjacent student center at the Elkins Park campus of Drexel University, which has a clubhouse and gym.

The kitchen.

The house is a short walk from the Jenkintown SEPTA station, and a supermarket is less than a half-mile away.

The house is listed by Frank Blumenthal at Keller Williams Real Estate Tri-County for $499,000.

February 17, 2026
They added modern amenities to their 18th-century home on a Bucks County farm

In 1985, when Chris and Cynthia Swayze found a three-story colonial on 32 acres of farmland in Central Bucks County, they knew they were facing a challenge. The house, built in the late 1700s, was in disrepair. They also had no farming experience.

But they saw the home’s potential.

“We felt it was a diamond in the rough,” said Chris, a retired engineer.

The home’s prior owner, who had lived there for 40 years, had died. The Swayzes bought the house from her nephew, who shared her history.

The front of the Swayze home and the garage. The house was built in the late 1700s.

“She had one of the original Sylvan pools, and the neighborhood kids learned how to swim in it,” Chris said.

She raised miniature collies on the property and the yard was littered with the remains of chain-link kennels. The collies also left their mark on the floors.

The windows, original to the house, had no screens, and the basement had a pile of coal left over from before the furnace was converted from coal to oil.

The Swayzes immediately got to work cleaning the overgrown property. They removed plaster that had been set over the home’s exterior fieldstones — in vogue in the 1700s. They refinished all the floors, painted, installed air-conditioning, and fixed the pool.

The chicken coop in the backyard.

The house is surrounded by 32 acres of land.

The dining room and sitting area, with details and decor that evoke the home’s history.

A framed map of Philadelphia the Swayzes found when making a home repair.

With no experience in farming, they partnered with a local farmer. Initially he planted corn and soybeans in two back fields. Today they grow hay in those fields. Seven chickens keep them supplied with fresh eggs.

Over the decades, the couple made structural changes, including an addition to the back of the house and a kitchen expansion. Those projects increased the home’s size from roughly 3,000 square feet to about 6,500 square feet, including five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Two of the bedrooms are en suite and include sitting rooms.

The kitchen, which had been a tiny room with a freestanding stove, free-standing refrigerator, and a couple of cabinets with a sink base, saw the greatest transformation. During two separate renovations, they moved a staircase that connected the kitchen to the basement, took down a wall, and broke through an existing kennel to expand the space.

They added cabinets and counters, a peninsula, built-in appliances including a Sub-Zero refrigerator, and a professional range hood. Beyond the kitchen they created a new entrance, vestibule, and pantry. The expansive kitchen also includes a fireplace and a conservatory-style glass roof that they call the “party hat.”

Chris and Cynthia Swayze made significant changes to their kitchen, enlarging it and adding modern appliances.

The conservatory-style glass roof above the dining area.

“We have heat lights under the range hood that keeps food warm,” said Cynthia. “It’s the one thing I can’t live without.”

During a separate renovation, an addition was put on the back of the house with a primary bedroom suite, family room, and finished basement.

Their daughter, Rebecca Nolan, co-owner of Home Tonic in Newtown, designed the interior in a traditional style. The home is filled with ornate chandeliers, intricate woodwork, and walls awash in rich colors as well as bold, colorful, patterned wallpapers.

The puzzle room, where grandson Luke also enjoys playing chess.

Assorted porcelain jars on top of a cabinet in the family room.

One of Cynthia’s favorite rooms is the guest room, painted in a deep chocolate brown, with a custom canopy over the bed.

“I wanted it to feel really cozy, like when you got into that bed you were surrounded by a big hug,” she said.

The puzzle room is where Cynthia and her grandson Luke, 8, hang out. In addition to working puzzles, he’s teaching her how to play chess.

A framed map of Philadelphia on linen, dated 1809, hangs in the basement. They found it in the garage attic when repairing a leak, and were amazed that it had survived.

A pond and many tall trees are on the property.

The home’s expansive grounds offer a breathtaking view from the patio, accessible from the kitchen’s French doors. The peaceful vista includes sights of the swimming pool, pond, chicken coop, fields, and lots of open space. Chris especially appreciates the gigantic ash tree they’ve been treating for ash bore.

“From the circumference we’ve determined it’s over 200 years old,” said Chris. “We appreciate the history that Central Bucks County has to offer.”

Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.

