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Each room or nook of the family home offers a delightful surprise.
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
“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
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
Heart-print wallpaper from Kerri Rosenthal and house-framed beds from West Elm Kids add whimsical but not babyish elements.
The 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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