David Gunter joined Hawks Ridge Golf Club four years ago and found himself driving from their Canton home frequently to play.

Frank Niemeir / AJC (ENLARGE)

David and Kim Gunter with their daughter, Hannah, at their Cumming home.

Frank Niemeir / AJC (ENLARGE)

The open living room with kitchen was one of the things that sold the couple on the house.

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"I really liked playing golf there and was looking to get closer," Gunter said of the exclusive Ball Ground club.

So when he and his wife decided to buy a new home, they chose the High Grove neighborhood — next door to Hawks Ridge.

"We found this house when it was going up. We liked the footprint with the whole living {space} in one area," he said.

Kim Gunter added, "We wanted a big island and an open area to talk."

The Southern architecture appealed to them, not to mention that the back gate to Hawks Ridge is within walking distance.

David Gunter works in technical support for ING, and his wife works for the Bank of North Georgia. They have a 7-month-old daughter, Hannah.

Making it theirs

Builder Adrian Flack built the Gunters' home and worked with the couple to achieve their vision.

"We customized the entire kitchen," Kim Gunter said of the antique white cabinets with lighted glass panels at the top. The area also features stainless steel professional-grade appliances, granite counters and a customized vent hood.

Pine floors flow throughout the home, adding an old-fashioned feel. The light is plentiful, thanks to 20-foot soaring cathedral ceilings.

Also on the main level is a cheery pink-and-green bedroom for Hannah. It was planned as an office, but with the master bedroom on the first floor, it made sense to keep the baby's room close.

Magnolia Interiors and Blake Wilke helped Kim Gunter with the window treatments in the home.

The details

The downstairs powder room contains a black, marble-topped chest sink.

Nearby, the Gunters can fix their coffee at a morning bar, also with the lovely black marble.

The spacious master bedroom has a great view of their wooded backyard and deck access, but it's the master bath that makes Kim Gunter most proud.

She can relax in a refurbished clawfoot tub, made in 1909. The tub was restored by Unique Refinishers in Sugar Hill.

"It's got some history to it," David Gunter said. "It's more fun than buying something made in Wisconsin last month."

House Highlights:

• The home consists of about 3,800 square feet of space, and includes five bedrooms and five baths. The house sits on more than an acre of land.

• The High Grove subdivision features custom homes built to historic specifications. The neighborhood is in the rolling foothills of the north Georgia mountains near Alpharetta, Cumming and Canton. For more information, see the High Grove Web site at www.highgrovecherokee.com

• It is a green belt conservation community consisting of 32 homes and 20 acres of green space. Homes are priced from the $500s to $1 million.

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.