Join us as we tour our much-anticipated speculative build in Utah and take in the breathtaking architectural and design elements, touches of charm and whimsy, and abundance of warmth.
Editor’s Note: We are delighted and proud to present the final reveal of Project House Utah with our project partners, The Fox Group.
A Fox Group home immediately draws you in! Owners Cara and Tom Fox have traveled extensively throughout the world and their adventures have honed their style. Tom is an expert at creating historically accurate homes and Cara’s exemplary eye for design makes them a dream duo. Every Fox Group home beautifully intersects an Old World aesthetic with livable ease.
“When designing this home, we envisioned creating a timeless Colonial cottage farmhouse with a sophisticated yet welcoming presence,” Cara explains. Each architectural element was carefully chosen to evoke a sense of historical permanence, from the distinctive sandstone veneer exterior and stately pillars and portico to the refined Colonial detailing and thoughtfully selected paint colors. The result is a home that feels as though it’s stood for generations, rooted in traditional craftsmanship. A custom front door from sponsor Ozark Custom Doors and traditional wooden rockers from sponsor Troutman Chair Company provide a warm welcome and a sneak peek into what awaits inside. The house numbers, gutter system and chimney pots, all made of copper, are details that are a signature of The Fox Group.
The landscape design by Emily Brooks Wayment transforms the narrow lot into a series of intimate outdoor spaces that feel as though they’ve matured alongside the structure. The welcoming front approach features a classic picket fence leading to a hidden garage courtyard warmed by an outdoor fireplace. The rear garden unfolds with a spacious lawn and potager garden secured by farmhouse gates. Through careful placement of architectural elements and thoughtful plantings to screen neighboring properties, the design creates a sense of privacy and charm that transforms this busy street location into a tranquil family haven.
To learn more about The Fox Group, visit @the_fox_group_ on Instagram and their website, thefoxgroup.com.
The time has come at last for the final reveal of Project House Utah, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! Over a year ago, we started our journey with an empty lot in the mountain-rimmed and big sky city of Salt Lake City, Utah. We met Cara and Tom Fox, the incredible husband-wife duo behind the full-service residential design and construction firm, The Fox Group, and owners of the cute boutique shop filled with all sorts of home treasures, The Fox Shop. The following months brought on an onslaught of challenges, including setbacks due to weather, recovering supply chains and the typical holdups always faced in new constructions. Through it all, the team pressed on with passion, a commitment to excellence and masterful skill to transform this speculative build into a home brimming with warmth and whimsy.
From Plans to Pavement
As all projects begin, this one started out as a vision. Since this is a spec home, or speculative build, the end goal is to create a move-in ready home with no specific directions dictated by a homeowner, versus the traditional new-build method of a buyer purchasing land with plans drawn up for the construction. This allowed Cara and Tom freedom in crafting a design. With backgrounds and specialties in classic architecture and New England traditional design, they created an aesthetic that beautifully blends farmhouse and cottage simplicity with an Americana historical feel and touches of elegance. “When designing this home, we envisioned creating a timeless Colonial farmhouse with a sophisticated yet welcoming presence,” Cara says.
Once the vision was cast, the team got to work fitting it into the size and shape of the lot. Cara and Tom carefully crafted a blueprint of the house and then mood boards that brought together all the character and heritage of a Colonial-style home with added warmth and charm. Selecting just the right elements for each room was a crucial part of the success of the design, and thanks to our list of sponsors Cara was able to find pieces that truly have brought her original vision to life.
Creating Cohesion in the Final Project House Utah
A few key elements mark the Fox Group’s design, tying it all together, and you can see these elements in the final reveal of Project House Utah. “To create a cohesive vibe throughout the home, we added warmth throughout each space,” Cara says. “The unlacquered brass details and hardware by Emtek/Assa Abloy create a cohesive feel. The blue and white is repeated in some form or pattern in every room. Each space has a nod to classic traditional and historical significance.”
Starting at the exterior of the home, the stone siding and Colonial pillars give the home a historic feel, while the landscaping by Emily Brooks Wayment makes the best of the long and narrow plot of land with a collection of outdoor gathering spaces tucked here and there.
Just inside the custom door by Ozark Custom Doors, the foyer reveals a breathtaking entrance into the home, with delicate Laura Ashley chinoiserie wallpaper in blue and cream. The spiral staircase takes center stage as an architectural talking point designed by The Fox Group team and adding to the overall classic feel of the home.
A brass chandelier by Authentic Designs presides over the space.
In the main gathering spaces of the kitchen and pantry, dining and living room, warm touches and cozy elements marry English cottage and American farmhouse style. Custom cabinetry by Christopher Scott Cabinetry with elegant, scalloped detailing and deep-green finish evoke the English countryside, continued with an Arto Tile backsplash featuring a Delft horse pattern. Troutman Chairs counter stools and unlacquered brass hardware by Tradition Hardware add warmth. In the living room, a mixture of greens and blues tie together the different palettes throughout the home. Hardwood flooring and Woodgrain’s tongue-and-groove wall treatments, crown, base and case mouldings add to the character and historical feel alongside brass sconces.
Working Whimsy
Throughout the design, which you can see evident in the final reveal of Project House Utah, Cara’s penchant for beautiful and whimsical spaces is on full display. “I wanted it to feel whimsical and fun but with colors that are very traditional and classic, and saturated like the greens in the kitchen and the blues and whites in the foyer,” Cara says.
In the laundry room, sky-blue scalloped custom cabinetry echoing the kitchen and pantry and providing functional storage. Laura Ashley wallpaper once again graces the walls, injecting charm and sophistication. The mudroom highlights a special agrarian wallpaper alongside brick flooring once again referencing the American farmhouse feel Cara envisioned. Similarly, in the girl’s bedroom, Laura Ashley wallpaper once again sets the tone with its soft floral pattern. Star wallpaper in the formal powder bath holds a special meaning for Cara and her family, that true north always leads home.
Throughout each space, Tom, Cara and the team at The Fox Group weave together a variety of design elements like threads to form a beautiful tapestry of a build that is made not to be just a house, but a home.
For more about the process of designing and building Project House Utah, see Folklore in the Utah Project House Powder Room and Project House 2023: A Fox Tale. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of cottage inspiration!
