Inside Lokal Hotel’s impressive makeover, in before-after photos

On April 3, Postgreen Homes’ latest project will debut in Old City: Lokal, an “invisible service” boutique hotel on N. 3rd Street. No, there won’t be front-desk service, but that’s the beauty of the new concept: You’ll be able to curate your own adventure in Philly—all while staying in some modernized, yet historic digs at that.

The four-story hotel features just six units, outfitted with midcentury modern furniture and industrial finishes and is designed for both long-term and short-term stays. It was completely new territory for Chad and Courtney Ludeman of Postgreen Homes, which is more known for its sustainable, affordable housing developments scattered throughout Fishtown and Kensington, typically built from the ground-up.

But the Ludemans were in good company, hiring Tara and Percy of Jersey Ice Cream Co. to bring their highly-curated vision to life. Lokal was a huge undertaking for the design duo, as well, given that most of their work entails designing one single-family home—not six individual units, each with their own kitchens, bathrooms, and one or two bedrooms.

While the third and fourth floors of the hotel are still under construction, Curbed Philly got a sneak peek of the second floor’s finished makeover. Here’s how the project came together, transforming a historic, 4-story building into a modern-industrial hotel and salon, told in four before-after photos.

Post Green Homes bought the property at 139 N. 3rd Street in May 2016 and soon began the restoration of the historic property. In its past life, the building served as a cap-making shop for Civil War soldiers, a liquor distributor, a shoe store, and most recently, the Silicon Gallery. Today, the hair salon Barnet Fair has set up shop on the ground floor, with the six units taking up the second through fourth stories.

Walls were torn down to allow for more open floor-plans for the six units. But it wasn’t until early 2017 that Jersey Ice Cream Co. got to work on the project. The design duo is known for living in the spaces throughout the renovations, and outfitting their homes with custom-designed furniture, which is often made in-house. But the size of the Lokal project meant that the duo had to have some extra help from Postgreen Home’s construction team to build their custom-designed furniture and cabinetry, which is painted in Seaworthy by Sherwin Williams.

When they weren’t designing their own furniture for the spaces, as much as the team could, they sourced furniture, home goods, and art work from local vendors and artists. The frosted windows, which act as a room separator in this 2-bedroom unit, were salvaged from Provenance, an architectural salvage warehouse in Kensington. The units’ wide, oak flooring was also sourced from Provenance.

The bar carts in each unit were curated by Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, located a few doors down from Lokal. And the hotel’s logos that adorn the room’s guidebooks were made by local design and tattoo company True Hand Society.

Each unit is outfitted with a full kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry. The nightly rates for one-bedroom units start at $195, and at $240 for a two-bedroom.

This won’t be the last Lokal location when this hotel opens in April. Postgreen Homes says they plan to expand with a second location in Fishtown.

• Lokal, ‘invisible service’ hotel, coming to Old City [Curbed Philly]