HOW SWEET IT IS

A HISTORICAL CONNECTICUT VICTORIAN BOASTS THE INTRICACIES OF A GINGERBREAD HOUSE AND EMBRACES THE SPIRIT OF YOUNG CHILDREN

- KRISSA ROSSBUND

Gumdrop-topped pretzel sticks don't grace the generous yard of this Greenwich, Connecticut, home. Peppermint sticks don't highlight the rooflines. And shingles aren't laid with layers of frosting.

The historical Victorian Era home, built in 1887, may not be colorful or tasty, but it does imply all the charming visual treats of a gingerbread house, and it is, in fact, well-suited for kids.

The clients of Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller, the husband and-wife design duo and founders of New York design firm Carrier & Co., had roots in the area and a deep respect for the classic architecture of their home. But with four children, the couple understood that their house was destined for years of youth-filled activity.

The interiors needed to provide a backdrop of light, modernity, and casualness that could still pull off grown-up sophistication when necessary.