Jenna and Dan poured much love and labor into 630 Fitzwater St, transforming it to make room for their newborn son. Wouldn’t you know after all that hard work, an opportunity to move back to Massachusetts to be near family came about. They made the tough decision to put their home up for sale with PHG agent Kate McCann. On the market for a whopping 5 days, with multiple offers, they were under contract just like that.
The “Fitzwater Fixer” allowed Jenna and Dan to see just how well they worked together, and how much Philly needs this dynamite design team. Still operating Fitzwater Interiors in Philly, they have completed projects for both Allison and Christian Fegel and Kate McCann. We sat down with Jenna and she shared some of the thoughtful details that went into their first renovation.
How did you decide what to get rid of and what to keep?
When we were deciding what to keep and what to get rid of it came down to pieces we felt were unique - objects we couldn't find anywhere - like the 70's Italian tile in the kitchen. We knew we could change it to something more modern, but the hand painted quality and design are just so unique- it felt like a shame to take it away. Same as the wallpaper in the bathrooms - the print is so cool - and bonus that it's metallic too! It just felt right to keep it.
A lot of what we got rid of was about wear and tear and just trends in general - the carpet was very old and faded in lots of places. We did have lots of friends like it at first - especially the rust colored one on the first floor since that color is back in style - but the age of it and condition was just not salvageable. And the wallpaper in the kitchen wasn't cool in a retro way - it just looked dated. I think it ultimately was about that balance - retro and in pretty good condition that could easily be brought into 2020 with other design decisions.
Where did the inspo come from
I (Jenna) grew up in a second generation Italian-American family and this house was also owned by generations of Italian-Americans. That was one of the reasons it appealed to us. It felt familiar in a way. Working with the choices the previous owner had made in the 70's (yup! 70's) - we wanted to incorporate modern finishes but keep the nod to mid-century Italian. The light fixture in the kitchen adds a modern Italian touch, as well as the simple wooden design of the archway on the 1st floor.
Anything you want the fab people of Philadelphia to know about your home?
I think I want them to know that it has had a long history of family and celebration and love. And we were attracted to the warmth of the home and wanted to honor the previous owner and do the best job we could. We bought it from the daughter of the woman who owned it her whole life - she passed away when she was 95.
We felt honored to take over their family home that for them was the center of a lot of family love and celebration. We even have a cookbook one of the daughters made that has photos of the previous owner and her family in all of the spaces. Her brother still lives next door and we've become friendly with him as well. It was about more than just renovating a physical space for us - we really were careful and thoughtful in our choices.
Is it correct to say that this house reno birthed Fitzwater Interiors?
100%! Dan and I have always been creative and had overlapping interests but this was the first time we combined forces on a creative project. We quickly realized that we were a good team - we both were able to use our strengths and we loved creating spaces. We always had interest in it - we had a few airbnb spaces - two in NYC and one here in Philly - so it just made sense.
It's a little bit emotional to have sold this house - we put a lot of heart into it - but we know the new buyers will appreciate it as much as we did. Also we will miss sleeping on the top floor - it's an incredible space in the middle of Philly!
