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.

Home Details

Carlo Finlay enjoys spending time on his front porch, especially on breezy fall days. Others will gather on and around the porch Sunday when it hosts a local band during Porchfest.

The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home is in the Reese-West Hancock area, located about 10 minutes from the University of Georgia. The bungalow was 1,984 square feet before the homeowners added space to the front. The 70-year-old home is now a little over 2,000 square feet with original hardwood floors and updates to the plumbing, electrical and roof.

Exterior Additions

The home was renovated shortly before the family moved in. Finlay admits that the immense renovations to the interior influenced their decision to buy it in August 2017. A real estate agent mentioned this house and it immediately caught the couples’ eye.

Finlay and his wife, Lydia Aletraris, only made a few changes, including their favorite: adding a more spacious front porch.

The home had one small porch that covered the door and entryway when they bought the home. The couple enhanced the area by adding a covered, screened porch on the left side and unscreened porch running across the rest of the front of the house.

“We knew we wanted to put a larger porch in and so that was a major thing that we added,” Finlay said. “It’s really good for the months when the weather’s nice enough to sit outside, that was a major priority for us.”

The screened-in porch features a wooden table and outdoor chairs for hosting family and friends. The porch also has a ceiling fan for the warmer months. They also added greenery and art.

“I just, I love being able to sit outside and kind of feel like you’re a part of the neighborhood, and you can see people coming and going,” Finlay said. “I mean, I recognize people walking with their kids or their dogs.”

Finlay and his wife added an uncovered porch on the right side of the exterior of the home as well. This porch is outfitted with two blue Adirondack chairs and a side table to match. This part of the exterior is where the band De La Luna will set up in October for Porchfest.

Decor Decisions

A pop of color adds character, and the blue door with shutters to match are no exception. Aletraris added a personal touch by painting the front door and shutters an electric blue when they moved in. The door and shutters pair well with the outdoor furniture.

“My wife was the one who sort of had the idea for kind of how she wanted things to look, as far as the somewhat thicker eaves and the door color in particular, like the blue, she really wanted that,” Finlay said.

Influence of Music

The family is not only hosting a band for Porchfest, they enjoy music inside their home. One of Finlay’s favorite items is the piano, which his son is learning to play.

The interior is open concept, and the piano sits beside the kitchen, meaning the piano can be seen from the living room. Finlay enjoys sitting in the living room listening to his 6-year-old son play.

“My wife grew up playing and knows how to play, so hearing them do stuff on the piano is really nice as well,” Finlay said.

Suzanna Woodall is a journalism major at the University of Georgia. 

Note: Finlay is a member of the UGA journalism faculty and serves as associate director of the Carmical Sports Media Institute.