The Rice House: A Mid-Century Modern Icon
Home on the James
Ernie and I have been in Richmond for almost 4 years now, and one thing about living in our dream home that never gets old (other than living in our dream home!) is our view of the James River. Every morning I get to enjoy this beautiful view while getting ready for the day ahead of me. It’s also a great view for morning contemplations when I need a screen break!
Lucky me to have this view to start my day!
Aside from the gorgeous river and trees, another aspect of my view that I love is always being able to see what is locally known as “the Rice House” -- a Richmond icon that serves up a healthy dose of inspiration whenever I feel stuck.
A couple of years ago I decided to do some research on this house. I figured: if I’m going to see it every day, I might as well learn all about what I’m looking at! What I found was a great story about a couple with a keen eye for design and individuality. I was even lucky enough to sit down personally with one of the original owners, Inger Rice! This house, now listed on the National Historic Trust register, has so many stories to tell.
Finding Inspiration and Building the Rice House
This beautiful house has been around since 1965, completed after two years of construction led by the famous California architect Richard Neutra. Walter and Inger Rice were right on the cutting edge of modern design in Richmond (which really got started in the 1930s, but that’s a post for another time…) -- their world travels probably accounted for that! Walter was a former Ambassador to Australia.
Inger gave me this napkin during our interview. She had many of these left over after Walter left office. It’s pretty cool, even if it’s just a napkin! I definitely wouldn’t put these out for cocktail hour (but read more about what napkins I would put out here!).
Photo source. Walter and Inger Rice in front of their iconic home in 1996.
In my conversation with Inger Rice a few years ago, she noted that she thought Walter was to credit for all of the hard work that went into creating their home on the river, but in learning more about her story and hearing about how the home came to be, I beg to differ!
Inger, a Danish native, loved modern art and became enamored with the style when she visited the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in 1958 in Humlebæk (Øresund), Denmark.
Photo credit. The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. A “must see” if you’re in Denmark! It’s located north of Copenhagen on the water. Definitely NOT in the state of Louisiana here in America!
When Walter and Inger first bought the land and began thinking about the home they wanted to build, Inger instinctively brought her researcher’s mind and love of modernist art to the project. Two things that lend well to a successful design! On occasion when Walter needed to travel to Washington D.C. for work, Inger accompanied him for the sole purpose of spending hours at the Architect’s Institute of America researching modern architects’ work, trying to decide on candidates to hire for their own home.
Among those candidates: Richard Neutra. Inger recalled that they settled on Neutra because Walter liked his openness of space and how he brought nature inside. As Inger tells it, Richard was a relatively “picky” architect and did not think much of traveling from California to old Richmond, Virginia! At this point in time, he was already an internationally famous architect.
Apparently, during their initial conversations Neutra told the Rices that he only took on clients that he liked. What a way to land an interview! Well, Inger and Walter must have won him over because (luckily for the rest of us), he took on the commission and helped bring to life the Rice House.
The Design Process
Inger’s love for modern art very obviously influenced the design of the Rice House here in Richmond, even if she had to have some of those… animated… conversations project owners and architects often have! Given Inger’s commitment to modernism as the project owner, and Richard Neutra’s own creative design process as the project architect, it seems inevitable that there were a few sticking points throughout the journey.
One of these points being in the dining room. Neutra wanted their formal dining room to be entirely in the modernist Japanese style: in other words, all floor seating, but this style of dining room definitely wasn’t going to fly for the Richmond soirees of the ‘60s! Eventually, Neutra was able to find a compromise for Inger: they’d have a traditional formal dining room, but he’d bring in the Japanese element in the sitting room. Before and after dinner, guests could lounge in front of this cozy fireplace enjoying a cocktail or two.
Photo Credit. Japanese style lounge area with cork flooring.
Owner and architect butted heads again when it came to the bathtub in the master bathroom. Inger, being the extremely cool modernist connoisseur that she was, wanted a sunken marble tub in their bathroom. Neutra, however, argued that he thought if the entire tub was finished in marble that it would look like a coffin! Instead, Inger compromised on this white tile:
In any design project, there will always be points of contention between designers, owners, architects, etc. I am no stranger to these! During my conversation with Inger, I asked her what her approach to stubborn or “difficult” project stakeholders is. She wisely advised: “Be patient and respectful.” I think you can apply this sage advice to any situation, but especially for homeowners going through a new build or renovation. For my projects, I like to remind everyone that the few bumps in the road will be long-forgotten once the contractors leave the beautiful new home. We all have the same long-term goal, and patience and respect helps keep this goal in mind during those more delicate conversations!
My Favorite Design Elements
There are so many corners in this home that are impactful, in addition to the Japanese sitting room and the sunken bathtub!
I know I’m an interior designer, but I can’t go on without commenting on the exterior of the home. The straight, sharp lines of this house lend to its striking quality and beautifully contrasts with the surrounding nature. It’s what my eye is drawn to every day! Neutra really knew what he was doing.
Ansel Olson photo for the Science Museum of Virginia.
international style
The modern architecture of the Rice House had many influences from around the world. One obvious inspiration, to me, being the Tugendhat House designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: strong and straight lines, stark white against the varying colors of nature, and beautifully accented with natural elements like the rock wall.
Photo source. The Tugendhat House designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is an obvious design inspiration for the Rice House. The long window views, the strong, horizontal white lines of the building and the use of the natural stone walls are all reminiscent of this classic.
Photo credit. Another view of the Rice House with natural elements gorgeously incorporated into the exterior design.
Letting nature in
The windows and doors of the Rice House are an immediate standout, talk about taking advantage of the views!
