A Better Addition

Sometimes you need to start over. A round-two addition with its own character replaces an earlier tacked-on looking design.

Dowdy, dark, and cramped sums up the old addition of Elizabeth and Bill Childrey's home. "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. Here are the secrets.

Secret #1 : Combine two exterior materials.

The addition reflects the old house by using some brick on the exterior. New bricks were painted and distressed to get a weathered look. The rest of the addition features cedar shingles for a fresh accent. "If the whole addition were brick, it would look too heavy and dense," notes Mason. "The painted shingles lighten the look, avoiding a big mass of brick."

Secret #2: Repeat architectural details.

The original house's barrel-vault dormers show up in an exaggerated form atop the brick portion of the addition, but with an updated interpretation. "We used big windows instead of a door, but then we added a decorative iron rail around the windows as an architectural ornament to suggest the style of a French balcony," says Mason.

Secret #3: Create unique personality.

The addition's copper roof gives it a distinct style. The original roof of concrete tile was typical in old neighborhoods in Richmond. While still available locally, it was similar in price to copper. "Copper lasts a lifetime with no maintenance; plus, it tied in with the color tones and copper accents of the existing house," says Mason. ALICE WELSH DOYLE

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Sep 2005
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