The exterior of this c. 1880 twin house in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood does little to suggest the surprisingly intact mid-century makeover found inside. Late 1960’s aesthetic preferences popular with the masses abound: Fake masonry, fake paneling, fake beams, drop ceilings, wood shingles, wall-to-wall carpeting, luminous ceiling panels, etc., all merge to create a memorable interior which is at drastic odds with the exterior.
A big thank you to Devyn of Our Philly Row who spotted this remarkable vintage remodeling and passed it on to me. Let’s go inside!
Deliciously abundant pretense remains eerily undisturbed after a half-century of use. Fake masonry covers one side wall while green-tinted wood “paneling” lines the other. Decorative beams “support” a drop ceiling while peachy wall-to-wall carpet leads to the room’s focal point… Image source: movoto.com
The former bay window of the original parlor has been converted to a stage-like area showcasing two plants and an empty table in a puzzling allocation of space. Rustic wood shingles contrast sharply with the swagged drapery framing the stage. Image source: movoto.com
The other end of the living room sports a large fireplace which would be right at home in any mid-century ranch house. Which makes sense, because it is obvious that this remodeling was an enthusiastic attempt to make a narrow city town house look and feel like a sprawling ranch house. The wide opening at left opens to the entry hall. Image source: movoto.com
The absence of risers gives the stair an open feeling. Luminous ceiling panels no doubt brighten the space when all the fluorescent bulbs are operational. To get to the dining room, just walk to your left beneath the staircase… Image source: movoto.com
The dining room is partially screened from the staircase by patterned amber plastic panels. A balustrade, possibly repurposed from the original main staircase, appears to have its balusters inverted. An amber swag lamp hangs before a veneer of fake stone which offers some relief from the relentless wood paneling. Image source: movoto.com
The kitchen opens to the far end of the dining room… Image source: movoto.com
Another luminous ceiling is found here, this one featuring slightly angled “beams”. Image source: movoto.com
I can’t tell where this bathroom is located, but it maintains the late 60’s theme rather playfully. A sunken tub in pale lavender (or is it violet mist?) echoes the sink and toilet. Check out the butterfly mosaic in the wall tile! More angled ceiling beams are found in this space. Image source: movoto.com
This space is clearly on the third floor, within the mansard roof. Image source: movoto.com
Another view of the room. This must have been a fun space to hang out in during the 70’s! Image source: movoto.com
This is how the attic room appears from the street. Image courtesy Google Street View.
Another visually-arresting bathroom of indeterminate location. Image source: movoto.com
And a third bathroom! Image source: movoto.com
A view from the back yard of the neighboring and attached house — which is also listed for sale. At the time of this writing, there is a pending offer on the property.
Your observation is keen and your commentary exquisite.
Glad you posted it! Clearly the owner in the late 1960’s wanted to please his wife by remodeling the entire interior with the latest in style. This was not a cheap remodel by any means, but it also hasn’t held up nearly as well as the original interior would have if left alone.
I am sure that the house will sell to a flipper who will gut the entire interior and fill it with sheetrock, engineered “hand scrapped” wood floors, and can lights throughout.
This house lifted my spirits; it’s delicious! If it were mine, I would be tempted to really play up the kitsch — taking a cue from the painting of a horse over the piano in the living room. I’m talkin’ oil-on-velvet paintings everywhere with lots of early 1970’s “Mediterranean” furnishings. Maybe a fake suit of armor somewhere. Clunky and rustic wood, wrought iron, and lots of gaudy crushed velvet upholstery. And tons of light fixtures and swag lamps with red, amber or green glass shades. Shag carpet in every room, of course, except the kitchen and baths. They would get loudly patterned vinyl floors attempting to imitate Spanish tile!
Sadly, I fear you are correct; it will likely be gutted and HGTV’d into absolute mediocrity. Few will be able to appreciate this particular type of time capsule.
Regarding the original interior, I know you are correct. It definitely would have held up better than this 1960’s makeover, but I’m still charmed by its kitschiness! Thanks again for sharing it!
Fun! I knew both houses were for sale, but for some reason thought the realtor was just showing one twin… I didn’t think to look up the other address, but I’m glad you did! Clearly both houses have been under the same ownership for a long time, and were “updated” by the same visionary. The other twin makes it more clear just what kind of detail was scrapped in favor of high kitsch. Looks like the realtor may have gotten the bathroom photos jumbled up; some are in both listings. The plaster cornices and ceiling medallions are nice here; perhaps they have survived next door under the thin veneer of modernity. If these houses are flipped, I’ll do a follow-up post on their new looks! Thanks for the link!
