LaDiff's new location in a rendering by Baskervill architects (Image courtesy Baskervill)
Sitting on 5 acres of land at 1011 Commerce Road just south of Manchester, LaDiff's new home is a large industrial building that the company is renovating to house its new showroom and warehouse operations. LaDiff plans to reopen to the public this summer and will take appointments by request until then.
The furniture store’s former complex, the Watkins-Cottrell building in Shockoe Slip, was sold last August. “For many years, the building was more space than we needed,” says Sarah Paxton, who owns LaDiff with her husband, Andy Thornton. “We decided to see what other options were out there.”
Paxton said they were drawn to the South Side plot because of its proximity to downtown and the potential for growth into other markets. There is a separate warehouse space behind the main building that the couple plans to convert into a restaurant or event facility.
“We’re known for presenting something completely unexpected that you would never see in Richmond, Virginia, or elsewhere,” Paxton says. “That isn’t changing. We’re excited to be part of the revival of this great area of Richmond.”
