REMODELING
CLEAN + CONTEMPORARY
A design team transforms an outdated Richmond
home into an open, light-filled retreat
BY DON O’KEEFE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY GIAMMARINO
W
hen David Domster began
looking at properties in a
densely wooded section of
Richmond’s south side, he had his mind
set on an empty lot. Then a friend mentioned a long shot: a worn-out 1973 home
that was going up for auction. Six days
later, Domster signed the papers. “The
place was a mess [but I] instantly saw the
vision of what it could be,” he recalls.
The house clings to a triangular site
with a steep change in grade, only a stone’s
throw from one of the city’s most popular
riverfront parks. The location was ideal but
the house was in disrepair. Tom Duke, an
interior designer and principal at Richmond-based Evolve Architecture, joined
the project and he and his client set to work
creating a conceptual plan for the home.
“David is a dream client. He was able
to envision the transformation of what
would become his new home,” says Duke.
The design’s early development centered
around an open plan that would be flexible
RM_Domster.indd 136
BEFORE
for entertaining. “I was seeking something
different, something clean and contemporary, yet warm,” says the homeowner.
Once a conceptual plan had been established, the search for an architect began.
Dave Johannas of Johannas Design Group
landed the commission after hosting a
charette in the house. “The design process
went smoothly,” says Johannas. “In terms
of what he wanted, the client was really
well organized.”
ARCHITECTURE: DAVID JOHANNAS, AIA, Johannas
Design Group, Richmond, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN:
TOM DUKE, IIDA, LEED AP, Evolve Architecture,
Richmond, Virginia. CONTRACTOR: MONUMENT
CONSTRUCTION, LLC, Richmond, Virginia.
10/9/13 4:53 PM