A fixer-upper in Newtown Square for a family of five
The 19th-century house needed a lot of work. The Edwards family knew how to make it home, and lived in the attic while they finished the remodel.
In 2021, when the pandemic encouraged Erica and Joel Edwards to move their family from their Fishtown rowhouse to the suburbs, they were eager to put their design and building experience to work.
The 5,500-square-foot Georgian Colonial, built in 1896 and situated on three acres of land in Newtown Square, was the perfect fixer-upper. Reimagining the property came naturally to them — Erica is the owner of EM Edwards Group, a design-build company, and Joel is the owner of JI Edwards Construction, both based in Newtown Square.
“We love the character of old homes,” said Erica. “When we found this home that needed so much work, we knew we had to make the move here.”
Combining Joel’s building expertise with Erica’s design vision, the pair went to work on the nine-month renovation. They spent the first six months in a rental nearby, and the next three months living with their three young kids and their rescue dog, Pita, 14, in the new home’s third-floor attic.
“We were pumping on all cylinders,” recalled Joel. “It was very physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging.”
They aimed to highlight the three-story home’s character and charm by matching as much historical detail as possible, while adding modern features for a family with young children. Those included installing air-conditioning and a gas line, updating the roof and windows, and adding a deck on the back of the house.
Erica’s design style is traditional with a modern twist. She searches for unusual pieces at furniture and antique shops, such as the pastel-pink and green flower chandeliers in the primary bedroom and bathroom. When the pair, while traveling through Virginia, discovered a 100-year-old, 7-foot coffee table made in India, they crammed it into their Honda Pilot and drove it home.
They restored the front porch’s colonial columns and hand-carved corbels and kept the original Dutch front door. The top and bottom halves can be opened independently, with hinges and a doorknob more than 100 years old. They lovingly call it the “Mr. Ed” door, as in the popular 1960s TV series where the talking horse peered out over the open top half of a Dutch door.
All of the restored millwork matches the home’s original mahogany, including the moldings and window frames. As part-owner of Old Capitol Custom Millwork, Joel relied on his team to create new curved window frames for the bay windows in the dining room, and sourced leaded glass from Bucks County Stained Glass.
In the dining room, adorned with William Morris wallpaper designed in the late 1800s, the kids play the piano and the family entertains. Custom-made blush cushions and comfortable pillows make the window seat an inviting space to gaze upon the side garden. The room also includes one of the home’s four wood-burning fireplaces.
Original to the house, a tabernacle, a special box where the hosts for Holy Communion are reserved in churches and chapels, sits on the fireplace mantle. Bucks County Stained Glass restored the leaded glass to match the dining room windows.
Seeking a warm, cozy space to relax, the couple created the whiskey room, with a textured-grass weaved wallpaper and a tin ceiling.
One of their greatest discoveries was the signature of one of the original laborers on the wall in the second-floor hallway. It reads: “Isaac Staley Conshohocken PA Dec 9, 1896.”
“We stopped the crown molding on either side of the signature so it remains exposed,” Erica said. “After they saw that, the guys working on our house started to put their signatures inside the walls before closing them up, in case anyone in the future would find them.”
The home now features six bedrooms, including an en suite for guests and a primary bedroom with two walk-in closets, a large bathroom, and steam room. It also includes a home gym and a play space for the kids: Alexander, 12; Julian, 10; and Anya, 7.
The large yard was overgrown when they moved in, not maintained in more than a decade, but the Edwards cleaned it up. They used the space to add six chickens to the family, and now feast on fresh eggs.
From the comfort of the rocking chairs and swing on the front porch, Erica and Joel watch their kids play wiffle ball in the yard with friends and neighbors.
“While we have three acres of peace and tranquility, we are still very close to everything we can walk to,” said Erica. “Ellis Preserve has a ton of restaurants in walking distance so we still have the feel of city living.”
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