On a recent rainy day, the Hammett kids drove a vintage tractor, admired their handmade dock and checked out the view from their loft.

Sara Hopkins / Special (ENLARGE)

The dining room, kitchen and breakfast nook are all open to one another, creating a grand living space.

Sara Hopkins / Special (ENLARGE)

Eric and Paige Hammett feel secluded on 12 acres in Cobb County, but not too far from the action.

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Their world — a.k.a. the home of Paige and Eric Hammett — is a large cottage-style home on 12 acres in west Cobb County.

The couple bought the land in 2001 and finished building their dream home last year. The classic structure was originally designed by Historical Concepts in Peachtree City as the 2005 Cottage Living Idea House.

"We pretty much stuck to the plans," Paige Hammett said.

Paige Hammett's brother, Todd Byrd of Byrd-Weatherstone Construction, built the home and plans to build his own nearby. The siblings' parents also live on the property in the renovated original home.

Paige and Eric Hammett, both real estate developers, had grown tired of moving every few years and wanted to settle down.

The challenge was to create a home that fit their lifestyle yet looked like it had been sitting on the property for decades. They found the solution in the Historical Concepts plans, which resembled an old country estate.

Open spaces

The front door opens into the great room, which includes the living, dining and kitchen areas. Original plans called for a wall between the kitchen and dining room, but the couple instead added a kitchen island and kept the space open.

Since the extended families have six children between them, the couple made the design child-friendly.

"It's built for functionality," said designer Katharine Voyles Miller, who is also Paige Hammett's cousin.

The most eye-catching element of the kitchen is a red Aga stove with six-burner range. The cabinetry is custom-milled with soapstone counters, a wood bar top, a farm house sink and a double dishwasher.

They placed the microwave below the counter for easy kid access and a small under-the-counter refrigerator to store kids' drinks.

The great room also features hand-hewn wooden beams which came from a sugar mill, circa 1820. Wood & Co. in Marietta (www.thewoodco.com) found the beams and installed the flooring.

Vintage touches everywhere

The combination laundry/mud room off the kitchen has brick floors, giving it an historic look. The wall color is "Dewkiss" by Pratt and Lambert.

"The whole point is to make the house look as old as possible," said Miller, whose website is www.doodlebug-designs.com.

The designer used color freely in the home, including brightly striped carpet on the staircase.

They turned what was an artist's loft in the plans into a studio for the kids' art projects. Miller asked the children to paint on stretched canvases and presto: artwork for the walls.

Outside, the list of diversions continues. The couple bought and restored a vintage farm tractor. Their oldest son, Caleb, 9, loves to drive it.

The spring-fed pond can be seen from most of the vantage points in the home. Caleb and Noah, 5, are building their own dock on the pond.

The two boys share a bedroom that is painted in "Roasted Pepper" by Duron. Handmade denim pillows and a John Deere tractor theme dress up the bunkbeds.

The light blue and orange bathroom for the boys includes green saloon doors for the toilet. The counters are a Corian design called "Rice Paper," lending a natural look.

The room for baby Baleigh, 20 months, is awash in light lavender and celery accents. Paige Hammett describes it as "the little Miss Priss room."

The master bedroom has pine beams on the ceiling and walls made of poplar. The couple had planned to paint the walls but the first application of primer changed that idea. They applied one coat and liked the look so much that they sanded it lightly and left it, giving the walls a whitewash feel.

The floor of the master bath is marble, and the wall tiles are subway style. The bath is much smaller than the one in their previous home in Marietta Country Club.

The furniture in the home, much of it from Ethan Allen, is a mixture of frilly and rustic, reflecting their country club house and their lake house, Miller said. Flooring throughout is 8-inch reclaimed heart pine.

The exterior of the house was constructed to resemble an old farm house. They used 4-inch reveal lap siding overall with cedar trellis to age gracefully over the years.

From the knotty pine paneled walls in the garage to the hidden trap door in the master closet, the Hammetts have achieved the aged look they were aiming for.

HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS:

• The house covers 4,000 square feet, including three bedrooms, three full baths and two half baths.

• The home sits on 12 wooded acres in west Cobb, yet it's close to everything.

• The builder used materials to reduce the heating and cooling costs.

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.