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In summer, they might sport swim
goggles and bikini tops. At back-toschool
time, they’ll be wearing their
Shaker T-shirts, pencils and rulers
at the ready. The lions even dress
up in costumes and give out candy
at Halloween. It’s a tradition that
predates the Pulvers, who moved
to the house in 2020 from another
nearby Shaker home.
“When our kids were little, they’d
ask me to take them by the ‘Lion
House’ because they loved seeing the different outfits,” says Nikki Pulver, a
Shaker native and interior designer. Now the family – Nikki, husband Brad, and
teens Reese, Paige, and Everett – carry on the tradition of dressing up the lions
for holidays and different seasons.
It wasn’t just the lions that had attracted the Pulvers’ attention for so long.
With her designer’s eye, Nikki knew the handsome stone house was her dream
home, and waited for the time when it would come up for sale.
“White colonial houses are my favorite. They’re bright, welcoming, and
happy,” says Nikki, who appreciates that the Western Reserve colonial style
of her 1936 house is a bit more casual than neoclassical colonials of the same
era. The home is spacious, but without grand porticos outside or elaborate
moldings inside, and has a warm, unpretentious vibe.