For Philadelphia natives Mark and Courtney Owens, the pandemic had a silver lining—or two. For one, they became parents. Then, they moved back to Pennsylvania after a decade of living out of state. “We’d spent the last 10 years living across Seattle, New York City, and Chicago, but now felt a calling to be closer to our families,” says Courtney, an HR leader at Google. She and Mark began searching for homes, ultimately landing on a 1920s Colonial Revival home in Penn Valley. “The previous owner had lived there for over 50 years, so the style was definitely dated,” shares Mark, a management consulting professional at Grant Thorton. It wasn’t just the style that the couple disfavored. There was something about the place that just felt heavy (think flashy doses of color, circus stripes in the bathrooms, and mismatched patterns)—a feeling they knew they could shake only with a redesign. An online search led them to Brittany Hakimfar of Philadelphia-based Far Studio, whom they enlisted soon after.
While the rest of the home was in decent shape, the bathrooms—six in all—were beyond redemption. Luckily, Mark and Courtney saw it as an opportunity to start afresh. “They wanted the bathrooms to feel consistent with the old-world charm of the house, but with a contemporary Parisian twist,” says Brittany. On the couple’s wishlist were classic details: neutral tones and textures, natural oak cabinetry, brass and marble accents, zellige tiles, and specialty details like arches and custom vanities. Simple and elegant decor was the order of the day.
The plan was to have one dedicated bathroom for each family member. Gutting the bathrooms down to the studs, then, meant the opportunity to design each one a little differently, in keeping with the needs and style of its primary occupant. Courtney’s bathroom gained light wood cabinets, marble surfaces, and clay tiles, while Mark’s was reimagined with dark tones and masculine accents. As for little Raegan’s, Brittany created a soft pink oasis with shiplap walls, penny-tiled floors, and gilded hardware—darling enough for a little girl, yet enduring enough for the future.
Working in an older home presented challenges, especially with regard to moving the plumbing fixtures and reconfiguring the layouts. So much so that halfway through the build process, Brittany had to switch the ‘his’ and ‘hers’ bathrooms. “Originally, her bath was right off the primary dressing room, but we couldn’t find a way to fit in the soaker tub, which was an absolute necessity. The swap was a golden move and a small price to pay in the larger scheme of things,” she explains.
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It took some time for Mark and Courtney to adjust to the new aesthetics. “I did not expect the primary bathrooms to feel so luxurious, and I suppose it was because of all the marble in both spaces. At one point we did question if there was ‘too much stone,’ but Brittany assured us that it would look perfect, and it did.” Likewise, in one-year-old Raegan’s bathroom, the princess pink walls and floors made the couple second-guess the color palette. “The texture of the wood made the space feel perfect, but again, we were like, ‘Is this too much pink?’ It wasn’t. And when it all came together, it was beautiful.”
Of course, today, Mark and Courtney have zero regrets. Most evenings, after a long day at work, their bathrooms serve as meditative hideaways, where they can each escape and decompress with nobody else for company. All in all, it’s safe to say everybody got what they wanted. “We couldn’t have asked for more,” Mark finishes.
