3 Over-the-Top Takes on Philly Carriage Houses
A bespoke wet room, a posh playhouse, and a massive wine cellar prove that extreme customization is on the rise.
Three takes on the carriage house
These three carriage houses prove that extreme customization is on the rise in Philly.
The Bathroom Retreat
Relaxation in Haverford / Photograph by Rebecca McAlpin
When the pandemic forced a couple to cancel their bucket-list trip to Scotland, they put their vacation funds toward transforming their cramped century-old Haverford carriage house into an homage to the Highlands hotel where they’d planned to stay. South Philly–based Design Manifest took on the project, which included adding a third-floor primary suite with his-and-hers bathrooms. For her? A bespoke wet room swathed in custom tile, with a roomy tub and spa shower and playfully posh details like a brightly upholstered side chair and a glass chandelier reminiscent of a cluster of soap bubbles.
The Playhouse
Ping-pong in Society Hill / Styling by Kristi Hunter
East Falls’ Mona Ross Berman Interiors and Old City’s Ambit Architecture reimagined a Society Hill carriage house — tucked behind the clients’ main home — as a secondary space for the couple’s growing family. While the second and third levels hold extra bedrooms, an office, and a gym, the first floor is all about play. The showpiece is a custom ping-pong table (which converts into a pool table) with matching storage benches by 11 Ravens. The floors are polished concrete, and most walls are clad in ash wood paneling. “It’s extremely durable and forgiving should a rogue ping-pong ball hit it,” says Berman.
The Wine Cellar
Wine in Center City / Photograph by Barry Halkin/Halkin Mason Photography
When Old City’s CBP Architects joined a pair of Center City carriage houses into one single-family home, they had to keep the exterior brick walls, per the standards of the Philadelphia Historical Commission. But inside, everything was demolished to make room for a modern structure, done in collaboration with Haverford’s Barbara Gisel Design. A curved steel, plaster, and wood staircase, by Holzman Iron Studio, winds through the home’s five levels, creating a statement no matter what floor you’re on. But the bottom level is where the fun happens: It was designed for large-scale entertaining, with a 1,000-bottle wine room.
Published as “So Extra” in the April 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
