A home, by any name, tailored for this young family

Haven Duddy has an explanation for her unusual moniker. She and her two sisters all have place names: Tara, for the plantation in Gone With the Wind; Cay, for the Cayman Islands; and Haven herself, for a safe refuge, retreat or home.

"I got the best name," says the Realtor and interior designer. "I was destined to love all things home."

Her business, Main Line Haven, provides information about construction and design resources, and buying and selling houses. Her husband, Patrick, owns Duddy Construction, specializing in residential additions and bathroom and kitchen renovations.

The couple often work together on projects for clients and for themselves. They renovated their previous home, an 1,800-square-foot Dutch Colonial in Ardmore. Now, they are 21/2 years into upgrading their present home, a 3,800-square-foot French Colonial in Newtown Square.

They made the move because they needed growing space for daughters Karoline, 5, and Lily, 3, and son Paddy, 2.

A major job after purchasing the one-acre property in 2013 was removing more than 100 trees that blocked sunlight and were in danger of toppling onto the house.

"Some were over 75 feet tall," Haven says.

She supervised the planting of pear, cherry, and river birch trees and designed flower beds and a curved path leading to the house. A cedar trellis around a front window will one day be covered in clematis blossoms.

Other windows have cedar shutters that will weather to gray to match the roof. Haven had the exterior greige paint custom-mixed.

Inside, she chose neutral shades of white, gray, and beige for the walls, area rugs and upholstered furniture, and added splashes of color.

Toss pillows, an end table, and a watercolor of Venice in various shades of pink warm the living room. Pillows in the family room are navy, as are those scattered on sofas in the adjoining screened porch.

"We live out here in the nice weather," Haven says.

Dining room walls are covered in a blue-and-white hand-printed wallpaper. A charming flock of chickadees and sparrows on silver branches pattern the wallpaper in the powder room.

Patrick Duddy, a graduate of what is now Williamson College of the Trades in Media, installed white wainscoting in the foyer, living room, and staircase. New French doors in the entrance let in light.

He created a doorway from the kitchen into the living room and enlarged other openings to improve the flow between rooms. He also removed a row of cherry cabinets that was dividing the kitchen from the breakfast area.

Previous owners had renovated the kitchen nine years ago. It is functional, but a redesign is in the future.

Patrick made the cherry wood table in the breakfast room. His wife purchased the mahogany table and two buffets in the dining room on Craigslist. She left the table dark but painted the buffets a soft gray.

She found the white upholstered dining chairs online. Fortunately, she was able to remove a chocolate stain after a Christmas party. An adult was responsible, Haven says, not her children. She teaches them to respect their home, but she doesn't take chances, choosing kid-friendly furniture and durable fabrics.

Two sturdy high-back chairs and a wing chair in the living room were church-sale finds.

"My sister-in-law couldn't sell the coffee table at a yard sale," Haven says, "so I put a coat of whitewash on it."

Simple white curtains from Ikea hang on the windows and frame leafy views. The Duddys replaced the home's 1970s light fixtures - two fanciful globes over the breakfast table resemble miniature geodesic domes.

A walkout basement with adjacent patio provides an indoor-outdoor play area for the children. Two swings hanging from the basement ceiling share space with the laundry and Patrick's work area.

In addition to a kitchen redo, Patrick and Haven plan to renovate the basement, keeping the playroom but giving Patrick a proper home office.

The couple also want to update the four bedrooms and two baths on the second floor.

Haven says she has several other projects she would like to complete on the way to making the house, appropriately, her haven.