Names: Pam Kravetz and Craig Davis
Occupations: Pam is an artist, parade leader, wig wearer and educator/art teacher at Harrison High School; Craig is an engineer for Ethicon
Neighborhood: Columbia Tusculum
Time lived in: 11 years
Pam Kravetz and Craig Davis moved to Columbia Tusculum — Cincinnati's oldest neighborhood — 11 years ago.
"We were looking everywhere — I had a cute little house in Silverton and he had a cute little house in Ridgewood — so we started looking in that direction, out in Pleasant Ridge, which we love," says Pam, a lifelong Cincinnatian. "Then we decided, we’re starting this life together and we should just change everything, just really make it as different as we can."
They purchased their 1895 three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath common-wall home (they share an interior wall with their neighbor) when they got married, and renovated the historic house to incorporate both of their tastes. " I loved the idea of something old kind of coming back to life," Pam says.
Craig, originally from Toledo, is an engineer and athlete — he runs, mountain bikes, kayaks and cross-country skis in Alaska — and Pam is an artist, creative and fixture at Cincinnati's most entertaining events. The two had help from friends, including designer Leah Spurrier of HighStreet and architect Eric Puryear, to create an eclectic yet harmonious living space that blended both of their personalities.
"We’re both pretty chill, believe it or not," Pam says. "I might not look like I am, but I am... sometimes. But I just wanted to make sure that there was equity in it. We really tried to make sure each of us was honored in the place."
What they have now is a warm, open-concept space that's perfect for entertaining and being entertained: Pam exhibits both her artwork and the artwork of other Cincinnatians on every available surface. They couple's children — Craig's two daughters, Jill and Erin, and Pam's son, Max — are grown and out of the house but everyone is welcome. The spare bedrooms can be quickly converted from studio or office space back into sleeping quarters for visitors.
"We love to have people over," Pam says. "Like everything I do, I feel like it’s incredibly performative so there’s almost like a story that I want to tell when I have people over. Craig is so great because he enjoys that, too. I wanted a space that was big and welcoming and open."
"You have to go home and feel like it’s your space, your sanctuary," Pam continues. "And that’s true if you’re in an apartment or condo; wherever you’re living, you can make it into your own private sanctuary. I have a girlfriend with a beautiful all-white house — everything is white and it just feels so pristine and so calming and meditative. And then I know you walk into my house and it's like 'boom boom boom' — it's like the marching band just walked over your head. You just have to be true to yourself and take chances. And everything is changeable. Make it so you smile when you come home."
