{"id":252252,"date":"2026-07-26T06:58:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T06:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/252252\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T06:58:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T06:58:13","slug":"a-15-plank-and-some-backyard-rocks-solved-this-pittsburgh-row-houses-trickiest-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/252252\/","title":{"rendered":"A $15 Plank and Some Backyard Rocks Solved This Pittsburgh Row House’s Trickiest Spot"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The listing photos for this 1880 row house in Pittsburgh\u2019s Lawrenceville neighborhood weren\u2019t exactly seductive. The rental\u2019s kitchen cabinets were bright blue, the bathrooms Pepto-Bismol pink, and faux-glass hardware and steampunk-inspired light fixtures appeared throughout. But Noel Knostman<\/a>, who has spent years working and training under renowned designer Leanne Ford<\/a>, could see the bones underneath it all\u2014she and her husband decided to go for it and signed the lease.<\/p>\n

There were original fireplaces, weathered brick, creaky oak floors, oversized windows, and the ultimate persuasion: a claw-foot tub. The 1,800-square-foot house also came with a backyard, two off-street parking spaces, and a front stoop, a milestone for the couple after years of apartment living in places like New York City and Salt Lake City. \u201cI\u2019ve always believed that old houses tell you what they want to be if you\u2019re willing to listen,\u201d says Knostman. \u201cThis one wasn\u2019t asking to become a modern house. It simply wanted to be an old house again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knostman didn\u2019t want to treat the rental as a placeholder even though a relocation for work was something the couple knew was possible (and, indeed, ended up happening). With her landlords\u2019 permission, she painted, wallpapered, switched out hardware and lighting, and even commissioned furniture for its trickiest room. \u201cOwning a home and making it feel like home aren\u2019t the same thing,\u201d she says. Here are five of the brightest ideas she used to help the house settle back into itself.<\/p>\n

Pick a Paint Finish That Works Overtime<\/p>\n

\"livingShoji White Wall, Trim, and Ceiling Paint, Sherwin-Williams<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The existing cool white color only emphasized the disparity between the house\u2019s historic architecture and its more recent updates. Knostman covered the walls, ceilings, and trim in Sherwin-Williams\u2019s Shoji White<\/a>, a warmer shade with subtle pink undertones that complemented the brick and aged oak floors. Rather than defaulting to a modern matte finish, she chose light-reflecting semigloss. Because the structure shares one wall with its neighbor and natural light enters from only three sides, the slight sheen helped bounce light deeper into the rooms while also giving the walls a more traditional\u2014and future-renter-friendly\u2014durability.<\/p>\n

\"kitchen\"Broccoli Brown Cabinet Paint, Farrow & Ball<\/a>; Handblown Cafe Glasses, Shoppe Amber Interiors<\/a>; Brass Watering Can, Mon Modern<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Knostman color-drenched the kitchen, too, painting the formerly cobalt cabinets Farrow & Ball\u2019s earthy Broccoli Brown<\/a>. The green-brown shade connects it to the landscape outside and the home\u2019s warm materials. \u201cThe afternoon I repainted those cabinets, you could literally feel the whole house shift,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

Trade Privacy-Blocking Blinds for Caf\u00e9 Curtains<\/p>\n

\"bathroom\"Custom Caf\u00e9 Curtains, Etsy<\/a>. <\/p>\n

One of the first things Knostman\u2019s husband did after they received the keys was remove the old roll-down blinds. In their place, the couple installed custom caf\u00e9 curtains from Etsy on inexpensive tension rods. The half-height panels provided privacy from the closely-packed neighboring houses without sacrificing the sunlight streaming through the tall windows. They were especially transformative in the bathroom, where they fluttered in the breeze beside the claw-foot tub. \u201cIt\u2019s funny that one of my first investments wasn\u2019t a sofa or dining table,\u201d Knostman says. \u201cIt was finding ways to let more light move through the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Assume a Small Room Needs a Tiny Sofa<\/p>\n

\"livingTiered Palo Santo Holders, Oatmeal Shop<\/a>; Scented Candle, Buck Mason<\/a>; Ever Sofa, Leanne Ford for Crate & Barrel<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The family room presented the biggest challenge. A nine-foot-wide addition at the back of the house, it had soaring ceilings, repurposed bowling-alley floors, and a path to the backyard running straight through it. Conventional furniture arrangements only made its awkward proportions more apparent. <\/p>\n

Instead of filling it with several petite pieces, Knostman went big. She commissioned a 10-foot sofa that spans an entire wall, then found a nine-foot table salvaged from nearby Robert Morris School and cut it down into a generously scaled coffee table. \u201cIt taught me one of my favorite design lessons,\u201d she says. \u201cSmall spaces don\u2019t always need small furniture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Add Ambience Without Calling an Electrician<\/p>\n

\"livingCandle Sconces, Skultuna<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Replacing builder-grade fixtures with softer, more sculptural ones brought character back to the rental, but Knostman couldn\u2019t hardwire lighting everywhere she wanted it. Her workaround was candle sconces, including a brass pair flanking the fireplace. She even repurposed an old light fixture that had lost its wiring by nailing it directly to the wall and placing a taper inside. Elsewhere, a modern linen globe pendant inherited from Ford got a historic counterpoint in the form of an inexpensive ceiling medallion. The pairing created just enough tension to keep the interior from feeling like a period piece.<\/p>\n

When the Right Furniture Doesn\u2019t Exist, Get Creative<\/p>\n

\"livingDrop Cloth Artwork, Leanne Ford<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Finding a media console for the narrow family room proved nearly impossible. It needed to stretch across most of the wall beneath the television while remaining shallow enough to preserve the walkway to the backyard. Everything Knostman found was either the wrong size or outside her budget. So, the couple made their own from a $15 wooden plank and four rocks gathered in the backyard. The low, sculptural shelf fit the room better than anything they could have purchased. Above it, a piece of drop-cloth artwork concealed the television when it wasn\u2019t in use.<\/p>\n

The solution encapsulates Knostman\u2019s approach to the entire house: Look closely at what is already there, embrace its imperfections, and resist waiting for some future home before making daily life more beautiful. \u201cWe lived there for three years,\u201d she says. \u201cThis wasn\u2019t a placeholder. It was our home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"shelving\"Vintage Cactus Sculpture, Mon Modern<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"dresser\"Cortez Dresser, Leanne Ford for Crate & Barrel<\/a>.
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