News & Updates

Philadelphia’s Main Line is one of the most beautiful and highly-coveted places to live in Pennsylvania. As standards of living go, the Main Line has it all: stunning scenery, stately homes, and fantastic neighborhoods, the state’s best schools, great shopping, unique businesses, green spaces, great architecture, culture, activities, attractions, highly-rated restaurants, and nightlife galore. 

Are we biased? Probably, but in truth, here are so many reasons to make the Main Line your home, we thought we’d share a few of our favorites.

1. Valley Forge Military Academy And College

The VFMAC is a century-old preparatory school for boys and a military coeducational college, offering programs aimed at helping young men and women achieve their greatest academic and leadership potential. Located on more than 100 acres of rolling landscape, its historic architecture providing the backdrop for some of the Main Line’s most exclusive events.

2. It’s Horse Country!

If you are equestrian-minded, the Main Line is paradise for horse-lovers. We not only host some of professional equestrian sports’ most anticipated events—like the Radnor Hunt and the Devon Horse Show—there are miles and miles of designated equestrian countryside over which to ride and enjoy our beautiful scenery.

3. Train Stations

Train stations on the Main Line are more than simply functional, they are part of the fabric of our lives. The Main Line, after all, developed around the rail line of the same name so, it stands to reason that our lives tend to center around it in some way or another. Some may be in better shape than others; some are downright stunning.

Wayne Junction, for example, was designed by local architect Frank Furness, and Strafford station is a great example of the Eastlake architectural style. Still others are simply waiting for their makeover to happen – but they’re all a very real thread in the fabric of our collective history, both locally and nationally.

4. Narberth

Narberth is the quintessentially picture-perfect small town, albeit with an urban feel. With a walkable downtown shopping area and one of the nation’s highest-rated school districts, it is a logical choice for young families wanting to transition out of city living. Best of all, it’s just a 15-minute train ride (or a 30-minute drive) into downtown Philly if the need arises.

5. Architects Past And Present

The Main Line is well-known for its stately homes and historic Victorian-era architecture, but many people don’t realize that the architects and designers responsible for these gems were—and are—local residents themselves. The fact is, we have been building an architectural legacy here on the Main Line for more than two centuries.

Some notable architects through history include Addison Hutton, who designed several buildings at Bryn Mawr College as well as many other notable residences and commercial buildings in the Philadelphia area.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed a multitude of structures on the Main Line, as did William Bailey, Edwin Durang, and Roland Addis, and Joseph M. Wilson. From schools and houses of worship to hospitals, stately stone manors, and cottages, the variety, quality, and styles of these buildings are what we think of when picturing the Main Line in all its iconic glory.

Today’s Main Line architects are continuing the legacy established by their historic predecessors, focusing on historical preservation and restoration that is highly sensitive to the original architects intent.

6. Philadelphia Is Just A Stone’s Throw Away

Living on the Main Line means that you get to take advantage of some of the best things our little part of the world has to offer. It’s got the feel of small-town living, but with high-end amenities and services you would expect from a big city and a discerning population. Even so, Philadelphia is just a short drive away, meaning that if you occasionally get the urge to kick it up a notch or two, it’s not too much of a stretch to do so.

From most places on the Main Line, you can be in downtown Philadelphia in 30 – 60 minutes, either by car or by train. This means you can have the best of both worlds – idyllic, gracious living and an urban playground at your doorstep; what more could you want?

Are you getting ready for a remodel on your historic Main Line home? We’d love to hear what you have in mind! Schedule a conversation today and discover what’s possible.

The Main Line district is a beautiful and historic region of suburban Philadelphia, named for its location along Pennsylvania Railroad’s route. Some of Philadelphia’s most prestigious communities and properties are here, many of which were developed in the 19th century as “country homes” for families who resided in the city during the week.

Main Line’s Rich History

From stately Victorians to Colonial Revival and Scottish medieval-style mansions, architecture on the Main Line is a feast for the eyes. Here is where many of Philly’s most affluent families chose to settle down and most of these original homes are reflective of that wealth and status.

You’ll also find lots of mill homes and residences that date back to the 1600s as well as postcard-worthy farmhouses and barns, structures that maintain their centuries-old charm while delivering on more practical needs for the equestrian set.

