At Home in the Store

Photography by Studio Lithe. Story by Keith Recker.

When home renovation is a family affair, anything is possible. That’s how it went with Cyd and Neal Mello’s recent (and substantial) re-do of an old Pittsburgh storefront, which resulted in the transformation of a neglected space into a warm and functional family home filled with interesting details and collectible objects. TABLE Magazine editor in chief Keith Recker had a talk with Cyd about the process and the results.

Keith Recker: What sparked your interest in the building you renovated? It’s not every day that a storefront becomes a beautiful family home!

Cyd Mello: We immediately recognized the timeless character within the structure and were drawn to the raw framework of the first floor as an entirely open space with 13’ ceilings. The original storefront façade had large front windows that let in ample light. Since they needed to be replaced, we took the opportunity to install larger, frosted widows with black mullions that create an interesting architectural element. The new windows stay true the storefront history and keep the interior bright and airy.

Also, my love of design was fated from an early age growing up in a close Pittsburgh family full of artists and interior designers. After studying at Parsons School of Design and working in the fashion industry, I transitioned to interiors with my mother Stacy Weiss at Weisshouse and, naturally, wanted to create a space of my own.

We love the central location being at the end of Highland Park / beginning of Morningside and equal distance to Weisshouse and Mello & Sons – my husband’s vintage shop. The neighborhood is very family friendly and close to a park with a baseball field - a plus when you have two boys.

We could see through the neglected state of the storefront space and saw that we were dealing with a true diamond in the rough.

KR: What was your goal with the renovation? What sort of family life did you need the house to support?

CM: The goal of this renovation was to revitalize a forgotten structure with modern updates and contemporary designs. With no existing kitchen or powder room, we were excited to be working with such a blank slate and have so much freedom with configuring the massive open floor plan into a layout that would best suit our lifestyle. It was important for us to design a space that was creative, inventive, accommodating for a family of four with two growing boys.

KR: What parts of the house are really successful in achieving those goals? Where do you spend the most time? Where do you feel happiest?

CM: The configuration allows for us to be in the kitchen or doing laundry while staying actively involved with the boys while working on an art project on the dining table or a puzzle in the living room. Coming from Brooklyn, we lived in loft apartments and in the back of our vintage store, so we are used to being together all in one space. Our first floor has the feel of a Brooklyn loft. It offers a direct line of site from the kitchen to the front living area, allowing our family to be together while still offering ample space for each of us to tackle our own tasks, like assembling the best Lego castle on our large vintage farm table.

KR: The house is filled (but not overfilled) with interesting objects and art. Could you pick two of your favorites, and share their stories with us?

CM: The clean lines and modern framework of the house really allows our collection of art and vintage objects to stand out.

The house is filled with artwork, many by my grandfather Jack Weiss and my father Karl Mullen whose images have adorned every home I have lived in. A favorite is a piece by my dad that hangs above the fireplace. Jack and my grandmother Andy Weiss actually purchased the painting after it won Best Painting at Three Rivers Arts Festival in 1988 and they recently left it to me after his passing. Not only is it a brilliant figurative work of art, but I always admired that my grandfather valued it given his style was linear and modern. It’s also very specific to the work my dad was creating in my early childhood, so it holds a lot of good memories.

Another favorite is my husband’s vintage Beacon blanket collection. Neal’s vintage career began in the 90’s when he worked for Ralph Lauren where he fell in love with original beacon blankets and has been collecting them ever since. Although they are treasured and becoming harder to find, we use them all the time. I love having the unique color combinations and graphic patters layered throughout our home.

KR: You’re part of the Weisshouse family. What’s the favorite item that came into the house from the store?

CM: Working at Weisshouse, I am inspired daily by our vast collection of different objects, rugs and furnishings. When designing a room, my mom always taught me to start with the rug, but there are so many it was hard to choose! I ended up selecting all vintage rugs as they work with any design and never go out of style.

Another favorite from Weisshouse is a big, deep, down filled, Faro sectional. Although we have so many sofa frames in the showroom, this was always my objet de désir. It’s the perfect family movie night sectional without compromising on design. The low and deep slim profile with boxy pillows maintains a chic 1970s modern silhouette. The hardest part was choosing a fabric as I was fully aware of all the endless possibilities. I am still very happy with my choice of a denim Sunbrella fabric. Even though it’s designed as outdoor fabric, the technology today still allows it to be soft and feel like a linen blend.

Honorable mention has to go to the sculptural kitchen lighting by Flos. It really draws attention to the original pressed tin ceilings, the only original element preserved in the redesign.

KR: What are the most important lessons you learned from this renovation project? Any advice you’d offer a TABLE reader embarking on a similar adventure?

CM: If you’re doing a gut renovation, you need a fantastic contractor.

Will Carpenter of Carpenter Construction saw every detail through to the end. I love working with my mom, but it was a great experience and learning opportunity to work with Will, my stepdad.

After demo we met with the electrician who asked where we wanted to place the light switches. I didn’t realize we would be making those decisions so early on. It was a challenge to imagine our daily lives surrounded by demoed walls in a place I had spent so little time. Thinking about light switches in walls that didn’t yet exist was new for me, but with the help of architect Michael Greybrook I was able to visualize it on paper.

Luckily, I had a lot of expert advice within my family. But even with the pros helping, there are a million decisions to make. The options are endless, so it helps to finalize as many details as you can in the beginning and keep building upon what you have already committed to. The process can be daunting at times but with the right people working on a great design, your project eventually comes to life.