Haven: Character in Wynnewood

Jen Cohen knew what she wanted: "a house with character."

She and husband Brett liked the family-friendly Wynnewood neighborhood they had lived in for six years, but their 1960s home was a hodgepodge of styles. They were ready for a change, but "there was nothing for sale," Jen says.

Then, last year, she saw a Facebook posting by a former neighbor who had moved to Boston. She had been renting out her house and was ready to sell. The Cohens promptly purchased the charming 1928 stone Colonial.

Character? It has plenty. The center hall, living room, and dining room feature the original hardwood floors, wainscoting, ceiling moldings, and glass-and-brass sconces.

On the second story are the master bedroom and bath, an office, and a guest suite for visiting grandparents.

On the third story, son Lucas, 5, has an aviation-themed, sky-blue room. His brother, Nathan, 10, has a baseball-themed room painted Phillies red and white.

Brett Cohen found the table tennis and air hockey tables in the basement playroom at a bargain price on Facebook.

Formal rooms have been furnished with antique pieces inherited from Jen's grandfather, including a French rolltop desk and matching chair. Their handpainted pastoral scenes are similar to the subjects in enamel paintings that also belonged to her grandfather.

Most of the contemporary living and dining room furniture came from the Cohens' previous home.

The large armoire in the pale-taupe and white living room was meant for the master bedroom.

"We couldn't get it up the stairs," Jen says. By "happy coincidence," the dark cherry piece matched the living room's coffee table. It now provides storage space for the boys' things.

Outside, the backyard accommodates a playset, soccer goals, a grill, Adirondack chairs, and a raised vegetable garden.

"Nathan and I picked four herbs for dinner the other night," she boasts.

Jen, 38, a pharmaceutical-firm consultant, and Brett, 39, a group director for a health-care services provider, faced a serious challenge when they bought the three-story Colonial: It needed work that required completion on a tight deadline.

The Cohens wanted a new kitchen, the finished basement had to be updated, and the air-conditioning system needed upgrading. Only the master bath had been renovated; two other bathrooms and the powder rooms needed re-dos.

But the couple had only two months before they moved out of their old house to complete the work and avoid carrying costs on both houses.

They requested bids from several contractors and chose R.P. DiGiacomo Inc. in Ardmore. The day after settlement, DiGiacomo's crew started demolition.

The contractor met the late July deadline despite a couple of construction "surprises," Brett says. Workers hit the stone exterior when they tried to move a kitchen wall, and a heavy rain storm exposed the need for a French drain in the basement.

Brett praises the contractors' hard work, as well as his wife's decision-making and foresight. Jen had ordered kitchen cabinetry and fixtures before settlement.

Tall white cabinets in the 1928 pantry inspired Jen to install similar ones in the kitchen. Black soapstone countertops with white veining complement the cabinets and the white subway-tile backsplash. A blue tea kettle matches knobs on the BlueStar six-burner range.

Custom features include a microwave oven drawer, a narrow cabinet for spices, and a cabinet for small appliances with a built-in electrical outlet. There is a conventional oven, but there's also a steam oven. The latter keeps reheated leftovers moist and is great for cooking corn on the cob, Jen says.

Old-fashioned-looking white stools under the kitchen island came from Ikea. The Amish-crafted table and chairs in the breakfast nook were purchased at Clover Market in Bryn Mawr.

The Cohens retained the 1928 skylight; a window overlooks the backyard. "I love that I can watch the boys play," Jen says.

The stylish kitchen was a stop on the Ardmore Library Kitchen Tour in April.

Jen says she continues to seek out appropriate artwork and furnishings.

"I won't leave this house forever," she vows.