Something For Everybody On The Main Line

The range of neighborhoods on the Main Line is quite diverse. There are walkable neighborhoods that are quite affordable and multimillion-dollar homes in gated communities that are miles apart.

Other neighborhoods that are “technically” off the Main Line proper are still considered the Main Line. In these areas, the houses are a little more affordable, though they all have access to upscale shopping areas and some of the state’s best schools.

If you are thinking about moving to the Main Line, it’s nice to know what the cultural pockets are as some are definitely more urban than others and each has its own distinct character and charm.

Here are some of the more popular Main Line neighborhoods:

Bryn Mawr

Known for its prestigious educational institutions and historical architecture, Bryn Mawr is a quiet, old neighborhood with an affluent population. Young professionals and families live here, the school district is one of the best and the community is very tight-knit and involved. Shopping and university districts offer plenty of walkable destinations, shops, and lots of green space.

Narberth

Close to the western edge of Philadelphia, Narberth is like a small town unto itself. Here, you’ll find a contained pocket of quaint homes that are quite different from Bryn Mawr. With big-city life just a short train ride away, it supports a lifestyle that is attractive to its younger demographic.

Gladwyne

According to Bloomberg Business Week, Gladwyne is the sixth richest ZIP code in the United States. The average price of a home in this area hovers just under a million, though the range can be anywhere between $500 thousand and $20 million. Located about 20 minutes from downtown Philadelphia, it is characterized by its rolling hills, forested areas , equestrian trails , private clubs, and lush, tree-lined streets.

Wayne

Wayne is the largest of all the communities on the Main Line. With a population of around 30,000 people, it is a city unto itself, complete with a beautiful, walkable shopping district, great schools, and easy access to transportation. About 30 minutes from Philadelphia by train, Wayne is a popular address for many reasons. The architectural style is primarily Victorian and its many 19th century buildings include a fully restored vintage movie theater and the historic Wayne Hotel.

Haverford

Haverford is a friendly, walkable, and friendly town that is home to generations of families who grew up and continue to live here. It’s known for its small-town feel and a range of architecture, from stunning Victorians to stone colonials and colonial revival.

Lifestyle Goal Differences On The Main Line

With such a wide range of neighborhoods to choose from on the Main Line, the areas you are most interested in will largely depend on your lifestyle goals.

Do you prefer a more walkable and lively community with plenty of things to do and explore? If so, Ardmore, Narberth, or parts of Bryn Mawr and Wayne may be your best choice.

Do you gravitate to old neighborhoods with tree-lined streets? Many parts of Wayne,  Bryn Mawr, or Haverford fit that bill nicely.

If you are looking for the ultimate in privacy with a self-contained estate or gated community? Parts of Gladwyne ticks all those boxes, and more.

Whether you like wide open spaces and bucolic landscapes, row homes or that quaint, small-town feel, there is a place on the Main Line for you. Of course, there are dozens of other neighborhoods to explore besides the ones we have listed: Chesterbrook,, Berwyn, and Paoli among them. If you have never explored the area, there is definitely a lot more going on here than meets the eye.

If you are planning a remodel or renovation to your Main Line home, we would love to help. Schedule a conversation today.

If you are thinking about adding a room onto your Main Line home, you might be wondering how much it’s going to set you back. The truth is, there are as many answers as there are ideas for your remodel, so while it’s difficult to give you some hard and fast numbers, we can offer some insight into the cost vs. value of certain types of room additions – meaning, the value you would realize once the renovation was complete vs. the overall cost of the job.

For instance, we could say that your Main Line room addition will allow you to recoup your cost somewhere between 49 and 73 percent when you decide to sell your home. The type of addition you choose and the specific features will be the mitigating factors that determine what that value turns out to be.

For instance, you may be adding a room to improve functionality but not necessarily adding square footage. In essence, you are adding personal value for yourself: livability and functionality. In this case, it’s really the materials and the features that will deliver the value. Only you can determine whether the cost is justifiable.

In other words, sometimes the resale value is not the only consideration. Are the changes going to improve your life? Make you happy? These feelings have as much validity as any consideration towards a future sale price. It’s all about what you expect to get out of it.

