Another one bites the dust. For the second time! A Second Empire “twin” house in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, built around 1880, witnessed an exhaustive makeover in the late 1960’s in a semi-successful effort to transform the narrow townhouse into a sprawling ranch style home. The original Victorian-era interior was scrapped in favor of current fashion — with a heavy emphasis on kitsch.

Roughly a half century later, history has repeated itself. The house first came to my attention last spring when Devyn shared its deliciously campy late mid-century aesthetic with me. I celebrated the quirky interior in a tribute post. An exhaustive remodeling ensued, and within a day of the property’s return to the market, Chad notified me of the fact. Thanks to both for their vigilance!

Following are six “Before and After” photo pairs to illustrate the most recent transformation. Your thoughts, as always, are appreciated…

The exterior prior to the makeover. Image source: movoto.com


I’m actually very OK with the exterior color changes… and applaud the 2-over-2 window sash. Image source: zillow.com


The living room, in all of its glorious artificiality. Image source: movoto.com



The same room, today. Image source: zillow.com



The living room fireplace last spring. Image source: movoto.com



The living room fireplace today. Image source: zillow.com



The dining room was previously framed by two staircases. The one at left led to the basement while the one in the background, separated from the room by translucent plastic panels, led to the second floor. Image source: movoto.com



The same room today. A new stairwell — located roughly where the china hutch stood before — replaces the earlier staircases. Image source: zillow.com



This view of the previous dining room shows the kitchen beyond. Image source: movoto.com



The current version is much more open-concepty… just like on TV!!!

Image source: zillow.com


The former kitchen. Yes, it definitely had some issues. Image source: movoto.com



Looking from a similar vantage point today. Image source: zillow.com


There are, of course, more photos of the house, but you get the idea. For those that want to see the rest of the transformation, here’s a link. Please let me know your reactions… good or bad!

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