February 11, 2026
House of the week: A mid-century modern home in Drexel Hill for $729,900

“I hate to leave it,” said Stephanie Tauman, “but it’s just too big for me.”

Tauman has spent six years in her four-bedroom, 3½-bathroom 1957 mid-century modern home in Drexel Hill. She bought the house sight unseen in 2019 after viewing it online.

But now, at 3,314 square feet, “it has gotten very big,” so she is planning to move to a smaller home. Tauman, an artist and art teacher, hopes to settle in Philadelphia.

Living room

She does not know who originally commissioned the split-level house. She already owned some mid-century modern furniture and other items when she bought it.

The approach to the house is along a slate walkway with arts and crafts style light fixtures. The exterior is stone and mahogany, and the foyer has a slate and mahogany theme.

The four bedrooms are on the top level, and there are three terraces connecting to the outdoors.

Kitchen

The middle level has the foyer, dining room, kitchen, and sunken living room, which includes a working gas fireplace.

The first level has the family room, powder room, and two-car garage with a heated workroom.

The finished basement has Tauman’s art studio.

Front hall

The eat-in kitchen has a 36-inch cooktop, double convection wall ovens, Corian countertops, and refaced cabinetry.

The family room has a wet bar with sink and second dishwasher.

Terrace

The primary bedroom has an en suite bathroom with whirlpool tub, stand-up shower, walk-in closet, and views of Pilgrim Park.

Another bedroom has mahogany built-ins and could serve as a nursery or study. The hall bath has a large corner bathtub.

Primary bedroom

There is a high-capacity water heating system and landscape lighting.

The house is listed by Joseph Bograd of Elite Realty Group for $729,900.

February 10, 2026
Meet the architect whose style defined modern Jersey Shore homes

Coastal homes featuring wooden gambrel roofs, cedar siding, covered porches, and inside spaces that flow out to patios and pools are mainstays of Jersey Shore properties. The architect who brought that look to the area, arguably, is Mark Asher.

For more than four decades, Asher has left his imprint on homes from Cape May to Rumson to the Philly suburbs, everything from 1,200-square-foot cottages to 15,000-square-foot mansions.

Now principal of Asher Slaunwhite + Partners in Jenkintown, Asher has come a long way since designing his first house in 1986: an 1,800-square-foot Cape Cod in Ocean City for his parents.

“I suppose my parents were looking for a return on their investment,” Asher said. “The house was serviceable. It stood up and didn’t leak, which puts me well ahead of most architects’ first-house experience.”

Architectural blueprints in Asher’s office.

That first solo experience taught him many lessons, mostly “that there was a lot to learn,” he said.

One of those lessons he acquired along the way was that many cultural myths about architects exist, beginning with the notion that architects are generalists who know a little bit about a lot of things. In fact, he said, the reality is that you have to become very, very good at many, many things.

“We are balancing the skills in land use, regulatory environment, technology, budget, and design,” Asher said. “And of course, client relationships. The house — the finished product — is the tip of an enormous iceberg.”

Those relationships have been the cornerstone of his business. He has a long list of repeat customers and takes pride in designing homes for the children of former clients.

Early in his career, Shore homes on Seven Mile Island, home to Avalon and Stone Harbor, were his bread and butter. Today, about 60% of his work comes from the Shore, and the rest from coastal clients who hire him for their inland homes.

Steve and Nancy Graham had Asher design two homes: their Avalon beach house in 2003, and their primary home in Wayne a year later. Nancy had worked for a builder at the time, and was a true collaborator during the design process.

The house of Steve and Nancy Graham in Avalon, which architect Mark Asher designed for the family in 2003.

They razed an existing cottage, replacing it with a two-story, 4,000-square-foot, six-bedroom vacation home for their family, which at the time included their three children. Now, eight grandchildren make memories there.

The Graham’s Shore house was nothing like the Wayne house he designed for them, which replicated that house’s traditional, historical neighbors. Their Avalon property was Asher’s first foray into designing Shore homes and included a gambrel roof, cedar siding, and a covered porch.

“I had designed many houses like this before anyone built one, but I kept getting shot down,” Asher said. “Once it was done, it was like a hit song, and it was all people wanted.”

A childhood passion

As early as he can remember, Asher loved to sail. Spending his summers at the Shore, he’d tool around in a small dinghy, hugging the Jersey coast from Brigantine to Cape May.

