Tour Stop Eleven: 446 Cherokee Avenue Southeast
Eric and Rebecca Kauffman
Built in 1905, this Folk Victorian Bungalow was once a duplex with a different roof line. The original roof and cedar shingles can be seen inside the attic. Since the Kauffmans bought the house, they’ve painted inside and out, refinished the heart-pine floors for their first time ever, and replaced all the light switches and outlets with reproduction mother-of-pearl push buttons and unlacquered brass plates. They also replaced a majority of the light fixtures and all the registers with cast iron, designed and built the wet bar and island in the kitchen, wallpapered the kitchen and hall nook and added electric stairs to access the attic. The workshop and bike shed built by them sit among new landscaping and hardscape.
Grant Park was the perfect choice for the couple as they both are passionate about preserving and restoring historic homes and wanted to be in a historic neighborhood. With a renovation and historic restoration underway, the house dons original heart-pine flooring, stick and ball partition, picture rail, moldings, and windows. The single-story layout of the house with plaster walls and four fireplaces – two which are in working condition – are all original.
Guests should look for Eric’s great find at an antique store – a Voltmeter! He installed it in the guest bathroom and connected it to the dimmer switch. Other unique features include the 11-foot ceilings, original picture rail, and the stick and ball partition in the grand entry. Tour goers will enjoy the couple’s multi-cultural holiday decorations, ranging from antiques and vintage pieces to modern and DIY projects.