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Brittany and Benjamin Hakimfar renovated their Philadelphia home after moving from the West Coast to the state where Brittany grew up. The home needed little structural work, but the couple and designer Brittany focused on making its expansive rooms feel more intimate through distinct layouts, varied finishes and spaces for family life and entertaining.
Designer Brittany Hakimfar and her family reshaped their Philadelphia home after moving from the West Coast to the state where she grew up, using room layouts and contrasting finishes to make the expansive house feel more intimate. In a Livingetc home tour, Hakimfar said the work involved little structural change but a broad redesign of the interiors for family life, entertaining and quieter retreats.
Hakimfar, who trained under designer Waldo Fernandez and later established the interior design practice Far Studio with her husband, Benjamin, described the move as personally significant. “Moving back to the state where I grew up, having worked both in New York and LA, was a big deal for us,” she told Livingetc. The family relocated from the West Coast to Philadelphia, bringing together design influences associated with their time in Los Angeles and Hakimfar’s Pennsylvania roots.
The house’s large proportions were a central design challenge. Rather than emphasize its scale, Hakimfar said she aimed to create a range of settings for gathering, family time, reading, music and solitude. A custom steel-and-glass front door was added to bring more light into the entry, while the rooms were given distinct moods through changes in color, material and pattern.
The palette moves between lighter spaces and darker, more enclosed rooms. The library and music room use gray-blue tones, and the attic den has charcoal walls. Elsewhere, the sitting room combines coffee-and-cream neutrals, while the entry is designed to feel airy. Black zellige tile, plaid and toile wallpaper, dramatic stone, clay finishes, white oak and darker woods contribute texture and contrast. The kitchen and family room function as everyday gathering areas for the couple and their children, Liv, nine, Leo, seven, and Lex, three, according to the report.
Designing for Family and Gathering
The project illustrates how a renovation can change how a home is used without relying on major structural work. Hakimfar’s stated priority was to make rooms feel more welcoming and useful, rather than letting their size dictate the experience. That approach has practical relevance for homeowners dealing with large, open or underused spaces: furniture, finishes and the purpose assigned to each area can help create a sense of intimacy.
The house also reflects a personal move as well as a design brief. Hakimfar told Livingetc that returning to her home state mattered to the family, and described the finished home as both a place of welcome and a refuge. The design’s mix of bright communal rooms and moodier retreats is presented as a response to that family’s routines, not as a universal formula.
For the couple, the home also supports entertaining. A bar beside the dining room was designed to add visual impact while making hosting easier. The combination of practical use and decorative choices is a recurring feature of the renovation, from the kitchen and family room to the more private attic space.
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From Dark Interiors to Layered Rooms
Before the redesign, Hakimfar described the original interiors as so dark they felt “medieval.” She said the house had heavy window treatments and monotone rooms, and that she wanted to change every surface. The reported renovation retained some dramatic darkness but added variation through wallpaper, plaster, wood, stone, tile and cabinetry.
Rather than apply one look throughout, Hakimfar gave rooms separate identities. The sitting room’s lighter neutrals differ from the charcoal attic den, while the library and music room take a more muted gray-blue direction. The kitchen pairs Belgian bluestone flooring with lighter oak cabinetry and dark metal accents. In the attic, the couple turned an unfinished area into a place to relax after the children went to bed.
Several choices were deliberately bold. The project includes an all-black tiled bathroom with a steam shower, moss-green plaster and a dramatic marble basin paired with patterned wallpaper. Hakimfar said having her own family as the client made it easier to approve unusual finishes. She also noted that the project took years longer than expected, in part because she redirected carpenters to other jobs.
““It was about creating intimacy.””
— Brittany Hakimfar, speaking to Livingetc
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Project Costs and Timeline Details
Livingetc’s report does not provide the renovation’s total cost, exact timeline or completion date. Hakimfar said the project took years longer than expected, but the report does not specify how many years or when the work began. It also does not detail the home’s precise location within Philadelphia, the property’s age or the extent of work beyond noting that little structural renovation was needed.
The account is a homeowner and designer’s description of the project, rather than an independent assessment of its cost, performance or resale impact. The report does not say whether the family plans further work or how the design may change as the children grow.
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The Home’s Next Chapter
No next renovation phase or future project milestone is identified in the Livingetc report. Hakimfar described the family’s day-to-day life as centered on raising their children while continuing to manage projects, and said the changing seasons and neighborhood are part of what makes the home feel restorative.
For now, the reported focus is on using the finished rooms: shared areas for family routines and entertaining, alongside quieter spaces such as the attic den. Whether the family makes further changes, and how its needs alter the home over time, remains unknown.
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Key Questions
Who renovated the Philadelphia home?
Brittany Hakimfar, an interior designer and co-founder of Far Studio, designed the renovation of the home she shares with her husband, Benjamin, and their children. She discussed the project with Livingetc.
Why did the family redesign the home?
The home required little structural work, but its expansive proportions needed to feel more intimate and better support gathering, family life, reading, music and quiet time, Hakimfar said.
What design features stand out?
The rooms mix light and dark finishes, including white oak, black zellige tile, patterned wallpaper, dramatic stone, clay finishes and dark woods. The house also includes a custom steel-and-glass entry door and an all-black bathroom with a steam shower.
How long did the renovation take, and what did it cost?
The report gives no project cost or exact timeline. Hakimfar said it took years longer than expected, partly because she redirected carpenters to other jobs, but did not give a specific duration.
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