Harry Beecham fell in love with a rock.

Phil Skinner/Special (ENLARGE)

Sandy and Harry Beecham in the kitchen of their Roswell home.

Phil Skinner/Special (ENLARGE)

The 16,000-square-foot French country manor sits on eight acres in Roswell.

"We used to walk by this rock," he said of the large outcropping on his eight acres in Roswell. "I'm on the edge of the precipice. I knew exactly what I wanted to build. I played with it on a napkin and then took it to (architect) Bill Harrison."

Phil Skinner/Staff (ENLARGE)

Sandy and Harry Beecham in the kitchen of their Roswell home.

Phil Skinner/Staff (ENLARGE)

The 16,000-square-foot French country manor sits on eight acres in Roswell.

RELATED LINKS • Photos: See more of the Beecham home • Previous Private Quarters • Home & Garden • ajchomefinder.com • 2007 Home Sales Report Step back in time Search our historic archives for stories on historic homes and more about the Atlanta environs from 1868 through 1939.

Harry, a custom home builder, and his wife, Sandy, built their French country stucco home two years ago in Roswell after moving back to town from Lake Lanier. The couple lived in the neighborhood in the 1980s and used to walk the land they now own.

"This house should be built because of the river and the lay of the land," Harry Beecham said. "This is what the lot deserved."

The couple bought an all-terrain vehicle to navigate the steep hills and river banks. Harry added an informal screened gazebo near the river, a gathering spot for Sandy and her girlfriends.

At the Beecham estate, there are so many places to hang out and enjoy the scenery that getting lost is a possibility.

There may be only two homeowners, but there are many who call the 16,000-square-foot manor home — as the Beecham's vivacious extended family tumble in and out. The soul of the home? Eight grandkids, ranging in age from 5 to 17.

"The grandkids love to play hide-and-seek in this house," says Harry.

The home has three levels, with the primary living areas on the first and second stories. Beecham installed one-inch oak floors on the second floor, which is the main entry.

"It's done very rough," Harry Beecham said. "We try to build houses that look 100 years old."

The formal dining room in the second level contains a table made of an antique panel. Sandy Beecham found the panel at Scott Antique Market and coerced her husband into making a table. It can seat between 10 and 18 guests.

"I sweated over this," says Harry of the grand table.

With the exception of antiques, most of the cabinets in the home were handcrafted by carpenter Mark Whitlock. For instance, the butler's pantry and laundry room are disguised with Whitlock's custom cabinets. The high ceilings and windows with relaxing views almost make the word "chore" disappear.

"Mark (Whitlock) came out and drew on the walls to do his design," Harry Beecham said.

In the kitchen, Sandy Beecham takes the 60-inch Wolf gas range through its paces. This is no show oven. Her tools stand ready to tackle a meal for two or 20.

"We use our stuff," Harry said.

The Beechams chose blue-green Zodiaq quartz for their counters because of its antibacterial properties. The cherry cabinets are cream-colored with a wax treatment. Structural, rough wooden beams provide a beautiful rustic accent. The kitchen and several rooms in the home are painted robin's egg blue.

"We've been married 43 years and have stayed the course on color," Sandy Beecham said. She also favors subtle purple, green and gold throughout her home.

The building of the Roswell home created an unexpected problem, if you can call it that: Sandy Beecham had to find more furniture.

"It's just huge — it swallows furniture," she said. She brings an expert touch to the design, especially with the help of interior designer Nan Williams. Each room is appointed with the right dose of decor and furnishings. Sandy framed much of the artwork and collectibles herself, harking back to the time she owned of a frame shop.

"I love framing. It's a passion," she said.

She used antique Oriental throw rugs throughout the home to soften and add color to the floors, which are wood and concrete. Beecham stained and scored the concrete floors on the terrace level, which includes a family room and another dining room.

The grand piano in the family room belonged to Sandy's grandmother, who won a Ford car on a radio contest but instead asked for money to buy the piano. Later her family sold the piano to a friend. Eventually, Sandy Beecham was able to buy it back.

For the Beechams, building homes is in their blood. The family has been building in Atlanta for four generations. Before turning to custom building full-time, Harry Beecham had been a Delta Airlines pilot for 30 years. Now he serves as CEO of Beecham Builders. His sons, Rob and Brent, are chief operating officer and chief financial officer (respectively) of the company. The Beecham's third son is a priest.

HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Beecham home, valued at nearly $3 million, sits on eight wooded acres in Roswell.

• The 16,000 square-foot house has seven bedrooms and seven baths.

• The family room features a 35-foot wall of windows with a view of the wooded yard and "the rock," the natural element that drew them to the spot from the beginning.

• Beecham Builders is currently involved in an upscale residential development geared toward wine enthusiasts. The development sits on 400 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains. (For more information, see www.montaluce.com)

RELATED LINKS

• Photos: See more of the Beecham home

• Previous Private Quarters

• Home & Garden

• ajchomefinder.com

• 2007 Home Sales Report

Step back in time

• Search our historic archives for stories on historic homes and more about the Atlanta environs from 1868 through 1939.