To give you a rough idea of what the average cost vs. value for a room addition is in the Philadelphia area, here are some ranges to think about:

Bathroom Addition

Midrange:            $52,000        Value added:   $27,000+

Upscale:                   $95,000        Value added:   $149,000+

Master Suite Addition

Midrange:                $140,000      Value added:   $76,000

Upscale:                   $281,000      Value added:   $136,000+

Our Take On The Cost Of A Room Addition

The room addition itself will have its own unique characteristics and issues that you’ll need to think about. For instance:

• Is it one story? or two stories?
• Does it have brick or vinyl siding on the exterior?
• How many windows are you going to have? Lots? Or just a couple?
• Will your floors be hardwood or tile?

Then, you will have to figure out what’s going to go into the room. Is it going to be a bathroom? or a kitchen? The answers will undoubtedly influence the cost in a big way.

You’ll also need to think about how the addition relates to the rest of the house and consider the ancillary requirements of building the addition properly. For instance:

• Is it going to tie into the roof in such a way that you’ll have to replace the roof entirely or at least in places where you can’t simply patch the old roof?
• Can your current heating system support the new space or will you need to add a new system?
• Will you have to redo floors in other parts of the house to make it work aesthetically?
• Is there structural work that needs to be done to open up the two spaces in order to tie the design into the rest of the house?

In its simplest form, a room addition won’t have all of the above. However, if the addition has a bathroom in it, you will need to run plumbing, replace the floors, add a heating system, and so on. These are all things that can significantly impact the cost, depending on what you decide to do.

Every Project Is Unique

Ultimately, a local company like ours can provide you with price ranges such as those listed above simply by adding up the costs of our room addition projects and taking an average, but it generally helps very little in terms of providing you with a guideline as to what your unique addition will cost.

Many of our clients decide on a room addition to make their Main Line home look nice as opposed to adding more square footage, so in our experience, it’s never a simple one-and-done answer.

Budget is and always should be a top concern. If your budget won’t allow you to realize your goals, we may come up with clever ways to design in a way that will help you save you money without sacrificing function and a great finished product.

If you’re thinking about a room addition to your Main Line home, call us to schedule a conversation. We’d love to hear your ideas and talk about how we can help.

Throughout 2018, we have heard some pretty lively discussion about open-concept vs. closed-concept home design. While each philosophy definitely has its pros and cons, ultimately, it is for you to decide what’s going to work best for you, your family, and your lifestyle.

Open-concept pros and cons

Open-concept design has been preferred by many homeowners since the 1960s and we see it both in new home designs as well as older homes that have been remodeled.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, 84 percent of new builds feature either a fully open or partially open-concept floor plan.

Let’s weigh the arguments:

Open concept pros

• Make you feel like you’re in a larger space
• Give you better visibility through all of your rooms
• Provides safety when looking after children, pets or elders
• Extends and streamlines your interior design throughout the home
• Ideal for socializing and entertaining
• Less need for artificial light
• More modern design
• Better accessibility for those with mobility issues
• Flexible spaces can be reconfigured to suit changing needs
• You can eliminate underused spaces by incorporating them into a larger floor plan
• Open-concept floor plans are more desirable, potentially improving resale value

Open concept cons

• Lack of privacy
• The kitchen is open to the rest of the home and can be disruptive to certain activities
• Cooking smells permeate all the living spaces
• Less formal
• Much noisier, in general
• A mess is more difficult to hide
• Large open spaces are more difficult to cool and heat

Despite the obvious drawbacks of an open plan in terms of privacy, you could opt for a partially open space—say, with half-walls—that adds some separation. So the room with the television, for example, doesn’t have to be in the thick of things.

Structural concerns

If you are considering a remodel to open up your floor plan, be sure to consider your load-bearing walls. Removing a load-bearing wall could add a significant expense. There may also be pipes and ducts located within the wall that need to be relocated as well.

If this is the case, there would need to be some engineering to be done as it will change the way the home’s systems function. You may be on the hook for additional costs or have to sacrifice efficiency or comfort to obtain the open-concept look and functionality you want.

Closed-concept floor plans: sometimes the “old way” is better!

