South Philly Remodel: Coming Home Again
From admin on June 24th, 2010 in Philadelphia
One would think that when businesses start closing and drug dealers set up shop that it’s time to pack up and move to the next neighborhood. Remarkably, Peter Kourahanis did just the opposite when he decided to relocate back to his childhood home in South Philadelphia and take on a series of long and intensive renovations.
Neither a contractor nor an architect himself, Kourahanis didn’t let a lack of experience keep him from tackling the remodel. He settled in to the third-floor apartment of the home and went to work immediately tearing down walls on the lower level. The ceilings were made three feet taller (9 feet total) once he punched through the rafters to expose the existing beams. Using a sledgehammer, he also attempted to allow the original brick structure of the home to peek through certain places on the wall.
The rest of the remodel was completed in stages, as money would permit. The kitchen received a budget makeover with inexpensive cabinets and a countertop made of black painted plywood. Upstairs a comfortable space was created with two bedrooms, a bath and a second living room.
It wasn’t until it came time to fix up the plumbing and electrical work that Kourahanis called in the experts. He also turned to the professionals when he shoveled out $9,000 to have an entirely new roof put onto the house.
The interior design scheme was created on a very tight budget as well. Most of the items were pulled from the Salvation Army, thrift stores, or flea markets. But being an artist, the eclectic feel of Kourahanis’ home fits perfectly.
