A 1990s Colonial turned contemporary in Gladwyne

Initially, the traditional Colonial home in Gladwyne didn’t check all the boxes for Stan and Lauren Kanevsky when they were looking for their “forever home.” The street was busier than what they’d hoped for, they didn’t love the curb appeal, and the house, built in the mid-’90s, needed some immediate cosmetic upgrades.

That was in 2006, when Lauren was pregnant, and the couple had house-hunting fatigue after a two-year search. But they could see potential in the Colonial, and it was in a good neighborhood.

Now, with major upgrades both inside and out, they have created a beautiful, warm home for their daughter Sloan, 13, and son, Reuben, 10. The transformation was a lengthy process. After they first moved in, they did mostly cosmetic improvements. In 2016, the major renovations began, and once they started, one project naturally led to the next and the next.

They reconceptualized the living room by removing the built-in bookcases and replacing them with banquette seating and exchanging the traditional fireplace and mantel for a more contemporary one. They also removed the non-weight-bearing columns to ultimately create a space that felt like a modern bar or lounge. In the lounge, the family can enjoy dinner for a change of pace or a cocktail while watching TV in front of the fireplace. Especially during the pandemic, it feels like going out.

“For our generation, it seems that the formal living room is a wasted room,” said Lauren, general counsel and principal of Evergreen Apartment Group. “That unraveling of removing the columns led to refinishing the floors, which led to removing the family room built-in bookcase and existing fireplace, which led to the much bigger renovation project.”

The couple’s goal was to create a lighter, cleaner, more modern and open concept. They gutted the main bathroom, replacing the old built-in tub with a contemporary white cast stone tub. A modern chandelier with bubble-like glass balls hangs above. His and hers sinks are built into a gray tiled wall and another niche shows off a colorful glass sculpture they came across at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. Hitting up art shows to find unique works and artists is something they thoroughly enjoy.

Their style is transitional leading more toward contemporary. The home is mostly black, white and gray, making the blue accents and colorful artwork take center stage.

“We like to use art as a way to introduce colors and interest into our rooms,” said Stan, president and CEO of Airsled, a designer and manufacturer of moving technology, based in Newark, Del. “For example, we had a very large wall, and we found a colorful painting by Itzchak Tarkay that spoke to us. When we bought it, it was all in one massive frame, and we broke down the triptych to showcase it in three individual black lacquer frames.”

The basement is where the kids hang out with their Xbox and air hockey machine and where the family works out in a home gym. The basement bathroom shower is fun and funky, with one wall tiled in a colorful subway pattern with black and white chevron tile on the other walls.

“It seemed like a crazy, bold thing to do,” Lauren recalled. “It was fun and hip and what we wanted the vibe of the basement to be.”

The couple enjoys the decision-making involved in renovating. Though they hired contractors and designers, they remained involved in every detail, often getting inspiration from such online sites as Houzz. Lauren was instrumental in choosing fabrics, fixtures and furniture.

“We are very hands-on in creating our own diagrams and layouts to understand scale and placement as well as sourcing our materials and furnishings,” Stan said. “We have become the general contractors and designers so it meets our vision.”

The deck is another favorite spot, where the family enjoys spending time cooking in their outdoor kitchen or relaxing around the fire pit under the lights of the pergola. The Kanevskys created a door from an existing window off the deck so now an entrance leads directly into the bathroom area, and there are also two sets of double doors leading directly into the lounge room.

“We now enjoy the outdoor space as much we enjoy the indoor space,” Stan said.

Lauren, who had grown up in Lower Merion, appreciates that their house is centrally located among the surrounding towns. “Our kids can even walk into Old Town Gladwyne,” she said.

Though they don’t have a street where the kids can ride their bikes, they are close to parks with walking trails. “One other benefit is that we are first in line when our street needs to be plowed from snow!”

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