Chinquapin: A Bavarian mansion in South Georgia

Home and Garden

Rolf and Alexandra Kauka bought this Mediterranean-style home set amid more than 1,200 acres of woodland property near Thomasville in the early '80s. The late Rolf Kauka, who died in Thomasville in 2000, was the creator of a menagerie of animated figures beloved in Europe. He was known as the "European Walt Disney." The Kaukas restored the home, which was built in 1910 by Standard Oil heir John D. Archbold. They fell in love with this plantation, known as Chinquapin, because it reminded them of their country estate in Germany.

By JULIE HAIRSTON: Rolf and Alexandra Kauka bought this Mediterranean-style home set amid more than 1,200 acres of woodland property near Thomasville in 1982. The late Rolf Kauka, who died in Thomasville in 2000, was the creator of a menagerie of animated figures beloved in Europe. He was known as the "European Walt Disney." The flags Alexandra still flies in front of the house include the Kauka house flag, the Georgia flag, the Bavarian flag and the American flag.

This rooftop weathervane depicts one of Kauka's popular creations, Lupo the Wolf. The Kaukas restored the home, which was built in 1910 by Standard Oil heir John D. Archbold. The couple came to America from Munich, looking for a warmer climate and a retreat where Rolf could write and paint. They fell in love with this plantation, known as Chinquapin, because it reminded them of their country estate in Germany. "When I saw Chinquapin, I knew all my things would fit," said Alexandra Kauka.

The staircase curves upward just past a graceful portrait of young Alexandra. Born in Austria, Alexandra was a sought-after European model and an antiques dealer when she was seated next to Rolf Kauka at a dinner party in Munich. After a whirlwind romance, the two married. They had been married 25 years when Rolf died.

The restoration of the home took almost a year and required 60 workers. This ornate carved door with its heavy brass knob hints at the eye-catching detail that lies just beyond it. Emotions and family events linger in a home and give a house special character, Kauka said. "You fill it with your hopes, your sorrows, your pain and your laughter and it stays with the place."

The living room exudes Old-World warmth with a beamed ceiling and windows on three sides. "I really treasure earth tones into the red scale," Kauka said. She did all the interior design herself because "I'm very blessed to know how I want to live," she said.

This ornate carved bar tucked into one corner of the living room was imported from an old English pub. Alexandra liked the carved pattern around its edges so much that she had a picture frame for a nearby canvas created to match it.

A beam of late afternoon light falls ethereally across an antique icon hanging over the mantel. "Maybe emotions cling to things," Kauka said. "Maybe that's why people like antiques so much."

A large French tapestry provides the focal point for this more intimate seating group in the living room.

An antique German chess set stands at the ready in another corner of the living room bathed in late-afternoon glow.

This library is Kauka's favorite room. It offers ample built-in bookshelves and a Rococo desk that sits in the curve of the alcove. Over the fireplace, a portrait of Jupiter, the Kaukas' favorite horse from their stable in Germany, looks over porcelain figures of the famed Lipizzaner stallions. "I really like my library because I have everything there around me that I like: my music, my books, my work and my memories," Kauka said. A Lupo lamp illuminates the desk.

The Kauka family crest adorns this heavy wooden door on the library. The Kaukas imported this and several other doors from their German homes to install at Chinquapin.

A smaller library across the hall includes an antique armoire from Alexandra's family. The interior lock is etched with a hunting scene. "I think it is a very well-proportioned room," Kauka said. The alcove looks out on the gardens in front of the house.

The carved antique sideboard in the dining room is one of the oldest items in the house. Assembled with wooden pegs rather than nails, it dates to the 1500s.

This antique brass chandelier in the dining room was converted from candles to electric.

A small table in the upper tier of the two-level dining room provides serving capacity for overflow guests and smaller groups.

Painted iron gates on the main staircase can maintain privacy for the upstairs rooms. The nature scene fits well with the hunting trophies on display above them.

Angels hover over the bed in the master suite, which includes a columned seating area with a fireplace and an enclosed sun porch behind the bed. "I can't have enough angels around me," Alexandra said.

The roomy master bath includes an alluring portrait Rolf painted of Alexandra in the rich colors he favored. Many of Rolf's paintings hang throughout the house, most of them depicting Alexandra or a beautiful woman who resembles her in some aspect.

The master bath also includes this sauna, which Alexandra had imported from Finland. At the right is a photo of Alexandra wearing a white hat from her modeling portfolio.

This private patio adjoins the master bath and overlooks the Ochlocknee River, which winds through the property. The turret above it contains a weather vane depicting Bussi Bear, another of Rolf Kauka's popular creations.

This family room just down the upstairs hallway from the master suite is lined with leaded glass storage for books, DVDs and memorabilia. Hunting trophies line the upper walls and an antique gramophone graces the corner.

On the other side of the family room, archers' bows flank an antler frame. Alexandra is an experienced archer and maintains a practice range on the property. Before she shoots, she rings a large brass bell to warn away any of the estate's guests or workers who might be nearby.

This guest suite assumes a European provincial air in white with lace curtains on the windows and a graceful four-poster bed. The only splash of color in the room is provided by another of Rolf Kauka's exuberant portraits of his wife. "He had a very keen eye for lines and colors," Kauka said.

Bright orange chaise cushions and trim work inject a bright counterpoint to the cool tones of Chinquapin's exterior in this side terrace. The home is surrounded with lush, ornate gardens.

Hunting trophies are incorporated into the exterior decorations of the Kauka estate, a style common in the architecture of Bavaria. These colorful depictions adorn the porch at Chinquapin's primary residence.

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By JULIE HAIRSTON: Rolf and Alexandra Kauka bought this Mediterranean-style home set amid more than 1,200 acres of woodland property near Thomasville in 1982. The late Rolf Kauka, who died in Thomasville in 2000, was the creator of a menagerie of animated figures beloved in Europe. He was known as the "European Walt Disney." The flags Alexandra still flies in front of the house include the Kauka house flag, the Georgia flag, the Bavarian flag and the American flag.

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