Design based in joy & comfort

Silverbark Studio emerged not from a conventional design career path, but from the experience of renovating a historic Philadelphia home. The studio began when founder Egina, navigated the layered decisions involved in working within an older building. Egina’s background in Art History and Project Management proved invaluable in the redesign and renovation of her own house. 

Coordinating contractors, researching materials, and making design decisions in real time revealed something fundamental about design and renovation work: the most important design thinking often happens in the space between disciplines. Successful projects require ideas to move fluidly between architectural character, material selection, and the practical realities of construction. 

Through this experience, Egina developed a perspective that continues to shape the studio today.  Design is not approached as a purely aesthetic exercise, nor as a process of imposing a  predetermined style. Instead, Silverbark Studio treats design as a form of translation, turning a client’s vision into the language of materials, spatial composition, and construction logic. 

This origin defines the studio’s philosophy. Silverbark Studio’s work sits at the intersection of creative intention and material reality, where thoughtful design decisions emerge through collaboration with builders, craftspeople, and the existing architecture. 

Rather than separating design from construction, the studio approaches design and renovation as a continuous  conversation between vision, materials, and the built environment.

1. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Art & Architecture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Six abstract motifs" New York Public Library Digital Collections.