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Brittany and Benjamin Hakimfar reworked the interiors of their Philadelphia home after moving from California to the state where Brittany grew up. The renovation involved little structural work, but the couple scaled down the feel of the expansive rooms through more intimate layouts and contrasting materials.
Interior designer Brittany Hakimfar and her husband, Benjamin, renovated their Philadelphia home after moving from the West Coast to the state where she grew up, reshaping its expansive rooms to feel more intimate. In a report by Livingetc, Hakimfar describes a project that required little structural work but changed the home’s finishes, lighting and room layouts to support family life, entertaining and quieter retreats.
The couple’s move brought them from California to Pennsylvania, a return to Brittany Hakimfar’s home state after she had worked in New York and Los Angeles. She led the design through Far Studio, the interior design practice she established with Benjamin. The home’s finished interiors combine light oak and pale finishes with darker colors, patterned surfaces and richly veined stone.
According to Livingetc, the house did not need extensive structural changes. Its challenge was its expansive proportions: the owners wanted rooms that encouraged people to gather rather than making size the main feature. Hakimfar said the plan was to create settings for entertaining, family time, reading, music and retreat. The family includes three children, identified in the report as Liv, nine; Leo, seven; and Lex, three.
The renovation also changed the house’s previously dark, largely monotone interiors. Hakimfar said heavy window treatments were removed and multiple finishes introduced, including black zellige tile, plaid and toile wallpaper, clay wall finishes, fluted cabinetry and hand-finished plaster. A custom steel-and-glass front door was added to bring more light into the entry. The report describes other tailored features, including a bar near the dining room and an all-black bathroom with a steam shower in the attic sitting area.
How the Rooms Support Family Life
The renovation illustrates a distinction between changing a home’s structure and changing how it feels to live in it. Although the Hakimfars made few structural alterations, layout, finishes and lighting helped give broad rooms different purposes, from shared family spaces to quieter places for reading or relaxing.
That approach matters because it connects the design choices to the household’s routines rather than treating the rooms as a display. The kitchen and family room function as central hubs, while the library and music room and the attic den provide more enclosed, moodier settings. The mix of welcoming shared areas and private retreats reflects the owners’ stated aim of accommodating both entertaining and family life.
The story is also a personal account of adapting a home after a major move. Hakimfar told Livingetc that returning to the state where she grew up was significant for the couple. Their choices, from the light-enhancing front door to the darker, more tactile rooms, reflect an effort to make the house feel suited to their family and their new location. The report does not present the project as a market trend or provide cost or resale figures.
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From West Coast to Philadelphia
Before the Philadelphia project, Hakimfar had worked in both New York and Los Angeles and trained under designer Waldo Fernandez, according to the Livingetc report. She and Benjamin later founded Far Studio. The move east was a return to her home state, but the source gives no exact date for the relocation or renovation.
Hakimfar described the original interiors as extremely dark, comparing their appearance to a medieval setting. The redesign retained dark moments but added contrast and surface variation, rather than relying on a single pale palette. Livingetc describes the result as combining some of the understated finishes associated with the couple’s Los Angeles experience with a moodier scheme of dark tile, textured walls and patterned wallpaper.
The finished home includes both brighter and more enclosed spaces. The entry is designed to feel airy, while the library and music room use gray-blue tones and the attic den has charcoal walls. In the living areas, white oak, Belgian bluestone, dark metal and stone provide contrasting materials. These details are reported as features of this particular home, not as a full account of the couple’s portfolio or a general renovation guide.
“Moving back to the state where I grew up, having worked both in New York and LA, was a big deal for us.”
— Brittany Hakimfar, as quoted by Livingetc
Project Costs and Timeline Remain Unreported
Livingetc’s account does not state when the renovation began or ended, how long the project took in total, or how much it cost. Hakimfar said it took years longer to finish because she redirected carpenters to other jobs, but the report provides no precise schedule or further detail about the work sequence.
The source also does not give the home’s address, purchase price, or measurements, and it does not quantify how much of the layout changed. It says the house required little structural work, but does not specify whether permits were needed or list all contractors involved. Claims about the renovation’s effect on daily life are presented through the owners’ descriptions; the report includes no independent assessment of the home’s performance or resale value.
The Family Continues Life in the Home
Hakimfar told Livingetc that the family now uses the house as both a place to welcome guests and a refuge, with seasonal changes shaping how it feels. She described the neighborhood in winter as looking like a snow globe. The report does not announce a further renovation phase, upcoming project milestone or planned sale.
For now, the documented next step is the family’s continued use of the completed spaces while balancing family life and work projects. Any plans for additional changes, and whether Far Studio will share further details about the house, remain unreported.
Key Questions
Who renovated the Philadelphia home?
Brittany and Benjamin Hakimfar renovated the home. Brittany, an interior designer and co-founder of Far Studio, led its design.
Why did the couple redesign the interiors?
The home’s rooms were expansive and its original interiors were very dark, according to Hakimfar. The couple wanted more intimate spaces for gathering, family activities, entertaining and quiet retreat.
Did the project involve major structural work?
Livingetc reports that the home required little structural work. The changes described focused mainly on room use, finishes, lighting and design details.
What materials and features stand out in the renovation?
The report describes white oak, black zellige tile, patterned wallpaper, clay finishes, plaster and veined stone. Features include a custom steel-and-glass front door, a bar and an all-black bathroom with a steam shower.
How much did the renovation cost, and when was it completed?
The source does not provide a project budget or exact completion date. Hakimfar said the work took years longer than expected, but gave no precise timeline.
Source: livingetc.com
