Renovation Diary: Scott and Peggy Brehman’s Newtown Square Dairy Barn


If ever there were two people who know how to remake a space, it’s Scott and Peggy Brehman. Scott is co-owner of B&H Investment Properties, which has built and/or renovated more than 35 properties in the last 14 years. He has a particular facility with the challenges of historical buildings, including his personal home. Peggy owns Aubusson Home, a fabric and trimming store, so design, color choices and aesthetics come naturally to her.

Some of the most interesting adapted features of the above kitchen, according to Peggy:

History: “We think it was built about 1850 as a single-story dairy barn.”

Floors: “They’re reclaimed floors from a tobacco mill down in Tennessee. They call them ‘character oak’ because they have checks, knots, wormholes and nailholes, which we love.”

Horse weathervanes: “The one on the right was up on the 1810 barn we used to own. The left one came off the oldest barn in Berwyn. It’s American folk art.”

Bottle collections: “There used to be an old glass dump in the woods out back, and we found a lot of the bottles and mason jars out there when cleaning up.”

For more, go to Philadelphia Home: Peggy Brehman’s Renovated Newtown Square Dairy Barn.