Having a closed-concept floor plan was the old-school way to separate yourself from whatever your spouse or your kids are getting up to. While you may not have considered it too much, closed-concept is enjoying a bit of a resurgence.

Closed-concept pros:

• More privacy and autonomy for all members of the household
• Good for live-work situations or households with growing kids
• You can have a different interior design, different paint colors in each room
• More design options to choose from as not every detail needs to match
• Cozier rooms
• Better noise control
• Limit cooking smells to the kitchen area
• May lower your energy bills as you can zone-heat
• Easier to maintain more frequently used spaces
• More formal dining and entertaining

Closed-concept cons:

• Less natural light than with open-concept plans
• Rooms may seem cramped
• The house may feel smaller than it really is
• Lack of sight lines into family living areas
• Takes longer to clean going from room to room
• Less flexibility in terms of furniture groupings and size
• Less accessible, which could be a consideration for aging-in-place
• Potentially lower resale value, although there is no easy way to predict trends

Wrapping up

In conclusion, we see many new homeowners on the Main Line choosing to open up closed-concept floor plans in a historic home. The decision to go ahead with a project of this magnitude can prove highly beneficial, improving your lifestyle and potentially adding resale value to the home.

However, if the home has an existing closed-concept floor plan, it bears some consideration in terms of the extent and expense that will be required for the transformation. Load-bearing walls, ductwork, plumbing, and so on may need to be relocated, which oftentimes is a complex and costly endeavor.

Some of our clients, after considering the pros and cons of open vs. closed-concept floor plans, choose to stay with the closed-concept design as it offers superior value in terms of privacy and more formal living, something you simply can’t achieve with an open-concept.

Do you have a home renovation project you would like to explore? Schedule a conversation today; we’d love to show you what’s possible.

There are many reasons you might be thinking about putting an addition onto your Main Line home. Adding an office or more leisure space, expanding the kitchen, and accommodating a growing family are among them. However, when you are creating space to accommodate elderly parents there are very specific considerations.

Generally speaking, if you are building an addition that is meant for the elderly, it will usually be on the first floor. This means you will be building out rather than up; unless, of course, you want to take on the extra expense of adding an elevator or the clumsiness of a stair inclinator.

Cottage industries built an addition onto this Victorian Main Line home, placing the elderly mother on the third floor with elevator access. Upon completion, we were recognized with a historic preservation award for our work.

Features you will want in an addition for parents: Privacy, Autonomy, and Accessibility

There is a difference between aging in place considerations for you versus aging in place considerations for your parents. Your parents will likely want and need their own facilities, a space away from everyone else that gives them some privacy and allows them to maintain their independence as much as possible. This requires some careful decisions on your part.

You want the unit to be stand-alone, with all the features they will need to live in comfort, but you will also want it to be easily accessible to the rest of the home. As they will be sharing your home with you, you also need to think about making the rest of your home more accessible for them outside of their own living spaces.

You could think of it as creating a space for someone who you only need to be around you part of the time. If your parents are still active and mobile, an in-law apartment may be the ideal solution as they can maintain their independence without losing the convenience of having help close at hand. Whether you decide to simply add a new bedroom and bathroom or create a complete in-law suite, be sure you are thinking long-term so you won’t need to revisit your decisions at a later date.

Mobility and Accessibility Considerations

The layout will generally depend on mobility needs and accommodation should be given for live-in help. Even if you don’t need it now, you may in the future, so it’s a good idea to plan for it.

Wheelchair accessibility is something you can build into the design. Accessibility considerations for the bathroom include:

• A curbless shower
• Grab bars
• Full wheelchair accessibility

You also might want to think about adding a second bathroom (in addition to your parents’ bathroom) if you have live-in help of any description.

Other accessibility considerations you might want include are installing handles as opposed to knobs on doors, drawers, and cupboards. If wheelchair access is needed, hallways and doorways may need to be widened to allow free movement.

Separate Entrance

Establishing a separate, accessible entrance that is as close to the driveway as possible will make getting in and out of the house easier for everyone. Position the accessible entrance on as level a surface as possible to accommodate ramps, if needed now or in the future.