“The sights and sounds, the feel, and even the smells of these coastal towns became etched in my memory,” Asher said. “So when I started to work in the various beach towns, it was really just going back to a place I’d already been.”

He had a similar passion for architecture at an early age, curious about old houses. He’d park himself on the curb, sketch pad in hand, and draw the houses he found most interesting. Those were his Architecture 101 lessons.

(From left) Laura Glantz, Jeanine Snyder, Mark Asher, and Deborah Slaunwhite chat in the office of Asher Slaunwhite + Partners in Jenkintown.

“I grew up in old houses, warts and all,” he recalled. “They were constantly being worked on. Saturday mornings invariably meant a trip to the lumberyard or the hardware store. And I love old houses still — their history and their stories.”

After graduating from Virginia Tech School of Architecture in 1982, he worked at various architecture firms, learning the subtleties of his profession. In 1992, the Ocean City Yacht Club hired Asher for a redesign, and in 1995 the Avalon Yacht Club followed suit.

“This was pre-computer, pre-Internet, so the OCYC project was drawn by hand,” he recalled. “Hard work and passion will cover the sins of inexperience.”

Building for today’s family dynamic

Asher’s first home design came in 2000, a relatively small two-coastal cottage that cost about $125 per square foot to build. Today, that same house would cost about eight times that, outpacing the inflation rate by 1,200%, Asher said.

His designs have evolved along with the needs of his clients. Shore houses today are often designed for three generations of living.

“Now you need areas for people to come together, but also to separate under the same roof,” said Michael Buck, president of Buck Custom Homes in Avalon and Ocean City, who has worked with Asher on about 30 projects.

A home in Ocean City designed by architect Mark Asher.

Although homes previously housed multiple generations, they weren’t purposefully designed to accommodate the needs of extended families. In many cases, homes are shifting to a more contemporary style, with five en-suite bedrooms, an elevator, and dedicated HVAC closet.

“Mark’s plans capture a certain simplicity of the coastal environment of the home,” Buck said. “His architecture speaks to a classic, thoughtful approach to how a house blends in with its environment on a micro and macro level.”

Asher’s entry into coastal building brought a greater emphasis on the home’s exterior, both in beauty and function.

“When Mark came to town, the shift toward second homes from purely rental properties had already begun,” said Jack Binder Sr., broker at Ferguson Dechert Real Estate in Avalon. “The affluent, personal-use buyer wanted to express themselves through custom housing that stood apart from the rest and featured high-end amenities.”

“Mark married functional interior space that flowed to exterior entertaining areas allowing his clients to enjoy their home to the max,” Binder said.

One of the homes designed by Mark Asher in Avalon.

Asher’s home interiors are thoughtfully designed, said Allison Valtri, principal of Allison Valtri Interiors in Avalon.

“His windows are very carefully placed so that the light comes in in a way that is unexpected,” Valtri said. “Some of my favorite windows are ones that are capturing the sky. That fulfilling moment of peace is very thoughtful.”

Asher also brought a desire for lush, green lawns to replace the stones that had previously filled the yards. “The stones were hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and ugly all year round,” he said.

“When I began, I was working in a very traditional architectural palette,” he said. “The ’70s and ’80s were not very kind to beach architecture — think big hair and shoulder pads or stucco and a fondness for inexplicable round windows. So I was on a sort of reclamation project.”

If it’s true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Asher should feel quite proud.

An architectural model at the offices of Asher Slaunwhite + Partners.

“He elevates and then watches everyone else catch up,” Buck said. “For example, not long ago, a wood roof was an anomaly, but now it’s mainstream.”

But Asher sees it differently. Imitation just means he needs to challenge himself to find something better.

He shares credit for his successes with those who have helped and inspired him, including his wife and longtime collaborator, Susan Asher, as well as his architect partners, Deborah Slaunwhite and Laura Glantz, and his business partner Jeanine Snyder. He also enjoys mentoring young architects.

“Any profession has a responsibility for the generation that comes after it,” Asher said. “And I’ve often believed that my own start was a little rockier than it might have been. Some early guidance would have been helpful. So you pay it forward.”

February 5, 2026
He celebrated his 30th by putting down roots in Mount Airy

After living in small apartments in Queen Village and Rittenhouse Square, Cooper Lee Kidd was ready to start shopping for his first home.

