November 3, 2024

Architectural Design Kingdom

Home is where the heart is

A Playful Fairmount Carriage House Renovation

A Playful Fairmount Carriage House Renovation

Guides

Each room or nook of the family home offers a delightful surprise.


Fairmount carriage house renovation

This Fairmount carriage house renovation is playful yet functional. / Photography by Courtney Apple

Anessa and Taylor Foxwell aren’t afraid of a project. In fact, when they outgrew their Fishtown home, they sought one out — something rare they could make their own. (To say they have vision is an understatement.) They found it in a Fairmount carriage house built in the 1800s. “We love the high ceilings and how wide it is,” says Anessa.

Their first call was to Kenny Grono, co-owner of Philadelphia design-build firm Buckminster Green. He had renovated their previous home, and his team — including interior designer Kristie Rosado — was excited to outfit the blank space. The work was major: A pilot house was turned into a large room; bedrooms, bathrooms, and a play space (with a slide!) were crafted for their three kids; a kitchen,­ closets, two staircases — the list goes on.

But the project’s scope didn’t distract the Foxwells from their mantra that good design can be full of joy. The result is a study in how to blend pattern and pigment with smart architecture: Each room or nook in this Fairmount carriage house renovation offers a delightful surprise.

The kitchen

Fairmount carriage house renovation

“I’ve had a light green kitchen, a red kitchen, and I wanted a purple one,” says Anessa.

The cement tiles she found from Thatcher Studio helped finalize the exact cabinet shade selection. Rule-breaking details — like mismatched stools — pull it all together.

The primary bathroom

Fairmount carriage house renovation

The blue-and-white cement tiles from Clé feel like an ocean wave. The Foxwells leaned into the pattern by extending it onto the shower walls. The custom walnut vanity­ is by local fabricator Edgewood Made.

I think of wallpaper and tile like art, so we pick those first and go from there.” —Anessa Foxwell

The kid’s bedroom

kid's bedroom Fairmount carriage house renovation

Heart-print wallpaper from Kerri Rosenthal and house-framed beds from West Elm Kids add whimsical but not babyish elements.­

The top floor

top floor

Spiral steps leading to a small pilot house were replaced with a custom staircase. Nature-inspired wallpaper, lounge chairs from Anthropologie, a desk, and a mint wet bar make the space ideal for both work and entertaining.

 

Published as “Fun House” in the October 2024 issue of Philadelphia magazine.




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