For many traffic-weary Atlantans, moving to the beach seems like heaven.

Jessica McGowan / Special (ENLARGE)

David and Helen Russo and their daughter, Noel, sit in the living room of their 7,000-square-foot rustic home in Big Canoe.

Jessica McGowan / Special (ENLARGE)

The Russo's living room area centers around a large fireplace.

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David and Helen Russo took the opposite approach. They left the white sand beaches and emerald waters of Panama City for a rustic home in the North Georgia mountains.

"I had lived there since I was 5," said Helen Russo. "We sold the business and moved the family." David Russo is in the same line of work but now a vice president for Dana Safety Supply and works mostly from home. The company outfits police vehicles and officers from head to toe.

The Russos moved to Georgia last June. Prior to that they had regularly visited Big Canoe where they had a vacation home.

"The thing we love about Big Canoe is it's quiet. It's like our own little space in a national park," she said.

They also appreciate the proximity to Atlanta.

"We can go to dinner and come back here and be secluded," said David Russo, adding that Alpharetta is only an hour away.

The Russo home is on the upcoming 2008 Big Canoe Tour of Homes, on May 2-3. Sponsored annually by the Big Canoe Chapel Women's Guild, the tour raises money for charities in Pickens and Dawson counties.

Rustic elegance

The home is true to its surroundings but with elegance and warmth throughout. In the formal dining room, David Russo's grandmother's display cabinet and antique tea cart show off their collection of china.

The dining room includes the upscale detail of a coffered ceiling, but it's inset with tongue-and-groove pine to keep the look rustic.

The great room features 28-foot ceilings. The massive chandelier is six feet tall and made of amber mica with copper accents. With it's massive dimensions and warm colors, it adds life to the space. The room also includes a stone fireplace and breakfast area with an Old Hickory hutch. The furniture in the great room is also made by Old Hickory.

Visitors meandering through can't miss Helen Russo's hand-sewn quilt of autumn colors, flying geese, and a Bear's Paw pattern. Quilting is Helen Russo's passion. She belonged to a quilting guild in Florida and has a room devoted to the art here in Big Canoe.

In a room above the garage, she works on her creations and surrounds herself with childhood memories. A doll and tiny sewing machine sit on a shelf near her workspace. Helen's mother taught her how to sew by making clothes for her doll.

"Mom sewed almost all of my clothes when I was little," she said.

The Russos' favorite spot in the house is the slate-floored sun porch off the kitchen. It's where everyone in the house, including the four-legged residents, like to relax.

The kitchen is all function, with a glass-front Sub-Zero refrigerator, similar to their refrigerator in their old house.

"We're used to just looking to see what's in there," she said.

The kitchen features a Dacor double oven, a six-burner gas range and a Fisher Paykel double dish drawer which Helen Russo loves because it allows her to run small loads instead of waiting for the dishwasher to fill up.

Restful views

From the master bedroom, Helen and David Russo enjoy mountain views. Their window faces southeast toward McElroy Mountain, and the sun sets near Potts Mountain.

The substantial master bedroom furniture is made by Old Hickory and features beautiful white birch insets, of which Helen Russo is particularly fond.

The master bath is floored in limestone with light blue/green paint and lights of hand-blown glass made by Uttermost. The Russos' closet includes an island/dresser with a granite top and custom built-ins.

The Russos have two daughters. Their oldest, Joy, is a student at Florida State University. Noel, 9, attends Wildwood Christian Academy just outside the neighborhood gates.

Young Noel chose the rustic look for her room, including the bed which weighs 400 pounds. Noel enjoys the window bench in her bedroom where she can scour the forest and valleys with her binoculars.

The two guest bedrooms house family antiques including a wool area rug made by Helen Russo's great-grandmother when she was a young girl in Greece.

"I like antiques and they blend in well ... with the rustic theme," she said.

When the quiet of the woods gets too serene, the Russos can retreat to the terrace level which they call "the fun room" because it includes a bar, a billiard table custom made by Drawknife, a dart board, a Spiderman pinball machine and a combo Galaga/Ms. Pacman video game. Hand-scraped hickory floors run throughout the terrace level. Down here, the Russos also have access to a small kitchen.

Joy Russo's bedroom is also on the terrace level. It's painted cheery pink, a toned-down version of her original request for fuschia.

The theater room, which seats seven, also serves as a tornado shelter. (Since they live at least 30 minutes from the nearest movie theater, the Russos decided to make the most of entertainment at home.)

House Highlights:

• The three-level home encompasses 7,000 square feet with four fireplaces, six bedrooms, five full baths and two half baths.

• Big Canoe homes start at $300,000 and run as high as $2 million. The neighborhood is nestled among woods, mountains and lakes with hiking trails, jogging paths and more than 2,000 acres of preserved green space. Amenities include golf, indoor/outdoor tennis and a fitness center.

• For more information about the Big Canoe Tour of Homes, visit bigcanoetour.org". Over the past 19 years, the Big Canoe Chapel Women's Guild has donated more than $693,000.

Do you have a tip or a nomination for Private Quarters? Email writer Chris Reinolds (creinolds@ajc.com) or call her at 770-326-8958.