The Washington, D.C., native, who works in banking and volunteers for the Philly Goat Project, wanted more indoor space and more yard for gardening and entertaining friends. He purchased his home one day before his 30th birthday.

“This is the first house that we saw,” Kidd said on an autumn afternoon. The light from his living room window highlighted a strand of his purple hair. “I looked at another one, a rowhouse in South Philly, but it was literally sinking into the ground. We came back to this one.”

The 900-square-foot rowhouse, nestled near the end of the block in East Mount Airy, was thoughtfully designed, he said. The home, outfitted with hardwood floors, tall ceilings, and lots of natural light, felt less cookie-cutter and industrial than the many other houses he saw online. Most important, he said, it was located in a progressive neighborhood with a strong sense of community.

The entry to Kidd’s rowhouse.

The living room, where a plant in the window enjoys the afternoon sun.

“I wanted to be very intentional about moving to the area. I didn’t want to live in a neighborhood that was all white. It’s also very economically diverse and that was very important to me,” he said. “Plus, you are near public transportation. You are near nature. There is so much happening here.”

In the front room, a large ornate mantel anchors the space. A decorative leaded glass door leads to a cozy porch. He painted the porch black and decorated it with a pride flag and corn that he grew in the backyard.

A steep set of stairs divides the living room and adjacent dining room, which like other areas of the home are decorated with Kidd’s photography, including images from his trips to Zion National Park, Assateague Island, and Chicago. Rustic wooden doors lead to a bathroom, which used to be a closet, and to the basement. The dining room boasts decorative tile, a large cabinet, and dining table.

“The previous owner left a lot of furniture. He got out of here very fast,” Kidd said. The owner, who moved out of the country, left the dining room cabinet, the TV stand, a bed frame, and even a French sports car that he tried to sell to Kidd.

The larger kitchen with a dishwasher was an upgrade for Kidd.

The upstairs landing and bathroom.

Kidd didn’t buy the car, but he was grateful for the furniture. “It’s very expensive to furnish a home.”

In the back of the rowhouse, the spacious L-shaped kitchen came with oak cabinets, concrete countertops, and a dishwasher. While he’s not a huge fan of the countertops, Kidd said he was grateful for the upgrades.

“When I was in Rittenhouse, I had to wash dishes in the bathtub,” he said.

Double doors lead to a quaint deck, wooden pergola, and postage-stamp yard.

The outdoor space was a major draw for Kidd. It took him weeks to clean out the yard, but he was able to grow several plants during his first summer in the home.

This past summer, Kidd spent some free time growing broccoli, kale, tomatoes, and native plants, purchased from local business Good Host Plants. It had taken weeks to clean out the trash that the previous owner had left in the yard.

“I had never gardened before,” Kidd said. “I grew up in a normal suburban home. My parents gardened. I don’t think my brother and I were interested at the time.”

The last batch of tomatoes Kidd harvested from his backyard garden is piled into bowls in his kitchen.

Kidd’s garden during the summer, as the flowers were blooming. He worked to clear out the yard and make space for plants and seating after moving in.

Kidd attended the University of Maryland for his undergraduate degree in sociology. He went on to work for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for several years, studying HIV in adolescents, before the grant funding his work was cut. He then returned to graduate school at the University of Maryland. In 2022, he started his current job in banking and finance.

He uses the second bedroom upstairs as his office. Painted a moody hunter green, the office is outfitted with built-in bookcases and a charming pocket door.

The front bedroom faces a historic cemetery. The open space provides for a nice view.

“The Realtor joked that I could commune with my ancestors,” he said. “But you get a really nice sunrise and sunset. There’s no obstruction.”

The home office is made cozy with a velvety couch and throw pillows.

Kidd is grateful the city and neighborhood even has affordable and attainable homes for someone his age.

“This home feels very cozy, so much more than the apartments. It feels like mine.”

Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.

February 4, 2026
House of the week: A historic five-bedroom house in Media for $785,000

Kai Lu and Edward Mendez had expected to spend many years in the spacious Media home, enjoying the easy access to Center City by SEPTA Regional Rail, the good schools for their two-year-old son and the second on the way, and its aura of history.

But in the words of Lu, who is in data analytics for a major communications company, “life intervened.”

Mendez landed his dream job as a data analyst for the Miami Marlins baseball team, and the couple are headed to Florida after two years in the house.

