745 Cherokee Avenue
From the moment you step onto the carriage stone at the curb, you begin to get a sense of the historic detail found at the home of Mimi and David Herrera-Pease. Their house, built in 1907, blends Arts and Crafts with Victorian architecture. You will notice mantels that have Craftsman, Empire, and Victorian characteristics among the six fireplaces. A grand staircase, recently dismantled and refinished in the entry hall, has Craftsman newel posts and Victorian style balusters.
The Herrera-Pease family moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to this spacious house in September 2005. It is home to an active family of five (plus pets) that take full advantage of Grant Park across the street and the excellent charter schools in the neighborhood. Hardly a day has gone by without work on the house, undertaken mostly by owner Mimi.
Mimi's background in scenic art and experience working in San Francisco's theater and film production community drive her attention to detail in each light fixture, room color, light switchand wood finish. The best example of her research and workmanship is the kitchen where a century-old French ice box sets the tone in color and style for quarter-sawn oak cabinets built by master cabinet maker Don Boldt, which Mimi hand-finished to match.
The family cooks on a 1937 Magic Chef found in an old house in Port Angeles, Washington, and washes dishes in a 1937 double drainboard wash basin from Rochester, New York. The floors, staircase and millwork are reclaimed heart pine from Louisiana and upstate New York.
Local artisan Susan McCracken helped with numerous stained glass repairs. She also created the entry transom windows to continue the theme found in the original dining room stained glass. Lighting restoration guru David Singleton brought his treasures to illuminate each room in period splendor. Each one is distinct and worth a look.
What's next? Mimi surprised the family by bringing home a half-ton, carved mantel from West Virginia for an entry hall fireplace (see if you can detect the hollow sound of a hearth behind the wall). Every project start reveals two more!
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