As a child, Patty Berkovitz loved to ride her horse down to the Long Island Creek in her backyard.

As an adult, she returned to live in her childhood home with her husband.

Louie Favorite / Staff (ENLARGE)

Berkovitz, who calls herself an ombudsman, spends time with her dogs and one of her horses at her Sandy Springs home.

Louie Favorite / Staff (ENLARGE)

Patty Berkovitz added this screened porch when she renovated the family home in Sandy Springs.

RELATED LINKS • Photos: See more of the Berkovitz 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.

She recently remodeled her Sandy Springs home for the benefit of herself and her daughter — not for resale.

"I didn't have to compromise," said Berkovitz, who is now widowed. "My parents built this house. My daughter wants to live here someday."

The renovation included an expanded screened porch and master bedroom. Through exterior architectural changes, the home has shifted from a Cape Cod to more of a craftsman style.

During the remodel she widened doorways and added the expansive master bath that includes a steam shower with multiple heads and a wide bench. The room also features heated floors, towel warmers and a relaxing soaking tub.

Her home came together with help from Harrison Design Associates, Tom Williams Residential and Leigh Nunnery Interiors.

Giving time back to community

Berkovitz' home sits on four acres along the Long Island Creek.

Berkovitz, who calls herself an ombudsman, works on development issues with neighborhoods and is also president of the Long Island Creek Watershed.

"We're closer to the city of Atlanta. We're the most ripe for development," she said. "I'm fortunate enough I don't have to work and I feel like I should give my time back to the community. It's important that all sides are represented,"

Inside her home, the walls are adorned with an art collection amassed by Berkovitz and her family. The inside is an explosion of color.

"I consider myself a color junkie," Berkovitz said.

She can't pin herself down on what exactly draws her eye when she buys art.

"As it evolved over the years, at different times, it's been different things," she said.

She's bought art while traveling overseas, and she's added to her father's impressive photography collection. Photographers in her collection include Arnold Newman and Edward S. Curtis.

Berkovitz has several paintings by Clarksville artist Linda Anderson.

"She's one of the first I started collecting. ... Mostly it's the colors that grab me," she said.

The large colorful piece over the buffet in the dining room is new.

"I do like whimsical," she said. "At this point I have so much of it, I'm out of walls."

She especially enjoys the hunt for new art. A painting of a red-roofed shack hangs in the family room. She bought it at a rum bar in Barbados. The artist had "sold" it to the bar owner to pay his tab.

"It's a way of enjoying your investment," she said.

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.

HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS

• Extensive art collection

• Four bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 3,200 square feet

• Horse barn on four acres of land along Long Island Creek