DESIGN: A Backyard Addition in Old Foxcroft
Angie Persson, owner of Swell Décor Interior Design, worked with the team at Pettus Builders to add a back porch living space, dining area, and saltwater pool to her clients’ Old Foxcroft home. With two active girls and many pool parties in their future, the homeowners also wanted a bathroom, mudroom, and changing area that friends and neighbors could access from the backyard. “This is an extension of the home that doubles their entertaining space,” Persson says. “The wife is a great cook, and they love to have people over. What they love most about their outdoor space is making s’mores by the fire with their two daughters.”
SEAMLESS TRANSITION
The homeowners wanted built-in, retractable screens to enclose the porch in summer and keep bugs out. “They wanted it to feel like it had been there all along and not an addition,” Persson says. “The stonework on the fireplace is the same stone that’s on the front of the house. The paint color outside is custom-matched to the taupe on the side of the house, so everything blended in.”
INSIDE OUT
Persson chose Lloyd Flanders wicker furniture with cushions upholstered in Sunbrella performance fabric to withstand sun, mold, and mildew. They opted for an aluminum dining table from Telescope over teak, which would show fingerprints and water spots. The 12-light chandelier from Arteriors has a rusted-iron finish that appeals to the husband. “He likes to hunt and loves the outdoors,” Persson says, “so he prefers a more rustic design versus something more polished.”
CONTROLLED CLUTTER
The team relocated the laundry room from the original house and built a bigger, more functional mudroom. Persson chose a durable bluestone floor, and Mint Hill Cabinets installed the custom white oak cabinets. “The wife was very adamant about hanging racks that slide out, so they could hang wet clothes to dry,” Persson says. “The gold hardware from Top Knobs is just a richer, warmer tone to go with that wood. She has gold accents throughout the house, so it was in keeping with what she had.”
SEAT YOURSELF
Persson carried the white oak and gold hardware into the powder room and covered the walls in a Palm Frond pattern from Thibaut. “The vanity I custom-designed with the same quartz we used in the primary bath because we loved how durable it was,” Persson says. “(The homeowner) found a gold faucet she loved, so I sourced the hardware from The Majestic Bath and picked a mirror from Uttermost to tie in the gold accents.”
WORK IT
Opposite the mudroom is more storage space and a changing area for guests. The wallpaper above the built-in desk is the same Palm Frond pattern from the powder room, and Persson painted the cabinets in Clunch by Farrow & Ball, which the homeowner had used throughout the house. The slate gray built-ins contrast with the lighter tones and complement the bluestone floors in the mudroom. “These rooms all needed to flow together,” Persson says. “Now that this addition is there, they’re always having family and friends over and talking about what they did over the weekend.”