The Porchfest home profile project was produced by University of Georgia students in Lori Johnston’s journalism seminar on home and garden writing and Katie Marages’ vernacular architecture course. The students interviewed homeowners, researched the residences and neighborhoods, and captured photo and video of the homes. The residences featured will host bands during Historic Athens Porchfest on Oct. 20.

Elementary school librarian Tanya Hudson knew that when she bought her first home, she never wanted to buy a home again. So when she and her husband Micah Hudson purchased a two-bedroom, two-bathroom house on Nacoochee Avenue on the heels of the Great Recession in 2010, they knew it was the home for them. 

The house with elements from both the Victorian and Craftsman styles was built in 1913 in the Boulevard neighborhood, a streetcar suburb where blue collar and middle class people settled in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today the neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and locally designated as a Historic District due to the high quality of historic preservation. 

Dealing with ‘Character’

The historical character of the house attracted Tanya, but she admitted that living in a historic district comes with challenges. The previous owners updated the electrical system and plumbing before selling the house, but Tanya said they need official approval to make repairs that are visible from the street. When the couple needed to fix a leaky dormer on their roof, it took months to meet the material standards of the Athens-Clarke County Planning Department.

“We had buckets in our attic everywhere, catching the drips around the dormer, and it was a little stressing,” Tanya said.

She prefers to live in a historic home, despite the challenges. She cited details such as the two original, now nonfunctional, coal-burning fireplaces and original heart pine flooring laid out in single planks across the entire floor as reasons why she loves the house.

“We both knew we wanted an older house, because we feel like they have a lot of character and are just more interesting,” Tanya said.

The house originally only had one bathroom and less space than the current building, so the previous owners expanded the original kitchen and added a bathroom and den in the back of the house. Tanya kept the vintage feel strong even in the newer parts of the house, though. The new bathroom’s antique bathtub came from a house on Dearing Street, and Tanya selected the sink and wallpaper with a tiled design to match the aesthetic of the rest of the house.

The house was originally painted green, but Tanya and Micah decided in 2021 that it needed to be repainted. They selected orange for the siding, blue for the foundation and a bright yellow for the front door. Tanya said the children in the neighborhood love to look at the house on the way to school, especially when the family decorates the side of the house to look like a jack-o-lantern for Halloween.

Maximalism Meets Vintage

Tanya described the house as old, colorful and cozy. Her own decor style adds to that description, as much of the furniture is thrifted from Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and other sources. An antique mid-century oven in the kitchen no longer works, so Tanya said they use it as extra storage. 

“I take after my grandmother, also named Tanya, who is pretty eclectic,” Tanya said. “I wouldn’t say I’m quite as maximalist as she was… I’ve always loved, like, just colorful, quirky stuff.”

Art from former students, Tanya’s great-grandmother and friends embellishes the walls. A small zebra footstool from Tanya’s grandmother’s house sits in one of the antique fireplaces. Various knick-knacks adorn the mantels and shelves.

The interest in personalized, maximalist decor stretches from Tanya to her child. Her 10-year-old child, Xen, decorated their own room to match their dream of becoming an astrophysicist. Elements on the walls and shelves of Xen’s room such as a retro Kit-Kat Clock, space-themed curtains and a rainbow neon light point to their personal taste. 

A love of music ties all the decor together. Tanya, Micah and a friend founded the band Fleet Machine about 14 years ago. They haven’t played recently, but they will use the Hudsons’ porch for their reunion at Historic Athens Porchfest on Oct. 20.

Instruments in the house include a guitar, a piano and a beat machine, which Micah programmed to play drum beats for their music sets to replace the need for a live drummer. 

Tanya does backup vocals and runs the keys and synthesizer for Fleet Machine, and she sings and plays guitar for another band, The Young Frankensteins, that will perform during Porchfest on Kristen and Ed Morales’ porch.

Katie Guenthner is a journalism major at the University of Georgia.

Pops of Color Key to Unique Decor

The Hudson family created an environment that fits with an eclectic and cozy lifestyle, while also keeping the home’s historical uniqueness. Their transitional decor is defined by antique items, modern design elements and unexpected accents.

The renovated kitchen and updated appliances were influential in the decision to buy the house.

This kitchen was renovated by the previous owners, and it offers a spacious area where the family enjoys cooking. The newer area includes two sinks, additional cabinet and counter space and a double oven. 

Tanya discussed the practicality and ease of having two sinks in the kitchen because it provides extra space and the ability to multitask. 

 “There’s a sink where we can rinse veggies, and there’s also space to rinse some dishes in a different sink,” she said.

The area also includes a second antique, non-functional Chambers oven, adding to the character.

The decor choices include a variety of items, all colorful and unique.

Tanya loves to decorate the home in what she describes as an eclectic style. Her love for color, contrast and bright patterns is shown through the decor choices and sentimental art pieces displayed throughout the home. 

She sought to create a home that looks lived in, rather than artificially manufacturing an aesthetic atmosphere for a magazine.

She describes the collection of furniture and decor as a “weird hodgepodge” of items brought in by her and her husband, as well as thrift store and Craigslist finds. However, there are also items that she has intentionally chose to add to her home.

“The curtains I like, and I looked online forever for curtains that I knew I wanted, something yellow and something kind of bright, but not too bright, kind of midcentury-ish,” she said.

The porch items, including the swing and chairs, bought from Amazon during the pandemic, serve as another cozy area for the family to spend time. 

The historical aspects add to the overall character.

This home includes coal-burning fireplaces with their original mantels, which help maintain the  character.

The home also includes the original heart pine flooring.

“The guy who refinished our floors pointed out to us that it’s a single plank all the way across, which he said was actually pretty rare,” she said.

Shweta Krishnan is a journalism major at the University of Georgia.

Color, Character and Cats

The Hudson family’s colorful porch is ready for the Historic Athens Porchfest 2024, with details, such as a light blue painted ceiling.

Hudson takes after her grandmother’s “eclectic” style. The home is decorated in patterns and prints, including art made by friends and family. The front room features art from Tanya’s great grandmother, a former student and Xen.

“I’m not on board with the sad millennial-like grayish situation,” Tanya said. “Despite being a millennial, it’s not my jam. I’ve always loved just colorful, quirky stuff.”

The family’s two cats have their own hammocks attached to the windows in the dining room.

The home has records dating back to 1913, but Tanya speculates that the home could be older, due to how records were kept. The benefits of living in a historic home significantly outweigh the cons for the Hudson’s. It’s “one of a kind” to Tanya. 

“I love, just in general, the look of the neighborhood,” Tanya said. “It’s just really pleasing to live in a historic area and see all the cool houses.”

Sarah Coyne is a journalism major at the University of Georgia.