Society Hill
The story of this project began back in 2000 when Amity answered the phone at Tom Sheerer’s Gramercy Park apartment office. A few months into her design assistant role, she listened to the woman on the other end of the line speak fondly of Tom’s work and inquire about him decorating the living and dining areas in her 11-room Ohio home. While the job was deemed too small for Tom, Amity offered to pick it up outside the office. She and the client quickly became fast friends.
Over the next few years, the two worked together on the large Ohio home and again when it was time to move and downsize to a Philadelphia condo. In between, they’d meet in NYC to scout out unique antiques and art pieces. The longtime creative collaboration quickly became a treasured friendship.
Almost 20 years after the initial call, the phone rang again. Our client and dear friend had taken a new position in Philadelphia and purchased a four-story townhouse in Society Hill with a basement, solarium, and spacious back patio. By now, the Amity Worrel & Co. team had expanded, and Allison Beyer had become just as close with the client. It was time to get to work on a project decades in the making, centuries if you count the townhome as a player.
The home, built in 1811, was in excellent condition considering its age. Walls were already sheathed in a cream and bone damask pattern wallpaper, and the front formal living room had elaborate draperies on its 11-foot windows. We chose to keep and work with those elements, along with a fully mirrored powder room that the client originally intended to renovate. The home had four original fireplaces, lovely built-ins, and a fully finished basement that was more recently updated.
Our approach was methodical and thoughtful. Our goal was not to remove anything that worked but to incorporate layers of charm and interest without sacrificing the property’s enduring integrity. We relied on the history of our relationship just as much as the home’s.
Having initially connected over Tom’s work, we referred to it often. Allison brought fresh input with her textile expertise, bringing a layered interest and excitement to each space. Antiques shopping around Manhattan paid off, as the client had a plethora of interesting pieces to incorporate throughout the space. Each captured her personality and felt right at home in the 19th-century residence.
The color palette was inspired by the home’s existing finishes, like the fireplace tiles, exposed brick walls, and metal solarium frames. We honored the storied history of the townhome by carefully considering previous layers from earlier owners, including a few colorful area rugs left behind.
In the main living spaces, we continued to layer in plush, rich textures. We chose the fuzziest fabric for the living room sofa. We just had to use it! An elaborate wooden twig mirror, one of the client’s antique treasures, was hung above the fireplace in the living room. A mustard Ligne Roset Michel Ducaroy’s TOGO sofa was placed in the basement, and a handmade abaca fiber fan-patterned rug was added to ground the dining room.
We added fabric walls, custom beds, and wallpapered ceilings to the sleeping quarters. For the primary bedroom curtains, we selected Pierre Frey embroidery with a large organic stripe pattern, which we nearly overlooked because it came as a small 6×6″ swatch. But thanks to a beam of light shining through the window at just the right time, a large graphic pattern appeared, visually connecting it to existing furnishings, an inherited rug, and the home’s history.
Planned work on the primary bath will undoubtedly take our relationship into a quarter century. However, we decided to document our endeavors now to celebrate just how much we’ve achieved. Famed interior photographer Bill Abranowicz photographed the space. We are thrilled to embark on the next chapter!
