Olde Kensington may be the fastest-changing square mile in Philadelphia — and Groovy Hues Painting of Philadelphia paints both halves of it: the surviving 19th-century brick and the block-after-block of new townhomes. OSHA 30-trained, BBB Accredited crews; 25 years in Greater Philadelphia; written quotes and a written workmanship warranty. Call (267) 467-2640 or get a free second opinion.
Wedged between Northern Liberties and East Kensington, Olde Kensington was part of the original Kensington district's textile economy — and after decades of vacancy, its empty factory lots have filled with some of the densest new townhome and condo construction in the city, especially around the North American Street corridor. The result is a neighborhood where the "old" houses are 150 years older than the house next door, and where the right prep sheet depends entirely on which one you own.
Two Housing Stocks, Two Different Paint Jobs
| Housing type | Typical era | Key surfaces | What it means for your project |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surviving brick rowhomes | Mid–late 1800s | Painted brick, plaster, wood trim | Careful, contained prep on old layers, plaster patching, breathable masonry coatings |
| New townhomes & condos | 2010s–today | Fiber cement, panel siding, drywall | Ultra-smooth walls, roof-deck door and trim exposure, builder touch-up matching |
| Converted industrial buildings | 1800s shells | Exposed brick, tall stairwells | Interior staging for double-height spaces; clean lines against brick and steel |
| Corridor storefronts & studios | Mixed | Brick, wood, metal facades | Off-hours commercial scheduling with tidy containment |
The new stock has its own quiet cost driver: stair towers and double-height living rooms need real staging hours, the same way three-story historic fronts do. It's exactly the kind of site condition we verify on the walk-through rather than guess from a phone call.
What Do We Paint Most in Olde Kensington?
- Interior painting — smooth-wall townhome interiors, accent walls, stair towers, and plaster repair in the older rows.
- Exterior painting — fiber-cement and trim repaints on new builds; brick fronts, cornices, and doors on the survivors.
- Commercial painting — studios, breweries, and offices in the corridor's converted industrial spaces, plus condo common areas coordinated with property managers.
If your building has a condo association, finish rules and color approvals vary by association — bring the documents and we'll scope to them. Olde Kensington links to our home turf in Fishtown and everything else across Philadelphia, PA.
Why Choose Groovy Hues in Olde Kensington?
Because we're fluent in both eras. The crews that handle careful, contained scraping on an 1860s front are the same painters delivering furniture-smooth finishes in a 2022 townhome — with a same-day-available on-site estimate, an itemized written quote, premium low-VOC coatings, and a written workmanship warranty. Philly homeowners rate the results 5.0 across 1,100+ reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions About Painting in Olde Kensington
My new townhome's walls show every flaw — can paint fix that?
Mostly, yes. Large flat drywall planes need careful prep (spot-sanding, priming patches) and the right sheen — flatter finishes hide telegraphing, higher sheens amplify it. We'll recommend the combination that makes builder-grade walls read as custom.
Do you coordinate with condo associations and property managers?
Yes — associations set their own color and finish requirements, and we scope to those documents and coordinate scheduling with the manager. Common-area work is one of our standing commercial lines.
Is lead paint still a concern on the older blocks?
On pre-1978 homes it has to be treated as one. Our crews default to containment, careful prep, and cleanup on older layers — protecting your household and the block.
Whichever decade you own, get an honest number for it: call (267) 467-2640 or request a free second opinion.