How This Hollywood Designer Brought California Cool to Her Main Line Farmhouse
After a stint in L.A., Gladwyne native Brittany Hakimfar returned East to settle into — and totally transform — an underwhelming Bryn Mawr home.
See how designer Brittany Hakimfar transformed her living room. Photograph by Sean Litchfield
Life in Los Angeles was good for Brittany Hakimfar. A lead designer for AD100 interiors pro Waldo Fernandez, whose clients include Kris Jenner and Darren Star, she spent her days outfitting spaces for high-powered Hollywood types. But the desire to start a family begat a desire to be closer to her own, so she and husband Benjamin headed back East in 2017, settling into — and totally transforming — an underwhelming Bryn Mawr farmhouse. “It was very builder-grade, very cookie-cutter,” says Hakimfar. “It sat on the market for over a year — no one saw any potential.” But it was close to her parents and boasted a huge backyard. So out went the reddish wood floors and light blue walls, and in came a wash of Hakimfar’s signature white — Steam by Benjamin Moore at 50 percent strength — and the couple’s favorite vintage scores and substantial art collection.
The resulting look, Hakimfar says, is “textured, layered, eclectic and global.” Most importantly, it’s livable — even with toddlers: “The sofa can be sat on, the chairs are comfortable, but everything still looks beautiful.” It’s a style that was missing on the Main Line — which she quickly discovered when visitors started asking to hire her. So much so that she launched her own firm, Far Studio, in 2019.
“I rarely use patterns. What I want to attain can be done through textures and materials.” — Brittany Hakimfar, designer
Living Room
The main entertaining space is a treasure trove of special pieces. Cane-back Jeanneret chairs, a Charlotte Perriand-style daybed, and a sofa with a linen slipcover (easy to pop in the wash in case of spills) flank a vintage sawhorse-leg coffee table. Behind the chairs hangs the couples’ first investment piece: a massive abstract by Canadian artist Thrush Holmes.
The office. Photograph by Sean Litchfield
Office
The only dark-walled room in the home is Brittany’s workspace. The desk, also inspired by Charlotte Perriand, is big enough to spread her papers on, and the articulating Potence wall light — which doesn’t require hardwiring — is by Prouve. The striped carpet is from Williams Sonoma.
The bathroom. Photograph by Sean Litchfield
Bathroom
“Raw wooden elements contrast beautifully with a pristine white bathroom,” says Hakimfar, who retreated to the free-standing Signature Hardware tub every night during her second pregnancy.
The breakfast nook. Photograph by Sean Litchfield
Breakfast Nook
The open shelves, a lucky auction find, showcase a mix of dishware and pantry essentials. The table is a classic Saarinen tulip by Knoll, and the cane chairs are original Marcel Breuers scored on 1stDibs.
Published as “Far From Home” in the May 2021 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
