Table Magazine - Campbell Creek Pittsburgh Aug 2023

Our Campbell Creek project is in Table Magazine — and in our book!

The August 2023 issue of Table featured Campbell Creek as a joyful blend of modern style and true family comfort. And if you have a copy of Design Happy (Gibbs Smith, 2023), it’s Chapter 4. It’s one of my favorite chapters to share because it answers a question I get a lot: can you have modern architecture and still have it feel warm for kids?

This home in Pittsburgh had everything you want in a contemporary shell — open floor plan, big windows, clean finishes — but when the young family moved in, it felt cold. Not practical for kids, not warm at night.

They didn’t want a traditional colonial, but they also didn’t want a stark modern box. They wanted clean and contemporary, but warm, welcoming, and practical.

Unlike our historic homes like Pembroke where we’re preserving 1903 woodwork and stained glass, here we were adding soul to a newer shell.

Here’s how we did it:

Soft textiles first. I always start with textiles to warm up modern architecture. We layered bouclé chairs, velvet sofas in Perennials performance fabric (so kid-proof), and custom window treatments in Pierre Frey and Schumacher fabrics that add pattern without fighting the clean lines.

Pops of color where it counts. As Table noted, pops of color and personalized spaces add the "wow" factor. We used fuchsia, kiwi, turquoise, and citron — the same colors Library Journal highlighted in their review of Design Happy — in the kids' rooms, powder room, and art. Each child got their favorite color and pattern, so it feels personal, not just decorated.

The result is what we call Design Happy — clean and contemporary, but playful and inviting and tailored to family life.

Layered lighting. Contemporary homes often only have recessed cans, and at night they feel cold. We added brass chandeliers, Urban Electric sconces, and table lamps with colorful shades. Suddenly you have pools of warm light and easy conversation areas instead of one big open space.

Natural wood accents. To ground all that modern architecture, we brought in natural materials Pittsburgh families love — white oak built-ins, walnut coffee tables, and an oak dining table. Wood instantly makes a contemporary home feel warm.

Thank you so much to Table Magazine for featuring Campbell Creek in August 2023, and to Gibbs Smith for including it as Chapter Campbell Creek in Design Happy with 200 color photographs.

Read the Table Magazine feature: Table Magazine

See Portfolio: Campbell Creek

Featured in Table Magazine August 2023 and Design Happy: Colorful Homes for the Modern Family 2023.