A maximalist North Philly rowhouse
When Abel Tootle Jr. bought his home 13 years ago, it gave him full freedom to design a space reflecting his interests — most importantly his many, many books.
Before moving into his North Philadelphia home 13 years ago, Abel Tootle Jr. had rented small apartments, all under 800 square feet. He decided to make the leap to homeownership to pursue his passion for interior design and create a space that reflects his personal style.
“The timing was perfect,” said Tootle. And so, he moved into his circa-1910, three-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot house. Becoming a homeowner meant full freedom in designing his space — and no more lugging clothes to the laundromat, a feature of which he is most appreciative, he said.
His home’s look has been evolving since.
“I truly believe a home is never done. I was given every opportunity to paint, carpet, and design as I wish; however, I did not make any structural changes at all,” Tootle said. “My focus remains on creating a very English-country-house feel with special attention to my culture and interests.”
He favorite design elements include books — there are dozens and dozens displayed throughout the home, not just on shelves but arranged intentionally on and under tables, and stacked in towers rising from the red-pine-hardwood floors — as well as antiques, colorful area rugs in various sizes, art, lighting, and mirrors.
Tootle was initially attracted to his home’s location because he worked at Girard Medical Center. The commute was 15 minutes by bicycle or a 30-minute walk.
“I was raised not too far from my current address as a teenager; hence, I am very familiar with the neighborhood,” he noted. He also appreciates the sense of community, being minutes from Center City, and the architecture of the neighborhood.
“The classic brick and stone rowhomes, the spacious interiors of the three-story houses, and the rich history of music, art, and civil rights,” Tootle said. “Shopping, arts, and eateries are other reasons I love where I live, and I especially love the many libraries and museums,” added Tootle.
Tootle’s career is in social work and he has experience in psychotherapy, individual and group therapy, trauma counseling, grief counseling, and drug and alcohol counseling. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, antiquing, and going to the gym.
Books are a central focus in his home — he estimates he owns about 3,000.
“My library is the culmination of 40-plus years of book collecting, trading, and selling. I have purchased books from bookstores, auctions, flea markets, libraries, thrift stores — anywhere books were sold,” he said.
The bulk of the collection focuses on psychology, spirituality, history, art, and interior design, but it also includes poetry, fiction, and science. His favorite writers include James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Peter Gomes, Ellen Langer, Carl Jung, and W.E.B. Du Bois, he said.
“Essentially, I’d like to think my home references the three places I’ve always wanted to live in as a child: a library, a church, and an art gallery or museum — without the pretension,” said Tootle.
He’s especially fond of 19th-century antiques.
“I am a sucker for antique lighting and furnishings of this period and have frequently found gems at auctions, estate sales, flea markets, thrift stores, and on the curbs of sidewalks,” he said.
One special acquisition is an antique 60-inch-wide Tiger Oak S-rolltop desk, which he bought from a dealer in Bucks County. It was produced in the late Victorian Era, he said, in the 1890s.
Tootle frequently tries different design layouts by rearranging furniture, changing lighting, and experimenting with colors, patterns, and textures.
“My design ethos is very intentional and, hence, curatorial. I am a maximalist at heart,” continued Tootle. “My interiors are very layered.”
Also, he’s planning on featuring more theatrical elements.
“This includes incorporating more velvets, tassels, deep saturated colors, and sculpture — in the tradition of the late Renzo Mongiardino. Not as a copy, but inspiration,” he said.
In the backyard, he wants to make a mixed-use space.
“I would like to have the soil paved over and start a container garden with trees, shrubs, herbs, and vegetables with a small round table accommodating two to four people,” said Tootle. “I rarely use it as it currently stands.”
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