Dream come true: Two architects add livability to their blah home

Kearney, 51, was also part of VSB&A until he and his wife
formed their own partnership, Cueto Kearney Design L.L.C., in
2004. At Venturi, Kearney oversaw projects such as the Camden
Children's Garden and Trenton Central Fire Headquarters.

Today, their Swarthmore home has personality and charm, and
additional spaces that have made it livable for the couple and
their two now-adult children.

Back in 2001, the need for a family room grew urgent when
daughter Lucia and son Sebastian were outgrowing their
tolerance for a basement play space. The couple took the leap
and enlarged the kitchen, incorporating an island, and added an
L-shaped family area that is now the heart of the home. Those
367 square feet transformed the house.

"The key design element in our plan was overlapping spaces,"
Kearney says. "The addition is small, but feels big because we
opened up the edges of the space. We've gotten a big bang for
the buck in terms of light and airiness."

Indeed they have. The sun splashes into this first-floor area
with access to a patio.

The addition is better insulated and more energy-efficient than
the older part of the house, Kearney says, noting that 1951
construction norms predated today's energy concerns.

The next addition was a 243-square-foot loft area, which both
architects love. Access is through the family room, via a
spiral stairway near the wood-burning fireplace. Both fireplace
and stairway add interest and drama at the back of the room.