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Weighing risks and rewards is all part of Rick Rickertsenʼs business as managing partner of Pine Creek Partners, a venture capital firm. But when it came to deciding whether or not to buy the historic Laird-Dunlop Coach House in Georgetown, Rickertsen saw only reward.
“I had driven by the house for years,” says Rickertsen, 45, who has lived in Georgetown six of the 12 years he has been in the area. “I always loved it – the ivy, the low-slung look.” So when Realtor Jamie Peva of Washington Fine Properties LLC told him the owners of more than 20 years were contemplating selling it, Rickertsen was interested. “Itʼs funny – someone had once told me that it was Pamela Harrimanʼs house, so I always thought it was hers,” he adds, but he soon found out it never was.
What he did know for certain was the Coach Houseʼs rich history. It was originally built as the stable for the adjacent Laird-Dunlop House, which was owned by Abraham Lincolnʼs son, Robert Todd Lincoln, in the early 1900s. The 1799 Laird-Dunlop House and adjoining Coach House were sold in the 1930s to J.P. Morganʼs granddaughter, Helen Burgess, who added the “ballroom” or present garden room to the Coach House. Today, the two historic residences are separately owned. Of particular interest is the only remaining cornerstone from Georgetownʼs original 1751 boundary markers that is centered in the backyard gardens of the Coach House.
“What I did not know about the house before I saw it was the tremendous backyard,” Rickertsen says. “That yard, the history, and the nice feeling of the house sold me.”
In Rickertsenʼs “two-minute surrounding house tour,” he shares a little of the areaʼs history that heʼs heard, including the location up the street of a makeshift Civil War hospital, the neighboring rowhouses that were opened to Georgetown widows at one time, and the unusually narrow rowhouse across the street called a “spite house,” thought to have been built out of spite by feuding neighbors or spouses.
Great Lengths
When Rickertsen first bought the house, he knew it needed updating, but he had just finished a year-and-a-half long renovation on another Georgetown home and didnʼt want to go through another remodel. “I thought, this house has a lot of history and charm. Iʼll live with it for five years, just paint it, and if I get married, my wife and I can do the renovations,” Rickertsen says. But Architect Richard Foster, who has worked with him on three other home renovations, and Interior Designer Susan Alefantis, who also worked with Rickertsen previously, talked him into the 18-month journey that moved Rickertsen to a rented rowhouse across the street and took the outdated interior of the Coach House and brought it up to 21st century standards.
There are pros and cons associated with being so nearby during renovations. “On one hand, itʼs really great because you can be there for the thousands of decisions to be made with the builder. But on the other hand, itʼs painful because it seems like nothing is happening every day,” Rickertsen says.
The appeal of the Coach House was threefold compared to his former residence. First, his new home was horizontal unlike his last home, a typical vertical home in Georgetown. Secondly, it wasnʼt on a bus route, and lastly, it was very private with a yard unlike any other he had seen in the area.
Ingenuity in Georgetown
While being sensitive to the history of the Coach House and preserving the easements along the facade, Foster, principal of Richard Foster Architects, and Rickertsen discussed what could and couldnʼt be done. “The original house was so chopped up,” Foster says. “There was no sense of the spaces.” While staying true to the exterior architecture of Georgetown, Foster devised plans for substantial renovations inside while incorporating millwork and details it deserved.
One surprise to Rickertsen: being able to raise the ceilings on both the upper and main floors. This totally transformed both levels, especially the second floor ownerʼs suite that went from two rooms with 8ʼ ceilings to a bedroom with a 10ʼ tray ceiling and a luxury bath with garden views. In addition, while supporting the roof timbers and slate roof, the builders, Jeff MacHamer and David Gillinson, and team installed two massive steel beams divided into three sections each in the upper hallway that raised the ceiling from 7ʼ to 8ʼ6”. This makes all the difference to the owner, who is 6ʼ4”. Gillinson of Kobalt Enterprises Inc. and MacHamer also doubled the size of the ownerʼs suite balcony and added heated floors in the ownerʼs bath and the kitchen area.
On the main floor, Foster suggested eliminating the living room behind the entry wall to make a grand foyer, but Rickertsen found that this intimate living area was his favorite space to relax, take a nap, and look outside at the gardens. So they compromised by increasing the height of the foyerʼs ceiling. The foyer then became a gallery that introduces several spaces, draws the eye to the garden room, and presents the first of many showplaces for Rickertsenʼs collection of mostly 20th century French and American artwork, as well as his growing collection of modern works. “My tastes have been tilting more toward modern of late,” he adds.
Garden Party
Landscapes and water scenes are among Rickertsenʼs prized paintings, in particular a 1934 screen of the Marseilles Harbor, he purchased in France at a flea market. “This was a lucky find,” Rickertsen says. It was folded behind an armoire in the marché aux puces. Once the vendor opened it, Rickertsen loved it, but wasnʼt sure where he would be able to use it. In his former home, he had it on the stone floor in the dining room leaning against the wall. Alefantis, principal of Alefantis & Associates in McLean, suggested he bevel it along the back wall in the garden room for texture and now Rickertsen agrees. This screen is the focus of the room from the foyer, while the orangerie doors suggested by Foster are the windows to the magnificent gardens that include 100-year-old boxwoods thought to have been planted by Robert Todd Lincoln, as well as glorious gardens designed by Charles Owen, president of Fine Landscapes Ltd. Being in this indoor-outdoor room, Rickertsen says, is like being in one of his landscape paintings.
