When Jonathan Rich spotted the run-down Craftsman-style home at 403 8th Street in Midtown, he knew immediately that he wanted to restore it. Built in 1925 and located only a block away from the main gate of Piedmont Park, the home has retained much of its original millwork and brick masonry. “It had a lot of charm as well as an ideal location,” he says. “The scale and beauty of the house really drew me in.”
Rich is a real estate agent as well as a partner in POP. Custom Homes, a company that specializes in renovating turn-of-the-century houses. “We love to highlight the history of Atlanta and the beauty of its older homes,” he says. “Although it’s often easier to do a tear-down, you lose something important when you go that route. Instead, we restore houses so that they have all the amenities buyers want, yet still retain their original character.”
In this case, the renovation added a 2,000-square-foot second story, bringing the home’s total living space to 3,865 square feet. A large master suite, with a walk-in dressing room and a sitting room with a skyline view, is the centerpiece of the upstairs level. A spa-like master bath features a Carrara marble floor and countertops, a clawfoot tub, and high-end retro-style fixtures. Three additional bedrooms also occupy the upper level, as well as two more bathrooms and a large laundry room.
The lower level includes a library, kitchen, dining room, family room, powder room, and guest bedroom and bath. The spacious chef’s kitchen, which opens onto the family room, has custom Shaker cabinets, quartz countertops, a Thermidor range, a farmhouse sink, and a wine fridge. A butler’s pantry features a leaded glass window that is original to the home. Additionally, custom leaded glass windows flank the large vent hood.
There’s also a finished basement, a two-car garage, and a roomy covered porch with brick flooring, a vaulted ceiling, and a fireplace. A new custom brick walkway leads to the front door, and both front and back yards are professionally landscaped.
Jonathan appreciates the fact that, when viewed from the front, the house almost looks like a one-story home. “It doesn’t ‘read’ big at all,” he says. “It just looks cozy.” He also notes that all the home’s exterior features—including porches, board and batten, brackets, and masonry—are original. “This house feels old, but lives new.”
This Midtown home is on the market for $1,549,000. For more information, contact Jonathan Rich of Keller Knapp Realty at 770-402-3957; or jrich@kellerknapp.com.