The living room. The home has four working fireplaces.

The five-bedroom, 4½-bathroom home was once the general store of Providence Village, and Lu says she doesn’t know when the changeover came.

The earliest part of the house dates to the 18th century, with some 19th-century additions.

The 4,334-square-foot house has three floors of living space plus an unfinished basement, and four working fireplaces powered by electric inserts.

Front hall

The home has its original hardwood floors and a two-zone thermostat system with central air and forced heat.

The newly renovated kitchen has quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, gas cooking, a separate coffee bar and pantry area, and an adjacent sunroom.

The formal dining room has built-in shelves and a fireplace.

The kitchen, which includes a dining area.

The primary bedroom and another bedroom are on the second floor, along with a laundry room.

The third floor has three additional bedrooms — one of which serves as an office — two full bathrooms, and a full-sized cedar closet.

The formal dining room has built-in shelves.

Updates by the current owners include partial roof replacement, resurfacing and staining the hardwood floors, new flooring in the kitchen, exterior stone repointing, custom window treatments, and a new sewer line.

The house is in the Rose Tree Media School District.

It is listed by Amanda Terranova and Adam Baldwin of Compass Realty for $785,000.

February 3, 2026
House of the week: A three-bedroom twin in Mount Airy for $600,000

For Cheryl and Jesse Jacobs, the three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom twin in Mount Airy had it all: friendly neighbors, good schools, nearby parks, and a short walk to the Sedgwick SEPTA Regional Rail station.

And for Jesse, a finished basement he called “my man cave,” where he played with the couple’s son.

The house had been in their family a long time. Cheryl grew up there. When her father died in 2013, they decided to make major renovations.

The home’s living room. There are working wood-burning fireplaces on the first level and in the basement.

They opened up the kitchen on the lower floor, reworked the primary bathroom to enlarge the shower, installed recessed lighting, and replaced the water heater and home heating system.

Now the Jacobs family — he’s a retired facilities manager for large corporations; she’s a semi-retired HR consultant — are downsizing to a home in South Jersey and planning to winter in Florida with their son.

The Mount Airy house, built in the 1920s, is 2,062 square feet and has a brick-and-stone facade.

The kitchen.

The main level has a large living room with hardwood floors, and the dining room has the original plaster detailing. Arched French doors lead into the kitchen, which has stained glass windows.

There are working wood-burning fireplaces on the first level and in the basement.

The three bedrooms are on the second level.

The basement could serve as a home office, media room, or in-law suite.

One of the home’s bathrooms.

The house has a covered front porch, a two-car garage with extra storage space, two green outdoor areas, and a rear patio.

Mount Airy Playground, Pleasant Playground, and Benjamin L. Johnston Memorial Stadium are all easily accessible.

The house is in the Henry H. Houston School catchment area.

It is listed by Cherise Wynne of Compass Realty for $600,000.

January 29, 2026
A look inside one couple’s office-turned-apartment on Market Street

Allison Levari and Frank DiMeo were among the first tenants to move into 17 Market West last June. DiMeo had driven past the converted office building during construction and was intrigued.

“When I did the tour I was just wowed by it,” recalled DiMeo, an attorney at Rosen, Schafer, & DiMeo.

Their corner unit faces southeast, flooding the apartment with natural light through windows that stretch from the floor nearly to the ceiling. The 1,200-square-foot unit features an open-concept floor plan with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

“We love the city feel, seeing the skyline,” said Levari, a court stenographer. She opens the windows each morning, letting in the fresh air and sounds of the city. “I will follow the light around the apartment throughout the day, finding the sunniest spot to enjoy a good book.”

The kitchen, dining area, and living room, where light pours in from the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows.

Those windows were a priority when Alterra Property Group converted the old Morgan Lewis office building into an 18-story, 299-unit luxury apartment building, opened last May.

“Replacing the old office windows with floor-to-ceiling glass was a complex work sequence but necessary in order to transform the interiors, bringing in natural light and city views that define the new apartments,” said property manager Jennifer Oyola.

The surprisingly smooth process of turning offices into apartments in Philly’s first big conversion project

The design pays quiet tribute to its origins, honoring the strength and scale of a classic Center City high-rise while reshaping it for the way people live now, she added.

The couple enjoy dining in front of the wall of windows, watching the activity down below. In the evening, they admire the sights of City Hall, Liberty Place, and other buildings lighting up.

