I’ve been following the work of Giappo Design+Build founder and owner Jeffrey Frederick since he started rehabbing South Philly rowhouses and building new ones.
He has a knack for turning modest two-story rowhouses into knockout modern residences. After making over at least three in the area of Neumann-Goretti High School, he branched out and built a new-from-the-ground-up townhouse on a corner lot in Dickinson Narrows.
You might want to take a look at that listing from two years ago and compare it to this house he just completed in the Runnymeade Farms subdivision in Newtown Square, for what he has done here is bring a very urban sensibility to deepest suburbia.
By starting out with a relatively small hillside lot, Frederick all but ensured that what would rise on it was something different from its neighbors. How else was he going to cram nearly 4,100 square feet of space, including a built-in two-car garage, onto a lot this small without building upwards?
The result is a striking, and strikingly modern, house that lets you rise above it all whenever you feel like it.
And if you feel like a glass of wine when you relax or entertain, the first thing you see upon entering the foyer will delight you (and your guests as well): A temperature-controlled wine room with a wet bar and tasting area. To the left of the wine room is a bonus room that could be used as a home gym. office, studio, playroom or what-have-you.
The stairs to the right of the wine room take you up to the rest of the house, starting with the open main floor. Its herringbone-patterned engineered white oak floor adds a touch of style while full-height windows and sliding doors bring the wooded surroundings inside. The rest is up to you.
Want to serve dinner with your wine? The Eurostyle kitchen is up to the task. It’s outfitted with professional-grade Thermador appliances that include a six-burner gas range, two ovens and a microwave. The huge center island is topped by a single slab of Trevi quartz, and an attached large pantry has plenty of space for food and dinnerware storage in glass-front cabinets.
The sliding doors lead to a wraparound balcony in front and a landscaped backyard in the rear.
The third floor contains two bedrooms, one an en-suite bedroom for guests, a hall bathroom, the laundry room and a bonus room that could serve as a playroom, office or den.
The top-floor primary suite is your private retreat. A wet bar with a wine fridge greets you at the top of the stairs. Next to it, a wide archway leads to the huge bedroom, which has its own private balcony.
The stylish primary bath has a floating dual vanity and spa shower with dual rain heads. And across from the wet bar is a third bonus room that could function as an office, study or even a fourth bedroom if needed.
Topping all this off is a full-floor, partly covered roof deck with a panoramic view of the wooded surroundings. Its design makes it an ideal outdoor living room; if I lived here and township or homeowners association rules allowed, this is where I’d put my smoker grill.
The one surprise is that this house lacks an elevator, a now-common amenity in luxury houses. Given all that this house packs within its relatively compact footprint, however, I am at least willing to take the stairs. Besides, I need the exercise, and I imagine it also wouldn’t hurt you.
Clearly, this is a modern house that literally rises above the crowd. Meghan Chorin, the Compass real estate agent who’s marketing this house for Giappo Design+Build, was suitably impressed: “Jeff is a true visionary in his field. Working with Jeff from start to completion, I was able to witness his creativity come to life and ultimately the finished product is a masterpiece,” she said.
“His clean line, modern aesthetic is a welcome addition to the Main Line area and housing market. I am honored to have worked with Jeff on 12 Langton Lane and I am excited to see what he will envision next!”
I can’t wait, either.
4 bedrooms, 3 full, 1 half bathrooms, 4,100 square feet
Asking price $1,890,000
$400 annual homeowners association fee
Listing agent: Meghan Chorin, Compass
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