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A new entertaining space replaced a kitchen when George and Jolene Boatright expanded their condo by joining it with an adjacent unit. Custom cabinetry by Joe Allen is painted in Sherwin-Williams “Courtyard,” with bar stools from LaDiff and lighting from Restoration Hardware. The 14-foot island is topped with Fantasy Brown granite from Absolute Stone Design.
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BEFORE: The old kitchen
When Jolene and George Boatright bought a two-story penthouse condominium at The Reserve in 2008, they were charmed by its Church Hill location, the amenities and the views afforded by floor-to-ceiling windows. “We call it our treehouse,” Jolene says.
At the time, the couple had imagined they’d also buy a place on the river as a weekend getaway. “Then one day,” says Jolene, “the leaves were gone and I realized the river is right there. I looked at George and said, ‘Are we ever going to buy a boat?’ ” Their answer: a resounding “no.” With that, they realized they wanted more space for everyday living.
Meanwhile, as their next-door neighbor, a young single man, got married and started a family, the Boatrights speculated that they would likely be moving on for more space. They were right: Fast-forward to 2017, when the Boatrights bought the adjacent unit with plans to combine the two condos, creating plenty of room for gatherings as well as a first-floor master suite.
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The Boatrights’ original condo, a fourth-floor penthouse unit, offers sweeping views of Shockoe Bottom and the James River through impressive two-story windows.
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A new dining area was created in the adjoining condo, anchored by a custom-made table by Joe Allen of Amelia.
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The architect carved out space for the new master bedroom by gutting the existing space — including the fireplace — and reconfiguring the floor plan.
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BEFORE: The old fireplace
George and Jolene hired Paul Salvucci of Lally Construction, knowing that having the right contractor was key to a job rife with caveats and logistics. Renovations of this scope involve not only countless permits and other filings — particularly because the building is in Historic Church Hill — but also the blessing of the condo association’s board of directors.
“Then one day the leaves were gone, and I realized the river is right there.” —Jolene Boatright
“Because this section of the building is only 11 years old, we felt like we were setting the standard for renovations,” George explains. They committed to hiring a Class A contractor, and to keeping construction noise, inconvenience and disruption to a minimum. The original architect of the building, Dave Johannas from Johannas Design Group, had to sign off on the project as well.
With these details secured, construction presented its own challenges. Because there was no place for a dumpster, contractors made piles of construction debris to toss over the balcony into a truck bed waiting in the parking lot below — a drop of about 25 feet. Construction materials all came in through the windows by way of lifts and ropes. When contractors had to turn off the building’s sprinkler system to work on the ceiling, George and Jolene were required to mount a “fire patrol” for 24 hours, walking through the building every 30 minutes to check for fire.
The adjacent wall of built-in bookshelves contains a surprise: a hidden swinging door leading into the couple’s master suite.
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A wall of built-in bookshelves holds a surprise: a hidden swinging door leading into the couple’s master suite.
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The dressing room, designed by Georgia Kukoski of Closet Factory, has custom shelving, a dressing table, and a Cambria countertop for folding laundry from the nearby stacked washer and dryer.
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The new master bath features a custom-height vanity — three inches higher than the norm to accommodate the couples’ height —as well as a white subway-tiled shower.
All told, the project took about eight months, during which the Boatrights stayed in residence and Jolene continued to work from home. At times, zippered tarps were the only thing separating their living space from the down-to-the-studs work going on a few feet away. Jolene says that even though living through the renovation was inconvenient at times, her presence made it easier for the construction team to ask questions and make changes when issues arose. “Towards the end,” George says, “Jolene was out of town for work for a week, and I worked from home and gained a whole new appreciation for her efforts and participation on the project.”
The result of combining two units is an open floor plan, which, according to Jolene, accommodated 70 people at a holiday open house with ease. The small original kitchen — intact but updated — is just inside the door. Because everyone gravitates toward a kitchen, the Boatrights, who are passionate wine aficionados and love to entertain, created a separate area on the far side of the space with the same social pull but without cooking capacity. This entertainment area is defined by a wall of custom cabinetry and floating shelves, a 14-foot granite-topped island, beverage coolers, and even a special pullout shelf for equipment to make blended cocktails — the idea of Joe Allen of The Shop LLC in Amelia Courthouse, who built all the custom cabinetry. “[Allen] thinks of things I may not have thought of,” Jolene says, noting their immediate rapport with him and his enthusiasm for the project.
The couple couldn’t be more pleased. “Every day I pinch myself.” —Jolene Boatright
Allen also crafted a dining table to complement chairs from Restoration Hardware. The adjacent wall of built-in bookshelves is another Allen design and contains a surprise: a hidden swinging door leading into the couple’s master suite. They call it “the Scooby Doo door.”
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Jolene uses the second-floor loft as her office. Before the expansion, it was the couple’s master bedroom. They recently removed a closet to open up the view and provide an additional work space.
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BEFORE: The closet in the old master bedroom
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The Boatrights made small updates to their kitchen so that it tied in with the new addition, painting cabinets the same color as the entertaining area and adding the same pendant lights and cabinet hardware.
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The condo’s original spiral staircase remains, leading to Jolene’s home office, guest quarters and a rooftop terrace.
The condo’s original spiral staircase remains, leading up to what was once the master bedroom but is now Jolene’s lofted home office, as well as guest quarters and a rooftop terrace.
The couple couldn’t be more pleased with their new home. Hosting a big family Thanksgiving was one of their first experiences in the newly expanded space, and Jolene still marvels at how easy and enjoyable it was. “Every day I pinch myself,” she says.