House of the week: A three-bedroom, two-bath rowhouse in South Philly for $415,000
Exposed brick and original floors add to the charm of this West Passyunk property.
When Jigna Shah and Jon Hicks saw the rowhouse in West Passyunk, they realized it was an opportunity to both live in an attractive neighborhood and practice their trades.
Shah is an interior designer specializing in health-care facilities such as hospitals and urgent-care centers. Hicks is an architect specializing in multifamily and affordable housing.
“We had lived in so many neighborhoods, but this was unique,” Shah said. “A mix of old South Philly character and new energy coming in.”
They bought the house in 2009, a month after they got married, and began a series of upgrades.
They exposed brick walls to add warmth, converted first-floor closets to a powder room, added a white marble island in the kitchen, and Hicks built a deck above the garage.
The couple kept the original hardwood floors, patterned marble floor in the dining room, and decorative paneled ceiling on the porch. They did not change the footprint of a traditional South Philly rowhouse.
Now they have moved to Haddon Heights, partly for better opportunities for their 13-year-old son. It’s also where Hicks does most of his work.
The 1,710-square-foot house has two stories plus a partially finished basement.
The first floor has an open-concept layout, with the bedrooms on the second floor. Entry is through the mudroom, and the living room, dining room, and kitchen — which has ample cabinet space — are joined.
At the back of the house, the rear glass doors lead to a private patio with a stairway to the deck.
The primary bedroom has a bathroom with a skylight, a double vanity, and a tub.
The basement has a laundry room and powder room.
The house is convenient to major highways and public transit.
It is listed by Melissa LeGaspi of Elfant-Wissahickon Realty for $415,000.