Hendricks Churchill’s 'Quieter, More Laid-Back Sibling' to a Connecticut Farmhouse Comes in the Form of a Carriage House With a Playful Twist

There is something wonderfully deceptive about this Connecticut carriage house. From the outside, the crisp white clapboard, symmetrical windows, and petite cupola give it all the hallmarks of a traditional rural outbuilding – the sort of place you might assume had stood on the property for generations. Step inside, though, and the mood shifts: Hendricks Churchill has swapped farmhouse style for bold wallpaper, dusty pinks, mossy greens, and an eclectic mix of contemporary and midcentury pieces. And while there is certainly room to park the car, that is hardly the most interesting thing happening in this multi-faceted space.

The carriage house marks the second phase of the design team's work on the property, and the team deliberately wanted this addition to feel like it held its own character. The brief was wonderfully ambitious: alongside a three-car garage, there is a guest suite, home office, gym, sauna and games room, all tucked into a convincingly 'new old' addition to the farmstead. The result is a more relaxed yet practical 'sibling' to the main house, rather than a miniature version, and playful enough to surprise once you head inside.

The carriage house was always part of the plan – just not quite yet. Hendricks Churchill had first worked with the clients on the main farmhouse, and although a broader vision for the property was discussed at the time, everyone decided to live with the first phase before taking on the next. Five or six years later, the brief evolved. The second phase would bring not just the carriage house, but a swimming pool and greenhouse, all conceived as part of a larger masterplan for the 50-acre property. As Heide Hendricks, one half of the design studio working alongside her husband and architect Rafe Churchill, puts it, 'a little time living on the property seemed like a good idea before doubling the scope and budget.'

The question was then how to make these new additions feel as though they belonged. There was initially talk of connecting the carriage house to the main home via a tunnel or corridor, but the team ultimately chose a freestanding structure – and that decision turned out to be key to the character of the whole site. 'Rather than scattering buildings across the 50-acre expanse, we leaned into the spirit of a traditional homestead or Shaker compound,' Heide explains. 'By clustering the structures, we created a sense of community.' The farmhouse, carriage house, painting studio, pool and greenhouse now all sit in conversation with one another, so that a walk across the property or a glance from a window each reveals a 'moment of discovery'. As Heide notes, 'it’s this relationship – old and new, near and far – that really anchors the history and character of the site.'

The brief was a fairly substantial one: a three-car garage, yes, but also room for a guest suite, home office, gym, sauna and a place to play a few rounds of billiards. With so much fun to fit in, the proportions of the building became an important part of the design. Architecturally, the team took cues from the main residence without simply shrinking it down into a carbon copy. The carriage house follows some of the farmhouse's detailing, sure, but its exterior trim is deliberately pared back, with the finer touches concentrated around the mudroom entrance and cupola. 'Think of the carriage house as the main house’s quieter, more laid-back sibling,' she adds.

'While it shares the same design DNA, it’s intentionally more understated,' Heide continues. Outside, they stripped back the ornate exterior trim found on the main farmhouse, reserving the finer details for inside. 'We weren't afraid to mix eras and energy,' she continues. 'The design relies on a bold interplay of patterns and an eclectic mix of furnishings that bridge the gap between contemporary design and mid-century modern finds.' In other words, there was no attempt to make everything conform to a certain interior design style – and that slightly eclectic approach is what gives the carriage house its easy, lived-in character.

A pink-and-green palette runs through the rooms, shifting from whisper-soft shades to deeper, more saturated tones, while pattern is used with a confident hand. 'Our color story is in pink and green,' she says, explaining how it all begins with a lively "breakfast room” green in the mudroom with a hint of shell-pink in the dramatic cupola, then moving into dusty rose in the billiards room and hazier mossy greens upstairs. The aim was to make each transition feel 'fresh and intentional,' rather than simply carrying one scheme from room to room. There is plenty of personality here, but it never feels as though the house is trying too hard.

That playful spirit extends to the materials, too. In the garage ('a particular joy'), the walls and ceiling are clad in untreated Douglas fir beadboard, but a painted band around the room gives the timber a graphic edge. 'It seems as if a flood of indigo ink rose up and then left a residual watermark,' Heide says of the effect, which was intended to make the space feel more like it has been part of the landscape since the 1800s. Elsewhere, reclaimed heart pine flooring brings its own patina, with 'the grain, the subtle imperfections, and the depth of color' offering something that new timber simply can't replicate. 'Its aged patina gives the space an immediate, earned sense of history,' she adds.

The home office feels more like a living room than a place for serious spreadsheets – and that was entirely intentional. Mossy green walls and generous windows overlooking the grounds create a calm, light-filled setting, while a patterned George Smith sofa, midcentury rocking chair and tactile mix of wood, brass and leather give the room a distinctly residential feel. A bright yellow floor lamp adds a little jolt of joy, while the collection of vintage and contemporary pieces keeps the scheme from feeling too polished. It is a workspace, certainly, but one that makes a very good case for taking the occasional meeting from a comfortable sofa.

The games room is perhaps where the carriage house's more mischievous side comes out to play. Farrow & Ball's Sulking Room Pink drenches the beadboard walls, 'providing the perfect foil for the bold, plum-colored pool table', while a Porter Teleo wallpaper stretches across the ceiling overhead, adding an unexpected hit of pattern to the otherwise cocooning space. The plum-red billiards table brings another saturated note, set against a richly patterned rug that came from the clients' former home.

The guest bedroom goes all-in on the idea of a country retreat, with a pastoral landscape mural from Calico Wallpaper wrapping around the walls and drawing the surrounding scenery right into the room. Against it, Hendricks Churchill has layered a simple yet chic wooden bed with a vintage gingham throw, a 1940s Swedish club chair reupholstered in sheepskin, and a midcentury pendant, while a patterned rug and small collection of side tables keep things feeling relaxed rather than overly polished. 'The guest suite is an immersive experience, with trim that frames a lush, pastoral landscape mural,' Heide adds.

The powder room is certainly not playing it safe either. Here, the carriage house's green palette goes from soothing to jewel-like, with further beadboard paneling framing a vibrant Pierre Frey pattern that climbs from the walls onto the ceiling. A wall-hung porcelain sink in a softer shade, brass fittings, and a pair of wall sconces add just enough polish, while the black-and-white checkerboard floor keeps the whole thing feeling grounded. Upstairs, the bathroom takes a much quieter turn, with pale walls, warm wood underfoot, and a beautifully aged brass-framed sauna enclosure.

The greenhouse is a rather lovely extension of the home's entertaining spaces – calling it simply a place for growing plants feels like selling it short. Framed in black-painted metal and glass, it is filled with potted plants, flowers and plenty of sunlight, with a dining table and vintage-style chairs creating a spot for dining among the greenery. A generous timber sink and rows of terracotta pots bring a practical, slightly antique character to the space, while the view out across the gardens makes it tempting to forget about the gardening altogether and simply sit down for lunch. Together with the carriage house, pool and main farmhouse, it completes the intimate cluster of buildings that gives the property its distinctly established, rather than newly constructed, feel.

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Perhaps the most special thing about this carriage house is that, despite being the newest addition to the property, it never feels like it is trying to appear that way. Its traditional proportions, timeworn materials and close relationship to the farmhouse and surroundings give it a sense of belonging, while the playful interiors make it feel thoroughly joyful and current. It is practical, too, but never at the expense of personality – a place for muddy boots, pool games, visiting guests and quiet afternoons alike.

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