Dowdy, dark, and cramped sums up the old addition of Elizabeth and Bill Childrey’s hom. “It looked tacked on like a box,” explains residential designer and builder Mason Hearn. It didn‘t suit the Childreys’ needs either; they wanted a little more room, especially for a modern master suite. Tearing down the old addition and replacing it with a two-story one was the best solution for their Richmond, Virginia, home. Now the new space blends into the original house beautifully while still having its own flair.

—A.W.B.