5500 Riverside Drive, the transformation of an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan
[unitegallery 5500RiversideConcept]
The genesis of this project began back in August of 2014 when Jeremy Connell of Pareto LLC and I first toured the property. Initially, we felt that the home was worn and dated … most of the finishes were original including the 1954 kitchen, accordion-style vinyl doors, dark wood paneling and pastel tile baths. Despite the flaws, the bones were great and it was situated on a premier corner lot in Westover Hills, one of Richmond’s most charming neighborhoods, located on Riverside Drive.
Our minds were instantly churning – how could we alter the floorplan to accommodate today’s lifestyle? Could we better take advantage of the potential city and river views? What needed to be done to connect the interior and exterior spaces? Which architectural style was best suited for the existing footprint and location?
The one constant was that this property presented a rare opportunity, one that we were not going to pass up. After securing the home, our research and analysis kept telling us that this needed to be a modern-styled home. So we turned to John White and Heather Grutzius of 510 Architects. Who with their considerable expertise in the modern aesthetic, helped us shape a vision for the property.
Once we had a solid concept in hand, we were able to present our idea to clients who were in the market for something unique and a property that they could have a hand in creating. They were instantly intrigued and we all went to work on creating the perfect home for their family’s needs.
Below are some photos from the completed house:
Developer: Pareto LLC
Architect: 510 Architects
Brokerage: Patrick Sullivan with re|RVA Team
