CENTERfold Special Edition: Spruce Street Splendor

Did you hear that rippling blast yesterday? That was the Philadelphia MLS getting rocked, Scorpions-style, like a hurricane! When a $4,290,000, over 8,000 sq. ft. home hits the market, you can bet that it gathers a lot of attention.

From ground floor to skylit atrium, every restored detail in this home was clearly a labor of love.

I know we just savored some pretty house porn yesterday, but when Frank e-mailed me about this listing, there was no question that it had to hit the blog.

Lady, antebellum: Second Empire details and abundant elegance on show in the hallway and parlor.

This is 2012 Spruce Street, located in perennially-desirable Rittenhouse Square. Originally built some time around the Civil War, this opulent brownstone has been lovingly and meticulously restored to Second Empire glory. It sports four bedrooms and five full bathrooms. Lavishly-appointed, palatially roomy, and resplendently lovely, this is the ideal home for those who value the classics.

Pretty plaster ceilings grace the enormous master suite.

Period fixtures include nine mahogany fireplaces, leaded glass windows, triple crown molding, beamed ceilings, and breathtaking woodwork (paneling and molding). The master suite encompasses half of the second floor, including a spacious dressing room and a ensuite bath constructed to contemporary specifications. Tall baseboards, high, sumptuous plaster ceilings, and exquisite overall attention to detail truly capture the feel of the 1860s.

Beamed ceilings, exquisite woodwork, and a restored fireplace are all on display in the formal dining room.

At the same time, this luxuriant rowhouse seamlessly integrates all the best of what’s modern. A sparkling new kitchen features state-of-the-art appliances, granite countertops, and beautiful cabinetry as well as enough room to support any manner of entertaining. There’s a three-zoned HVAC, as well as radiant heat. You’ll have plenty of room to park – even your horse and buggy, if you want to get totally antebellum – in a gated two-car garage with ice-melt system.

If this isn’t a dream kitchen, I don’t know what is.

One of the home’s showstoppers – there are a few contenders – is a gloriously airy 47 foot atrium that soars up five stories and is crowned by oversized double skylights that spill sunlight like gold down over each floor’s railings.

Here comes the sun: the skylights above the atrium are five stories above the floor.

It doesn’t hurt, either, that from the front door you are steps away from world-class dining, shopping, and entertainment. All things considered, I’m pretty sure living doesn’t get sweeter than this.