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.

Jason Deck is a collector. He and his wife, Krista Deck, have slowly acquired furniture and art from friends, acquaintances and yard sales, items that now fill their house in Normaltown.

The eclectic yet intentional mélange creates a homey atmosphere inside the squat cottage-style house the couple rents on Sunset Drive in Athens. The 1,741-square-feet space is cozy — and a veritable gallery of pieces, most with a personal connection.

“A lot of this stuff carries some personal attachment,” Jason said. “Some meaning, something we found, something that a friend made, something that has a deeper connection to place.”

Paintings and sculptures adorn the walls and shelves, many the work of Southern artists from Georgia to Kentucky. 

One of Jason’s favorite pieces hangs near the fireplace in the living room. Made from a cabinet door, it features a horned creature clutching the handle. “I am devil,” it reads. “Open door.” The artist, Willie Jinks, worked for the department of sanitation in Atlanta and made art out of salvaged items. Jason said he found the piece charming, and he liked the local tie. He and his wife own a house in Atlanta and are renting in Athens, drawn by Krista’s job as a tattoo artist.

The devil in the painting looks down on a chestnut-brown leather couch, the focal point of the living room. Multicolored throw pillows and a woven blanket add earthiness and comfort to the living room, and a crimson Persian-style rug lends it moody, rich tones.

The couple’s Pro-Ject turntable — which they’re using to play records while their DJ turntables are in storage — sits across from the couch. Jason and Krista connected speakers throughout the house, so music can be heard from the living room to the back deck.

The 297-square-foot deck is where musician MC Horne will perform at Historic Athens Porchfest, an annual concert event. The patio was part of an early 2010s renovation and addition to the house, which was built in 1946. Some of the original brick and stone exterior is visible from the deck, though much of it is the newer siding.

The patio looks out on the backyard with a fireplace, which comprises much of the 0.34-acre lot, and is outfitted with a corner couch, ottoman and two umbrellas.

“This is pretty much where I hang out all the time,” Jason said.

The main bedroom in the house was also built as part of the 2010s addition and can be accessed through a door on the back patio. The couple outfitted the room with a clean, dark wood bed frame and crisp white sheets. Two red art prints hang on either side of the headboard, lending the room personality, a pop of color and symmetry.

“We intentionally keep it kind of like a little more simple, not so busy as the rest of the house, because it’s kind of calming,” Jason said.

Jason considers himself and Krista collectors not just of art, but of vinyl records and books, too. Jason’s maternal grandfather gave everything he owned to charity when he died except his books. Jason, who didn’t know his grandfather well, got to know him through the library he left behind.

“I was like, going through and reading what he was interested in, and like, things that he was thinking about, and he was a fascinating guy,” Jason said. “(It’s) like finding a thread and pulling on it.”

Now, in the dining room, which is next to the living room at the front of the house, Jason and Krista’s books fill three built-in shelves. Two flank a wooden stand that holds pictures of friends and family. A sleek wooden dining set sits in front in a striking picture of symmetry.

The house’s 1940s floor plan, plus the addition, form a three-bedroom, two-bathroom layout that is segmented but, Jason said, still flows well. He said he appreciates that he and Krista can have their own space if they want, whether that’s the living room, the office they both use or the outdoor area. If they want to spend time together, the dining room, living room and kitchen are all connected, and the main bedroom has a door out to the back deck. Jason’s favorite space to be with Krista, though, is the sunroom.

“Every morning you get the sun filtering through all those trees,” Jason said. “It’s our time together, because she’s busy and I’m busy, where we can both, you know, sit in that space and drink coffee or drink tea and just be for a minute.”

Jacqueline GaNun is pursuing a master of arts in journalism at the University of Georgia.