To take in the scenery, Rickertsen raised and reupholstered in chenille twin 1940s sectional sofas originally owned by Burgess that were given to him by the previous owners. Also raised was the ceiling where craftsmen spent months installing the intricate moldings and fine detailing that frame this room to perfection.
Above the garden roomʼs fireplace is a German impressionist painting of Capri by Albert Wenk that conceals a plasma TV. Another wall holds Rickertsenʼs favorite works – paintings of Abraham Lincoln by the late Franklin Courter. The owner started collecting Courterʼs works before he moved into the Coach House. Courter, who knew Lincoln, enjoyed painting portraits of the president as stated in a letter taped to the back of this piece.
Historic faces are not the only ones gracing this space; last Christmas Rickertsen hosted a sit-down dinner for 70 with his friend and guest singer Don McLean providing the entertainment. “We struck up a friendship,” Rickertsen says. “He likes to talk about investing and I like to talk to him about music.” Rickertsen likes all types of music and hopes to take piano lessons one day. But for now, he enjoys the Giverney piano in the corner that plays on its own.
Paintings and Pastimes
Growing up in Southern California, Rickertsen has a fine appreciation of light, openness, and informal living. He is drawn to the light wood of Biedermeier pieces, the blues and golds of nature, and rooms with views. He particularly likes the works of Richmond artist David Williams. Rickertsen purchased his first Williams art, which features the rich blue he prefers, in Millwood, VA. Then Rickertsen commissioned Williams to paint a study in blue. Williams responded with four abstract paintings with his interpretations of fire, air, water, and earth. These are grouped and on display along the upper staircase. Other paintings of DC scenery show Williamsʼ versatility.
The interior designer, architect, and builders collaborated on layout and lighting for Rickertsenʼs art collection, which includes a painting by Jacques Bouyssou, once a French marine artist, above a Biedermeier piece in the living room and a painting of Notre Dame by Constantine Kluge next to the orangerie doors in the garden room. The hues in the art by Pierre Philippe Bertrand and Andre Gisson in the foyer complement the blue and gold color scheme of the home.
Rickertsen sometimes purchases works by relatively unknown artists at auction because he admires the art and knows the value of antique frames. The handcrafted frames and the paintings are exquisite and lend a personal touch to each space, such as a landscape by Jose Weiss displayed along the secondary entryway near the kitchen.
When not traveling in the US and abroad or collecting antiques in France with Owen and on his own, Rickertsen runs his company, entertains, and writes. His first book about buying companies, Buyout, The Insider’s Guide to Buying Your Own Company, AMACOM, will be followed this fall with a second book on how to sell a business. While Rickertsen had previously written three screenplays, he has no plans for another, but is working on a third book.
A Personal Touch
Rickertsenʼs style revolves around his artwork, colors he loves, and antiques, Alefantis says. “He has his own personal style and finds unusual pieces,” she adds, such as the butcher block in the dining room that he purchased on a trip to France with Owen. It keeps everyone in line during dinner parties, Rickertsen adds with a laugh.
Alefantis and Rickertsen found the dining room table at Hastening Antiques in Middleburg. Sterling Collection Muttonbone chairs through Rist Corporation complement the table that seats up to 14 with a Carved Acanthus chandelier from Niermann Weeks, wall sconces, and light from windows on three sides illuminating the space.
While Rickertsen is open-minded when it comes to design, he sometimes goes back to whatʼs familiar, such as the same kitchen cabinets he installed in his last two homes. Still in style, the glazed cabinetry from Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens Inc. coordinates with the granite counters, the limestone floor from Renaissance Tile & Bath, and the artwork leaning against the walls. The original kitchen, back staircase, and front office were transformed into this modern front-to-back cooking and eating area.
Landmarks
“Charlesʼ dry stack stone walls are signatures of his,” Rickertsen says. These walls surround the historic boundary marker stating “The Northeast Marker of the Original George Town, Founded 1751, Only Remaining Boundary Stone” and lead to the pool and new spa. “We wanted to create more of a turf area, an overflow for parties,” Owen says. “The space is premium, so we shifted turf in some areas to create seat walls.” An outdoor grill in a service corridor was also added, while the smokehouse became a pool house with shower. Annuals, such as impatiens, always bring a surprise of color, Owen adds. A French limestone wall fountain, a Haddonstone-style fountain, and a clock face from a church steeple in France accent the gardens and walkways in the back.
A Love of Georgetown
As of press time, Rickertsen planned to host this yearʼs Georgetown House Tour Patrons Party. He appreciates the history in Georgetown and in his home. “I like so much about the Washington area,” Rickertsen says, such as the changing seasons, the ability to observe government and politics, and the closeness to Virginiaʼs countryside, Marylandʼs shores, and New York City. Walking to work and nightlife are pluses as well.
After studying industrial engineering at Stanford and business at Harvard, Rickertsen has had many successes. But even Rickertsen may not have predicted he would one day own the home of a past presidentʼs son or that he would take the historic residence from Coach House to first class home.