The guest bedroom, with views of the street below.

DiMeo says dining in the apartment feels like dinner at a fancy restaurant.

“Frank says he feels like he’s at a fancy restaurant with the view, especially at night,” Levari said.

Both love to cook, and Italian food is their specialty. The kitchen is equipped with Samsung appliances, including a smart oven with phone app features, which is especially helpful to ensure they turned the stove off, Levari said with a laugh. There is plenty of counter space for meal prep and a lot of cabinet space.

The apartment’s construction — windows framed in black, light brown luxury vinyl tile plank floors, and plentiful glass — lends itself to a contemporary design.

Levari chose mostly neutral tones with pops of color to complement the look. She enjoys mixing classic pieces with vintage styles.

The Alanda glass coffee table, made by Italian designer Paolo Piva, complements the apartment’s contemporary style.

The living room features a lush velvet navy blue couch, a comfy spot to curl up on weekend nights and watch TV. The couple bought their Alanda glass coffee table, made by Italian designer Paolo Piva, at B&B Italia in New York.

“It’s one of those designs that never goes out of style,” Levari said.

The guest room/office includes the bedroom furniture she shipped over from Italy, where she lived for many years and taught English. It’s a comfortable reminder of the time she spent there. The only drawback is that the mattress is a European size that would be difficult to replace and it’s hard to find sheets that fit.

“I felt it was worth it for the memories, look, and quality,” Levari said. “It’s hard to find pieces of quality that you love. Therefore, the shipping cost made sense.”

The walnut Renaissance revival style cabinet in the primary bedroom came from a vintage shop outside of Como, Italy.

The kitchen provides ample counter space and cabinet storage, with stainless steel appliances and gold details.

Levari and DiMeo appreciate the building’s amenities, starting with the rooftop, which includes a saltwater pool, sauna, and cold plunge.

“You really get the city vibe there because it’s on the 19^th floor and you have all the highest buildings in the city surrounding you,” Levari said.

Other amenities include the fitness center with a turfed area for cross training, pickleball and basketball courts, a yoga studio, and sport simulator. A club-style lounge includes a chef’s prep kitchen, private dining room, and billiards table. For furry friends, there’s a pet spa and park.

Decorations on the dining room table echo the gold details in the kitchen.

The apartment is decorated in neutral tones with some pops of color, like this throw pillow on the guest bed.

The couple are embracing life in the city, where they can walk to great restaurants, shows, concerts, and the ballet. But they are also happy to come back home.

“Having our corner apartment with the huge windows makes it feel like I’m on vacation,” said DiMeo.

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January 28, 2026
House of the Week: A two-story end-unit condo near the Schuylkill for $749,000

“It has a country feeling,” said Sruthi Selvam, “but if you walk out the gate, you’re downtown in 10 minutes. And the landscaping is beautiful.”

Selvam and her husband, Kamesh Arumuzam, spent three years in the three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom end-unit condo in the Naval Square community.

The couple bought the unit in 2022 while Selvam, a dentist, was in an international dental program at the University of Pennsylvania. Now the two, both natives of India, and their two young children have returned to California, where she is setting up a practice, and he is a software engineer.

Kitchen

The unit features a private terrace spanning the width of the property. On the first level, it has an open-concept living and dining area and a kitchen with Shaker-style maple cabinetry, stone countertops, a glass tile backsplash, Brazilian cherry hardwood flooring, and a half bath.

There is also a coat closet tucked under the stairs.

The second-floor primary suite includes an exposed brick wall, an oversized walk-in closet, dual sinks, a soaking tub, and a separate stall shower.

The open-concept living and dining area.

Two other bedrooms have French sliders that open to a covered terrace, a laundry area, front-loading washer/dryer, and shared hall bath.

The attached one-car garage has ample storage and an electric car charger, and there are dual thermostats and a Ring alarm system.

The primary bedroom.

The water heater was replaced in 2022, the HVAC system in 2024.

Community amenities include a pool and fitness center, picnic areas, guest parking and a community room.

A private terrace private spans the width of the property.

Naval Square is close to the South Street Bridge, the University of Pennsylvania, Rittenhouse Square, and Schuylkill River Park. It is also pet-friendly.

The unit is listed by Jocelyn Morris of Compass Realty for $749,000.

January 21, 2026