Upstairs, the Cordrays' new home gets a kid-friendly playroom with a climbing wall slide and storefront windows, as well as a homework space with desks that grow as the kids grow, and a library with wallpapered shelves and a vintage sliding ladder.

To balance design, family and functionality, Michael and Ashley build a staircase with custom newel post, add a fireplace with an old-wood mantel, build legs for their 12-foot island, and put 5-foot cast iron kitchen sinks in their primary bathroom.