Glitch led to dream house

A wrong set of keys unintentionally led Greg and Mary Berzinsky to their beloved home.

Transplants from Johnstown, Pa. (him), and Leonia, N.J. (her), Greg and Mary found their way to Philadelphia separately and adopted the city as their own. They met at a party and decided to buy a house after getting engaged in February 1992.

But costs at the time kept them from buying in the heart of the city. A friend mentioned that the eclectic neighborhood of Spruce Hill, a pocket within University City and at the time a more affordable option, might interest them. Two months later, the couple went to see a graceful home shaded by century-old trees.

"But when the Realtor went to open the doors, she realized she had the wrong keys. They were for the house across the street, which was also for sale," recalls Greg, 49. The Realtor suggested they take a look.

Only two other families had owned the house with the wide porch, built in 1900 by William S. Kimball, a developer who designed many of the houses in Spruce Hill. The semidetached dwelling was outdated and needed work, but details such as pine and oak flooring and thick, wide chestnut moldings captivated the couple, who share a passion for period architecture.

Adds Mary, 46, chuckling: "And then there were some things we didn't expect" - such as the cracked plumbing stack missed during a home inspection.

Even so, Greg and Mary, an architect and interior decorator, respectively, easily imagined this grande dame being restored to its original splendor, but with features for their modern family, which includes Victor, 15, and Ava, 13, as well as Streak, a rescued greyhound, and a languid kitty named Tim.

After purchasing the 3,700-square-foot Colonial Revival house, the Berzinskys, with the help of experts, started the task of installing new electrical, plumbing, heating, and central air conditioning systems. Then the kitchen and adjacent sunroom got an extensive overhaul.

Greg and Mary rolled up their sleeves and did a lot of the dirty work: framing, flooring, siding, and installing doors and windows.

"As the renovations were winding down, we had my sister's wedding in the house," says Greg, whose firm, Berzinsky Architects, is within walking distance. "It all worked out . . . although we did make everyone promise to stay only on the first floor."

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Glitch led to dream house