This equestrian property outside Richmond has a horse paddock, a saltwater pool and a labyrinth
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- Lynda and Rob Bloch unexpectedly bought this 24-acre property outside Richmond, Va., for $2.45 million in 2006—after getting an unsolicited offer for their 500-acre farm, which had been in Mr. Bloch’s family since the 1940s. ‘The thought was to go a little more modern,’ Ms. Bloch says.
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- This 1992 house borrows from Palladian and Lowland architectural styles. ‘The attention to detail and the structure itself just flabbergasted us,’ Ms. Bloch says. ‘We tried to emphasize that European look,’ she adds.
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- Ms. Bloch, formerly in magazine publishing, and Mr. Bloch, an estate manager, are both in their early 60s. Now retired, the couple added antiques and Persian rugs, some picked up from travels around the world. The chandelier above the dining table was handmade in Turkey.
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- The couple rescues retired racehorses, which they keep on the property. ‘We wanted to bring some of the outside in,’ Ms. Bloch says. She hired a local artist to paint murals throughout the house, some inspired by the nature and wildlife surrounding the property. Terraces and walls of windows overlook horse paddocks.
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- The second floor has a more modern, open floor plan. The kitchen overlooks the solarium, which has 22 feet of windows. ‘The solarium is the place we have our morning coffee, every morning,’ says Ms. Bloch. ‘We overlook the horses’ paddocks on one side, a koi pond on the other, and also the pool.’
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- The 6,912-square-foot home is heading to auction without reserve on Nov. 18 with Platinum Luxury Auctions. It was originally listed for $3.95 million but has been off the market for three years.
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- Though the couple did not renovate the house, they did transform the grounds over three years, they say. ‘It was very labor intensive,’ Ms. Bloch says. They installed a heated saltwater pool, surrounded in travertine marble to mirror the home.
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- The cobblestone driveway was another addition; it leads to a circular driveway. The couple chose a pink cobblestone from India.
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- They also added a labyrinth inspired by the stone walkway in France’s Chartres Cathedral, as well as equestrian amenities such as a stepped mounting block and horse shelter. The couple kept a portion of the property wooded. ‘There’s always some new element of surprise with the wildlife on the property,’ Ms. Bloch says.
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- The property has 1,200 feet of frontage on the James River. Mr. and Ms. Bloch are selling as they have decided to buy a home with more land for their eight horses, donkeys and Shetland pony. ‘We’ve decided that we need more acreage for them,’ Ms. Bloch says.
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- Lynda and Rob Bloch unexpectedly bought this 24-acre property outside Richmond, Va., for $2.45 million in 2006—after getting an unsolicited offer for their 500-acre farm, which had been in Mr. Bloch’s family since the 1940s. ‘The thought was to go a little more modern,’ Ms. Bloch says.
