Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: For the Love of a Cat in Philadelphia
Pet-friendly features integrated into a mod, eclectic and colorful home mean everyone in the family is happy
Betty Kim and her husband, Daniel, wanted to design their home's interior with their cat in mind, but they didn't want that to take away from their modern style. So they cleverly integrated cat-friendly fixes through simple furniture, built-in perches and subtle cat scratchers.
Using various grays to tie the space together, Kim played with color and texture to design distinctly different spaces on each of the house's four floors. Meaningful accessories and a blend of natural and modern materials add warmth to this 1970s Philadelphia home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Betty Kim, husband Daniel and cat McQueen
Location: Washington Square West, Philadelphia
Size: 1,700 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
That's interesting: The couple integrated solar panels, water collection, a worm composter and CFL/LED lighting into their design.
Using various grays to tie the space together, Kim played with color and texture to design distinctly different spaces on each of the house's four floors. Meaningful accessories and a blend of natural and modern materials add warmth to this 1970s Philadelphia home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Betty Kim, husband Daniel and cat McQueen
Location: Washington Square West, Philadelphia
Size: 1,700 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
That's interesting: The couple integrated solar panels, water collection, a worm composter and CFL/LED lighting into their design.
"Gray is a much more modern neutral than traditional browns and beiges," Kim says. She also integrated some favorite bolder colors throughout the house.
In the downstairs living room, a built-in nook creates a cozy reading space, and custom built-in shelves cut down on furniture. RSVPs from the couple's wedding hang above the fireplace — they asked guests to draw a heart on the front of their responses.
Paint: Washed Clay (dark gray), Summertown (light gray), both by Mythic Paint
In the downstairs living room, a built-in nook creates a cozy reading space, and custom built-in shelves cut down on furniture. RSVPs from the couple's wedding hang above the fireplace — they asked guests to draw a heart on the front of their responses.
Paint: Washed Clay (dark gray), Summertown (light gray), both by Mythic Paint
Bright turquoise raised wallpaper adds subtle texture as well as bold color. After a hole was accidentally banged through the wall, the contractor designed the larger built-in shelf. Kim made the chandelier by filling a birdcage with white string Christmas lights.
Sofa: Mona Sofa, Mitchell Gold Bob Williams; coffee table: Dane Decor; cowhide: eBay; wallpaper: Wallpaper Direct
Sofa: Mona Sofa, Mitchell Gold Bob Williams; coffee table: Dane Decor; cowhide: eBay; wallpaper: Wallpaper Direct
McQueen uses a stump side table to look out one of the downstairs windows. The stump is from Daniel's grandmother's Pittsburgh backyard.
Simple Christmas ornaments hung on the exposed underside of the home's front steps add sparkle to the reading nook. Christmas lights strung on the ceiling add a celebratory glow.
Wall color: Jolt of Spring, Mythic Paint
Wall color: Jolt of Spring, Mythic Paint
Although the couple started out with a lot of hand-me-downs and existing furniture, they've been slowly paring down and replacing things. "I'm a big fan of reusing furniture," says Kim, "but some things you just have to let go." The home's simple and modern design is better suited to minimalist pieces and built-ins.
The café sign in the living room, found on the street, came from a patisserie where Kim's husband loved to buy petits fours.
Sofa: Dane Decor; rug: flokati, eBay; wall paint: Washed Clay and Summertown, both by Mythic Paint; ceiling paint: Strawberry Hills, Mythic Paint
The café sign in the living room, found on the street, came from a patisserie where Kim's husband loved to buy petits fours.
Sofa: Dane Decor; rug: flokati, eBay; wall paint: Washed Clay and Summertown, both by Mythic Paint; ceiling paint: Strawberry Hills, Mythic Paint
The floor with the master bedroom had little natural light, so Kim designed the entire space in white. The recently completed renovation has a serene, oasis-like ambience. "I love that it has so much texture and dimension, despite being all white," Kim says. "It feels like a different, magical world up here."
Wall color: Paparazzi, Valspar; light fixture: Cellula, Design Within Reach
Wall color: Paparazzi, Valspar; light fixture: Cellula, Design Within Reach
Here, McQueen relaxes in an egg-shape chair — the only punch of color in the room. A nonpigment resin coats the room's white floor. Kim had her contractors install 3/4-inch plywood on top of the space's subfloor. A resin specialist installed the resin on top. "It stinks for days, but once it's set, it's amazingly durable and beautiful," she says.
Kim built the wall treatment in this master bedroom entirely on her own. After stacking various sizes of crown and chair molding, she installed, sealed and painted them into a single sculptural unit. The extra window perch is perfect for McQueen, who previously had trouble getting up to look out that window.
While the vertical nature of the home suits the cat well, they wanted to avoid ugly scratching posts and other unsightly cat must-haves. Plenty of built-in perches allow McQueen to look out each and every window. Here, rope wrapped around the wardrobe pole suits McQueen's purposes in style.
The same mirrored tiles from the kitchen make up the backsplash in the master bathroom. Kim had the crew from Paco Originals (who built the kitchen countertop) custom mold her dream bathroom sink. Extra crystals add flair to simple paper lanterns from Ikea. "I wanted lighting to fill the space the right way but also feel light, since the concrete is so heavy and the wall is so in-your-face," says Kim.
Paint: Jamila (wall), Westie White (ceiling), both by Mythic Paint; sink: Paco Originals; tiles: CoolTiles
Paint: Jamila (wall), Westie White (ceiling), both by Mythic Paint; sink: Paco Originals; tiles: CoolTiles
Here's Kim in front of her home's subtle but modern exterior. The house is part of a 13-home association surrounding a square courtyard. All the buildings were built by well-known Philadelphia architect Louis Sauer.
Fun Houzz: 7 Ways Cats Help You Decorate
Fun Houzz: 7 Ways Cats Help You Decorate
Bar stools: Philly, CB2; countertop; Paco Originals; mirrored tiles: CoolTiles; light fixture: Ikea