Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Warehouse Conversion in Downtown Philadelphia
A dilapidated eyesore warehouse is reinvented as an industrial-style modern family home by a husband-and-wife architect team
When Kevin Rasmussen and Vivian Su first came across this industrial warehouse, they weren't in the market for a new home. This husband-and-wife architecture team had just finished renovating their Victorian row house and were enjoying life in a construction-free zone. And the warehouse was anything but a dream home — it was run down, filled with leftover construction supplies and had none of the essentials. Regardless, the couple fell in love with its potential and the lively neighborhood in downtown Philadelphia. "This property offered the potential for everything that we wanted in our ideal home — lots of space, an industrial aesthetic and a fantastic urban setting," Su says. So far they've renovated about half of the home's 4,000 square feet.
Who lives here: Vivian Su, Kevin Rasmussen and their 2 daughters
Location: Philadelphia
Size: 4,000 square feet
That's interesting: The home is one of several renovated warehouses in a formerly industrial neighborhood that's been transformed into a fun, residential area
Who lives here: Vivian Su, Kevin Rasmussen and their 2 daughters
Location: Philadelphia
Size: 4,000 square feet
That's interesting: The home is one of several renovated warehouses in a formerly industrial neighborhood that's been transformed into a fun, residential area
Because of a limited budget, Rasmussen and Su focused the first part of their renovation on the front half of the building. This meant doing some serious cleaning, installing all new electrical and plumbing systems and designing only the spaces they thought would be essential for day-to-day life.
Front door paint: Racing Orange, Benjamin Moore
Front door paint: Racing Orange, Benjamin Moore
Interior before: When Rasmussen and Su first found this space, it was a complete disaster. Asbestos tile, old wood paneling and an endless pile of junk were just the tip of the iceberg. Regardless, the couple stuck with the project. "It was a unique home, despite being filled to the rafters with unused paint and supplies," Su says.
Interior after: The kitchen was kept open to the living area for easy entertaining. The big island has become the family's daily gathering place and a go-to spot for special occasions. "It's the perfect place for eating informal meals, staging major baking projects and lining up hors d'oeuvres and drinks before we host parties," Su says. Bamboo flooring warms up the exposed ceiling and raw-steel stairway. A small powder room painted in a bold orange peeks out from underneath the stairwell.
Couch: Albert Sectional, Design Within Reach; armchairs, rug: Crate and Barrel; powder room paint: Pumpkin Pie, Benjamin Moore
Couch: Albert Sectional, Design Within Reach; armchairs, rug: Crate and Barrel; powder room paint: Pumpkin Pie, Benjamin Moore
The family does a lot of cooking and entertaining, so the kitchen was designed to accommodate both. Counter, drawer and cabinet space was high on the priority list, as was a simple and efficient layout.
Originally, Su and Rasmussen wanted the chalkboard wall around the mudroom entrance to be used by the girls and their friends, but of course once it was allowed, it quickly lost its appeal. "At some point, we added our own artistic creations," Su says.
Light fixture: Glimt, IKEA; wall color: Split Pea, Benjamin Moore; countertops: Nougat, Caesarstone; range: Electrolux 36" Dual Fuel; hood: Essentials Europe Roma Wall Hood, Zephyr; cabinets: Cabparts with custom door fronts
Originally, Su and Rasmussen wanted the chalkboard wall around the mudroom entrance to be used by the girls and their friends, but of course once it was allowed, it quickly lost its appeal. "At some point, we added our own artistic creations," Su says.
Light fixture: Glimt, IKEA; wall color: Split Pea, Benjamin Moore; countertops: Nougat, Caesarstone; range: Electrolux 36" Dual Fuel; hood: Essentials Europe Roma Wall Hood, Zephyr; cabinets: Cabparts with custom door fronts
Staircase before: Originally, the staircase in the house was dilapidated, and the room underneath was certainly not powder-room ready. Wooden rails felt unstable and insecure.
Staircase after: A custom steel railing adds structure and works with the warehouse's industrial roots. Rasmussen and Su had a bunch of wavy wood strips left over from corrugated panels in the office and playroom, so they repurposed them as a textural pattern for the stair wall.
Skylights in the stairway, kitchen and shared bath let light in where windows weren't possible.
Steel staircase: Bill Curran Design
Skylights in the stairway, kitchen and shared bath let light in where windows weren't possible.
Steel staircase: Bill Curran Design
The family's bedrooms and bathrooms are upstairs for now. The palette here is much like the one downstairs — simple and bright, with white walls and a few color and material accents for interest.
Bathroom wall paint: Fernwood Green, Benjamin Moore; mosaic tile: Tessera Blends Puget Sound Mosaic Tile, Oceanside Glass; bedroom wall paint: Colorado Gray, Benjamin Moore; bedding: West Elm duvet cover, Galbraith & Paul pillows
Bathroom wall paint: Fernwood Green, Benjamin Moore; mosaic tile: Tessera Blends Puget Sound Mosaic Tile, Oceanside Glass; bedroom wall paint: Colorado Gray, Benjamin Moore; bedding: West Elm duvet cover, Galbraith & Paul pillows
Rasmussen and Su also use their home as an office. They put the working area (which doubles as a playroom) farthest from the living room to keep it as far away from household clutter as possible. The living room doubles as a meeting place for clients and suppliers.
Exterior before: Initially there was hardly any natural light in the home. The warehouse had no rear yard or south-facing walls, so Rasmussen and Su were forced to introduce light through the facade of the building. To do so, they completely rebuilt the entire front wall.
Exterior after: While everything's been cleaned up, there's still a good amount to be done on the remainder of the space. Since the warehouse currently takes up its entire plot of land (with no backyard space), the couple wants to remove part of the roof to create an outdoor courtyard.
More Houzz Tours:
When an Architect Designs for Himself
Ingenious Garage Makeover in Bordeaux
Modern California Beach House
More Houzz Tours:
When an Architect Designs for Himself
Ingenious Garage Makeover in Bordeaux
Modern California Beach House
The wall art in the dining room is a set of architectural pencil drawings that Rasmussen did when he was in Rome. These 1:1 scaled drawings are of different details from the city and were framed to look like specimen boxes.
Ottomans, dining table: Nexus Storage Cubes, Cross Extension Table, both by Design Within Reach; dining chairs: Voxia, Stackable Eco Chair