I have one more update on this – the new owner bought both twins and is opening the place to the public on Sunday from 10 to 12 to give the contents away.
Hmmm. I guess we all knew this was coming. I’ll do a follow-up post on the inevitable transformation after one or both houses come back on the market! I’m impressed that the new owner is giving the contents away; at least it is recognized that this sort of kitsch has some value to others… that’s kind of heart-warming. Thanks for the information!
This is absolutely hideous. The house must have a severe lack of daylight from the looks of these pictures, an issue which is only made worse by the dark wood paneling everywhere. Incredibly dingy. When a house is designed with daylight in mind, you might get away with this, but not here.
And that sunken tub! Who wants to have a view of the underside of the toilet while they’re cleaning themselves?
The house is interesting as a time capsule, but a total disaster otherwise imo.
LOL! Excellent point about the tub! Yes, the house fails in numerous ways — both practical and aesthetic — but captures well some of the decor of a time which did not last very long and which is not likely to be emulated in the future. In some instances we can learn from our past mistakes. I revel in the sheer tackiness of these interiors that have somehow survived to offer us this brief and unedited glimpse into the past.
Your observation is keen and your commentary exquisite.
Glad you posted it! Clearly the owner in the late 1960’s wanted to please his wife by remodeling the entire interior with the latest in style. This was not a cheap remodel by any means, but it also hasn’t held up nearly as well as the original interior would have if left alone.
I am sure that the house will sell to a flipper who will gut the entire interior and fill it with sheetrock, engineered “hand scrapped” wood floors, and can lights throughout.
This house lifted my spirits; it’s delicious! If it were mine, I would be tempted to really play up the kitsch — taking a cue from the painting of a horse over the piano in the living room. I’m talkin’ oil-on-velvet paintings everywhere with lots of early 1970’s “Mediterranean” furnishings. Maybe a fake suit of armor somewhere. Clunky and rustic wood, wrought iron, and lots of gaudy crushed velvet upholstery. And tons of light fixtures and swag lamps with red, amber or green glass shades. Shag carpet in every room, of course, except the kitchen and baths. They would get loudly patterned vinyl floors attempting to imitate Spanish tile!
Sadly, I fear you are correct; it will likely be gutted and HGTV’d into absolute mediocrity. Few will be able to appreciate this particular type of time capsule.
Regarding the original interior, I know you are correct. It definitely would have held up better than this 1960’s makeover, but I’m still charmed by its kitschiness! Thanks again for sharing it!
Did you notice that its twin is also on the market? https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/pa/philadelphia/113-w-queen-ln/pid_28527440/
Fun! I knew both houses were for sale, but for some reason thought the realtor was just showing one twin… I didn’t think to look up the other address, but I’m glad you did! Clearly both houses have been under the same ownership for a long time, and were “updated” by the same visionary. The other twin makes it more clear just what kind of detail was scrapped in favor of high kitsch. Looks like the realtor may have gotten the bathroom photos jumbled up; some are in both listings. The plaster cornices and ceiling medallions are nice here; perhaps they have survived next door under the thin veneer of modernity. If these houses are flipped, I’ll do a follow-up post on their new looks! Thanks for the link!
I have one more update on this – the new owner bought both twins and is opening the place to the public on Sunday from 10 to 12 to give the contents away.
Hmmm. I guess we all knew this was coming. I’ll do a follow-up post on the inevitable transformation after one or both houses come back on the market! I’m impressed that the new owner is giving the contents away; at least it is recognized that this sort of kitsch has some value to others… that’s kind of heart-warming. Thanks for the information!
This is absolutely hideous. The house must have a severe lack of daylight from the looks of these pictures, an issue which is only made worse by the dark wood paneling everywhere. Incredibly dingy. When a house is designed with daylight in mind, you might get away with this, but not here.
And that sunken tub! Who wants to have a view of the underside of the toilet while they’re cleaning themselves?
The house is interesting as a time capsule, but a total disaster otherwise imo.
LOL! Excellent point about the tub! Yes, the house fails in numerous ways — both practical and aesthetic — but captures well some of the decor of a time which did not last very long and which is not likely to be emulated in the future. In some instances we can learn from our past mistakes. I revel in the sheer tackiness of these interiors that have somehow survived to offer us this brief and unedited glimpse into the past.
The beams over the dropped ceiling… the dining room under the stairs… I’m not sure what part was my favorite.
Enjoyed your commentary!