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Brittany and Benjamin Hakimfar moved from the West Coast to Philadelphia, where Brittany redesigned their home around family life and entertaining. The renovation focused less on structural changes than on making expansive rooms feel intimate, using contrasting materials, patterned surfaces and distinct moods.
Interior designer Brittany Hakimfar reworked her family’s Philadelphia home after she and her husband, Benjamin, moved from the West Coast to the state where she grew up, according to a Livingetc home profile. The renovation made few structural changes but focused on scaling down the feel of expansive rooms and creating places for family time, entertaining and retreat.
Hakimfar, who trained under designer Waldo Fernandez before establishing Far Studio with Benjamin, said the move back east was personally significant. She brought elements associated with the couple’s time in Los Angeles—such as white oak and plaster finishes—into a home with a more grounded palette and darker accents. A custom steel-and-glass front door was added to bring more light into the entry, she said.
The design uses contrasting materials and room-by-room color schemes. The profile describes an airy entry, coffee-and-cream tones in the sitting room, a gray-blue library and music room, and charcoal walls in an attic den. In the kitchen and family room, bluestone flooring is paired with lighter oak cabinetry and dark metal details. The home serves the couple and their three children, identified in the report as Liv, nine, Leo, seven, and Lex, three.
Rather than making the home feel larger, Hakimfar said she wanted its layout to support gathering and quieter activities. The work included a bar near the dining room, a black-tiled bathroom with a steam shower, and an attic space converted from an unfinished area into a family retreat. The report says the renovation also replaced heavy window treatments and monotone interiors with varied finishes, including patterned wallpaper, textured plaster and fluted cabinetry.
Designing Large Rooms for Family Life
The project illustrates a practical design challenge: large rooms can feel less welcoming when their scale is emphasized rather than organized around how people use them. Hakimfar’s stated goal was to create a home that accommodates both guests and everyday family routines, with designated areas for entertaining, reading, music and privacy.
The profile also shows how a move can shape a renovation’s priorities. Hakimfar described returning to her home state as a major change for the family and said the home’s atmosphere was intended to feel both welcoming and restorative. Those aims are reflected in the contrast between bright shared areas and more enclosed, darker rooms.
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From West Coast to Philadelphia
The Livingetc report presents the renovation as part of the Hakimfars’ move from the West Coast to Philadelphia. Hakimfar said she had worked in both New York and Los Angeles before returning to the state where she grew up. The source does not give a date for the move or identify the specific Philadelphia neighborhood.
According to the profile, the house needed little structural work, but its spacious proportions and original finishes called for a substantial interior redesign. Hakimfar characterized the previous rooms as very dark and said she wanted to change every surface. The updated design retained dark elements while adding texture and variation, rather than relying on a single light or dark scheme throughout.
“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, homeowner and designer
Project Details Not Reported
The source does not provide the renovation’s total cost, start date or completion date, nor does it detail the contractors’ scope of work. It says structural changes were limited but does not list every alteration or establish how long the project lasted beyond Hakimfar’s comment that it took years longer to finish.
The account is a design profile based on the homeowner’s description and does not include independent measurements, a renovation budget or an assessment of the project’s impact on the property’s value. The publication also does not identify the home’s exact location within Philadelphia.
The Home’s Role Going Forward
The report describes the renovation as completed and the house as the family’s current home; it does not announce further construction plans or a next project milestone. Hakimfar said the family spends time in the attic den after the children go to bed and values the home through changing seasons.
No additional timeline or follow-up has been provided. The immediate takeaway from the published profile is the design approach: use distinct moods and textures to make a large home function as a collection of gathering spaces and quieter retreats.
Key Questions
Who owns and designed the Philadelphia home?
Brittany and Benjamin Hakimfar own the home. Brittany, an interior designer and co-founder of Far Studio, led the redesign, according to Livingetc.
Why did the family renovate the interiors?
Hakimfar said the expansive rooms needed to feel more intimate and work better for family life, entertaining and quiet activities. The source says the house required little structural work.
What design features stand out?
The profile highlights contrasting finishes, including white oak, dark metal, patterned wallpaper and textured plaster, along with a black-tiled bathroom and a converted attic den.
When was the renovation completed, and how much did it cost?
The Livingetc report does not give a completion date or project budget. Hakimfar said the work took years longer than expected, but no exact duration is stated.
Source: rss