My view of the Rice House on a snowy walk along the James River.
If you’re looking at those large windows and wondering about privacy once the sun sets, long draperies are the answer. If I had designed this today, I would, at a minimum, motorize those drapes and sync them to the position of the sun. Sounds crazy, but totally doable today and definitely within reach of the new owners of the Rice House!
I have so many photos of this beautiful home in my camera roll. A house that looks glamorous in all seasons!
My view of the Rice House is the South side of the house: special low-E glass, which has a coating that reflects the sun’s heat, would be a definite benefit here! Unfortunately, it didn’t come to the US market until 1975 and I’m not sure if the glass has been replaced since the house was built---back to the motorized drapes!
The strong, straight lines this house creates is really gorgeous when set against the fluid river, and old, knotty trees and branches. I love how the modernism of the home is nicely accented with the nod-to-history stone walls.
more modern inside
Once you enter the home, though, it gets even better. One element of the home that I love is the main staircase:
Photo source. The main staircase of the home, encased in mirrors.
I love the use of mirrors in this space. It makes the room look huge and solidifies this home as a tour de force in 1960s mid-century modern design. Those pendant lights are classic MCM! The ones pictured here are in the style of Poul Henningsen’s (a Danish architect, of course!) PH Artichoke light.
The smooth, but textured-looking cork floors are another showstopper, they must feel so nice underfoot -- and quiet! None of that Pergo clicking.
During our conversation, I asked Inger what advice would she give to someone going through a renovation. She answered: “Look at the big picture” and keep in mind your desired “finished product and why [you] are doing this renovation.” This is great advice, especially when going through an extensive renovation or build project.
After my interview, I continued my research by reading numerous articles about the construction and the planning process around this home. All this research has led me to the conclusion that Inger was the real force behind the creation of this modern masterpiece in the middle of Richmond. She is truly someone I continue to be inspired by, both design-wise and in the way I am striving to give back to my community.
The Rice House Legacy & Further Reading
Inger and Walter lived in the Rice House for almost 50 years. Incredible! In the late 1990s, the house was donated to The Science Museum of Virginia and Inger lived in the home until 2007 following the death of Walter in 1998. The Science Museum used it as an events venue until it was sold, with Inger’s permission, in 2015.
Coincidently, I had a photo shoot recently and the photographer, Meghan McSweeney, told me she attended one of these events. Everyone was dressed in mid-1970’s attire and the party took advantage of the large patio overlooking the river. I would have so loved to be an attendee!
The new owners have since remodeled the home and Inger told me she approves of the design changes they’ve made. She said that not only had the new owners done a beautiful job in the renovation, she also thought that Neutra would totally approve. A big compliment given she’d worked directly with him and his stubborn opinions! Next phase: get myself invited over there so I can sneak a peek!
Another angle of the Rice House from my side of the James.
Inger still lives in Richmond, and she told me that what she misses most about the Rice House is the sounds of the train and the water flowing over the dam. She’s contributed so much to this city winning a Lifetime Achievement Award on National Philanthropy Day in 2018.
Source. Inger Rice with Rich Conti celebrate her Lifetime Achievement Award.
She was awarded this for several reasons and I could make a whole post on her if this weren’t an interior design blog! She is an incredible woman who founded The Inger Rice Foundation in 1972 to promote children’s health, welfare, and development. She also helped found the Virginia chapter of the Friendship Force (what a great name!), it “provides opportunities to explore new countries and cultures from the inside by bringing people together at the personal level,” according to their website. I think we need this global understanding of each other now more than ever.
The Rice House’s beautiful architecture brought me to interviewing Inger on her National Historic Trust mid century modern home, but the more I researched, the more I was impressed with the woman herself versus the house. Inger has truly embodied the midcentury modern hallmark of embracing nature. The James River is better for Inger and Walter Rice and their legacy.
Photo by Barrett Doherty - The Cultural Landscape Foundation
I was so excited to have met Inger and honored to interview her, imagine my delight to have the chance to host her at my home! The previous owner of our home, John Taylor, knows Inger as well and on one occasion brought her over the river to take a look at her previous home. She had never seen the iconic house from our side (southside) of the James! Inger was kind and as iconic and fashionable as her masterpiece home with her Hermes-style silk blouse, crisp black pants, and hair that was perfectly coiffed. She and my late mother Monique -- a league of their own when it comes to style and presence!
The best article I have read about the Rices special story and how they created this beautiful house together was written in Style Weekly, by Edwin Slipek. I found so many articles during my research on the Rices and their gorgeous home and I have so much more I’d like to cover. But to stay on topic while also providing you the opportunity to learn more, I’ve included several links below of articles that I found particularly fascinating, especially in terms of how she greatly impacted her community by giving back and staying active.
● Style Weekly article that highlights much of the story that Inger told me herself.
○ Sidenote: when I visited Inger to chat, she had this article framed in her kitchen!
● Richmond Times-Dispatch article on VCU’s Rice River Campus.
● More info from VCU on the Rice River Center
● Architecture Richmond’s profile of the Rice House.
● Richmond Magazine article detailing the 2015 sale of the Rice House from the Science Museum to a private buyer.
● Another article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch detailing the 2015 sale.
● The Cultural Landscape Foundation profile on the property the house sits on.
● Society of Architectural Historians short write up on the Rice House.
● Facebook post from the Science Museum of Virginia acknowledging the impact Inger made in honor of her Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Let’s Chat
If you loved learning all about this home, let’s get in touch -- I’d love to talk your ear off about it! Want your own sunken bathtub? Let’s do it!
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