David Marvin believes in his product so much that he and his wife sold their Buckhead home and took the plunge.

Sean Drakes / Special (ENLARGE)

Kerrie and David Marvin moved to Centennial Park West in 2002. David Marvin is the developer of the project.

Sean Drakes / Special (ENLARGE)

The great room of the Marvin condo offers spectacular views of downtown.

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Marvin is the developer of Centennial Park West, a luxury high-rise condominium fronting Centennial Olympic Park. The building includes 98 units with a combined value of more than $47 million, including penthouses (like Marvin's) and retail space.

"I had the opportunity to throw out the developer rulebook and move into our own building," said Marvin, president of Legacy Property Group. "In developing Centennial West, it exceeded expectations."

Legacy Property Group's flagship development is this $200 million Centennial Olympic Park mixed-use project. The multi-phase, 5-acre project began with development of the 321-room Embassy Suites Hotel. Next up was the 98-unit luxury condominium, Centennial Park West, which is attached to the hotel. The company also is responsible for the downtown Hilton Garden Inn and The Glenn Hotel.

Condo living and a 21-acre lawn

The Marvins lived in a single family home in Buckhead with a "lawn to cut" until 2002.

"We were unsure of condo living," said his wife, Kerrie Marvin, who also works at for Legacy Property Group. "But now we have a 21-acre lawn out there we get to enjoy."

Now from the top floor on the south side — there are nine floors on the south side and 10 on the north — David Marvin and his wife have a front-row seat to nearly all of Atlanta's major attractions.

The home has four patios that overlook different areas of downtown, including the Georgia Aquarium, of which Marvin is a founding member.

A sports fan, Marvin enjoys walking to Philips Arena. For dining options, the couple has Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Maxim Prime and the soon-to-open Legal Sea Foods, a famous Boston seafood restaurant.

"We're kind of in the heart of the restaurants," he said. "One of my initiatives in the area is to create more retail and restaurants."

Crisp but casual

The couple designed the interior with a casual style in mind.

"We wanted the kitchen to be pretty finished as an extension of the living space," David Marvin said. To keep the look seamless, they used the architectural services of Hug & Associates and recently redecorated the home with the help of K D Design Studio.

"Before it was stark and not as inviting. We wanted to make it more warm and make it transitional," Kerrie Marvin said.

The ceiling and walls were painted a darker color and more lighting was added to display their extensive art collection.

The main level includes pieces by painter Jean Larson (jeanlarson.com) as well as sketches by David Marvin's grandmother, who attended the Yale School of Art.

Brown leather panels were added to the dining room wall and ceiling, giving it a cozy feel and differentiating it from the main living room.

"It warms things up acoustically as well," David Marvin said.

Their favorite room is the living room. "It's where we spend most of our time," he said.

The second level features a media room with a bar and mini kitchen, wine cooler and exercise room.

A highlight of the media room is the custom shuffleboard made by Williams Shuffleboard and features David Marvin's family crest. Marvin brought it into the condo via a crane because the table was so large.

"It's great for entertaining and doesn't dominate the room like a pool table or ping pong table," he said.

A guest bath on the second level provides the Marvins with a custom-built, his-and-hers steam shower complete with benches made to fit their proportions. The counters are custom concrete infused with broken glass tiles. That visually ties in with the floor-to-ceiling colored glass tiles of the shower wall.

The fourth terrace is off the recreation room, which flows from the media room. The cork floors on the second level are stained black.

"We wanted a nice contrast with what we had upstairs. It's very edgy but warm," he said.

After giving visitors a tour of his home, Marvin jets down the elevator and strolls up the block to his office — not a bad commute for Atlanta.

HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS:

• 4,500 square feet of space, including three bedrooms and five bathrooms.

• Two levels and four patios overlook Centennial Park and various views of downtown Atlanta.

• For more information about Legacy projects, visit www.legacyproperty.com.

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.