Second Kitchen/Kitchenette

A new kitchen or kitchenette with an eat-in sitting area is a good idea. However, zoning may be an issue, so you will need to check with your local planning department to find out what is possible. Some municipalities do not allow second kitchens, which will dictate how you move forward with your plans.

Lifts and Stairways

If stairs are an issue – such as if you are building the suite onto an upper level in your Victorian home – you may want to consider a stair lift or elevator. These items will require changes to other parts of the home, such as widening a staircase or allocating space to an elevator shaft.

If you decide to add an elevator to a heritage home, custom elevator designs can be matched to your décor so that it fits with the rest of your home’s design.

In conclusion, planning an addition for your aging parents involves some thought to future needs as well as the present. If possible, allow your parents to be involved in the process so they can have some input as to what would make them most comfortable.

Thinking about building an addition for your aging parents? We would love to show you how we can help. Schedule a conversation today.

If you have recently purchased a home on the Main Line or are planning a remodel, you may be wondering whether you should complete your renovations before or after you move in.

Sometimes, we advise our clients that the best thing to do is to stay somewhere else while the work is being completed, but it really depends on the size and scope of the remodel you are planning.

Renovate After You Move-in: Pros and Cons

If you are looking at a whole-house remodel, we generally advise having the work done prior to moving in. Living in a construction zone is not anybody’s idea of comfort and it could place undue stress on your day-to-day family life.

How much time is it going to take?

Some people find value in renovating after move-in as it gives them time to figure out exactly how they use the various spaces and how they want to modify them.

Of course, it really depends on the design. If the design process is going to take a long time or if the design itself indicates a fast turnaround, you may be able to endure the process without too much disruption.

Ultimately, the time the design process takes has no impact on  your quality of life; it’s the construction phase that will necessitate the most adjustments on your part.

What about the financial concerns?

Another advantage to renovating after move-in is that you won’t be carrying two homes. Not having this financial burden will reduce the stress of the job. You also won’t have to set up housekeeping elsewhere and you won’t have the extra expense of storing your belongings.

On the “cons” side, some concerns include:

Living comfortably can be a challenge

You may need us to set up a temporary kitchen while the new one is being built. While this is possible, it will add a little to your budget. To accomplish this, we will usually take some of the salvaged kitchen cabinets, along with the sink, and move it to another area. Generally, you will have a sink, a microwave, and a fridge, but we can do a full kitchen if that’s what you need. Most people, in our experience, don’t really need it. Once the new kitchen is finished, however, we will have to remove the pieces, hook them all up again, and patch up any holes that we had to create in the walls or floors to run pipes.

Living in a construction zone

Some areas of the house will be off-limits. We will set up barriers to contain dust and prevent kids and pets from accessing hazardous areas, but if you work at home, the noise may be disruptive to your routine. You will also have to contend with construction vehicles and roll-off bins in your driveway and may be forced to park on the street.

Renovate Before Move-in: Pros and Cons

In our experience, if the design is going to be completed quickly, it may be better for you to go ahead and start the construction prior to moving in. That way, the disruption to your life will be minimal and you can start enjoying your new home more quickly.

Cost concerns

On the plus side, renovating before move-in can reduce your overall costs. In one case, for instance, we were able to reduce the construction cost by thousands of dollars simply by moving the family out. They ended up finding a house to rent two doors down from their home. It was for sale and unoccupied at the time, so it worked out well for them and for the owner of the other house as well.

On the downside, you may be on the hook for carrying two homes while the work is being done. Some people opt for a rental or a bed and breakfast nearby, but depending on how long the work takes, these costs may add up significantly.

Living out of a suitcase

You will also be living in a temporary situation, not having all of your comforts close at hand and knowing you will have to move at some point. Depending on how complex the remodel is, the amount of time you have to spend in such circumstances may be open-ended.

Kids and Pets

Last but not least, you should always consider the impact the job is going to have on your children and pets. The noise and inconveniences of living in a construction zone and the disruption they cause in the daily routine may cause anxiety, sleep disturbances, and make even the most normal day feel a little bit more challenging. Ultimately, we always advocate for our clients to make a decision that’s best for their entire family and their wellbeing.

In conclusion, there are a lot of things to think about when planning a remodel to your Main Line home. Call today to schedule a conversation; we would love to show you how we can help.