Fresh Start

A 1940s house in Pennsylvania begins a new season. Renovated and redecorated, the home embraces its pastoral setting, opening to new gardens and inviting outdoor spaces.

- Jody Garlock

AImost every job has its perks. For the design team at Kemble Interiors, one perk came in the form of daffodils, irises, and other blooms. Every time the Florida-based team visited the jobsite of a Pennsylvania house renovation, the clients sent them home with freshly cut flowers that were elegantly wrapped in tissue paper and carefully laid inside long florist boxes.

Similarly, the Philadelphia-area team at Peter Zimmerman Architects, which led the architectural makeover of the 1943 house, was frequently the appreciative recipient of staff lunches and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Living room Carvings on the marble mantelpiece tout the home's exquisite details. Foyer The staircase was rebuilt and the ceiling footprint increased for a more traditional style. Family room A fretwork cabinet hides the TV. Previous pages The exterior renovation included a classic and appropriately scaled portico.

Pushing the drive away from the house allowed for a parterre-inspired entrance.

"The stair run could be broken up with a landing and helped create a welcoming arrival," architect Peter Zimmerman says. Inside, a wallpaper mural shows the living room's garden influence.

The graciousness the homeowners displayed during a nearly three-yearlong renovation of their newly purchased property seemingly spilled over into the Regency-style house itself.