The Inspiration of Philadelphia’s Garden District

It was love at first sight! In October 2021, my partner and I drove through the Wissahickon Valley in its full autumnal splendor, to a Cotswold style BNB in Chestnut Hill. We loved the lush gardens, craggy rock walls, and Amazing historic houses. We found that the sound of rushing water, the song of birds, and the ancient forests both calmed our nerves and fed our souls. Then there were the charming shops & cafes along Cobblestoned Germantown Ave! Historic Tradition, juxtaposed with a “Bohemian” artistic quirkiness, and a modern progressive spirit; was what we were used to in Denver’s Capitol Hill Neighborhood. We knew that we had found a new home in Pennsylvania.

Rooms that “Tell a Story”

“My first job out of College was a Salesman for Ralph Lauren. One of the Many things that I learned from the company was that a room should always Tell a Story. Mr. Lauren’s philosophy was that anyone should be able to walk into a room and understand “Who Lives Here”. I have used this as one of the core values of my design business. You talk, I listen! It is Your house, not my showroom. I am a Storyteller and I look forward to helping you tell Your Story through the beautiful rooms that we create together.”

David’s Design Philosophy

Classic Design can be the Greenest Design! For me, Green Design is recovering or slip covering cherished upholstery pieces, up-cycling through purchasing of antique and second-hand finds, repairing of good furniture when possible, and sourcing out manufacturers that have a strong stance on responsibility and environmental impact when new furniture is the best solution. I use local craftsman & workrooms to create soft-goods, custom cabinetry, and upholstery to reduce carbon footprint and to create bespoke pieces.

I love the mix of cultures and periods to create interesting and unique interior environments. Antique New England made Case Pieces (I call it Brown Furniture), French Chairs & Tables, Asian Porcelain, English Smalls (Accessories and Accent pieces), Turkish Rugs, Wicker made in the Phillipines, and interesting Textiles & Finds from every place in between! We can’t ignaore pieces created by local artists, which ties an interior to a the community , which is highly important for relevance & design.

To me, Good Design takes a Queue from the Architecture. Nobody does “period” rooms anymore, However an Elizabethan chest in a 1920’s Tudor or Victorian Hall-Tree in a Queen Anne house ties the Exterior to the Interior environments. Curating a room with pieces that could have been found in the attic with pieces that look like they were picked up on vacation or at at a local art gallery gives the room interest and style. We want to avoid a disconnect between the aesthetic expectations driven by the architecture, but then again you don’t want to be limited by it, either.

The Bottom Line is that this is your house (or business) Not my Showroom. My goal as an Interior Designer is to help you figure out your Design Style (Even if you don’t know what it is) to Tell your story, to make the Process as Fun, Fast, and Easy as Possible. Good design doesn’t happen overnight (there is an exception, I’ll tell you about it over drinks) great rooms are constantly evolving and can take time to complete. Together, we can go as fast or as slow, as big or as small as you are Comfortable with. Every Client & Project is unique, and I look forward to helping you achieve your Interior Decorating goals. Cheers, David

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