Like a carefully crafted jewel box, the Arts and Crafts-style house overlooking the park is attractive in its own right. But the real treasures are hidden deep inside.

The Parkview at East Atlanta's Glenwood Park is one of three Southern Living Idea Houses built in the Southeast in 2005. It will be open to the public from June 18 through Oct. 2. It's more than just another show house, however.

Photos by JOEY IVANSCO / Staff (ENLARGE)

Glenwood Park in East Atlanta, on what once was a 28-acre stretch of broken concrete off I-20, features homes that meet EarthCraft House standards.

(ENLARGE)

The kitchen of the 2005 Southern Living Idea House at Glenwood Park is equipped with energy-saving appliances.

(ENLARGE)

Handsome interior detail was incorporated into the energy-friendly design of all facets of the home, including the living area.

The Parkview has been designed and constructed using the latest in energy-efficient, environment-friendly technology.

It is a perfect example of what Glenwood Park is all about, said Walter Brown, vice president and project manager of Green Street Properties, which developed the New Urban community near Grant Park.

The entire community, built on what once was a 28-acre wasteland of broken concrete slabs off I-20 in East Atlanta, features single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums that all meet EarthCraft House standards. The program, a voluntary green building program of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, serves as a blueprint for creating homes that use less energy and protect the environment.

"We wanted people to come and see a beautiful house that is energy-efficient and healthy," Brown said. "[Building green] is better for residents and for the community, too."

Visitors to the house will be lured by the handsome architecture, the charming setting and the interior design. Built of yellow brick, the 3,700-square-foot house features a deep wraparound porch with brick fireplace. Wide enough to serve as an outdoor living room, the porch can accommodate several cozy arrangements of comfortable furniture.

Inside, the foyer leads to a large, open living space with seating area, kitchen and dining ell that opens to the porch through French doors. An alcove off the living area leads to a long, bookshelf-lined hall and the bright and airy master suite. At the other side of the first floor, another hallway with laundry, mud and powder rooms leads to the garage at the rear of the house. An apartment is above the garage.

The second floor has two bedrooms, two baths, a sleeping porch and a home office/study on the open landing. The third level contains a media room with office and a full bath. The decor is sleek and contemporary but comfortable and casual, too. It is designed to appeal to young professionals who are ready to settle down or empty nesters seeking a new beginning.

The house is filled with design ideas, from the carefully planned kitchen by Linda Pittam, to the selection of furnishings, fabrics and accessories from designer Mary Margarett Nevin. New furnishings are combined with old to replicate how most people live.

"I like to put investment pieces like the rug and the art together with low-cost seating and wicker," Nevin said. "The old clock in the alcove could be a family heirloom."

What is not so apparent are the energy savers.

"This house uses 50 percent less energy than a conventional house of the same size," Brown said.

That's the good news. The bad news is that this house will cost more than $1 million (furnished), according to Brown, who said the company is still tallying the building costs. Prices of the other 349 homes in Glenwood Park range from $130,000 for a studio condominium to around $800,000 for a 3,400-square-foot, single-family home on a preferred lot.

"There are a lot of people buying in the $400,000 range, and then tricking them out like you wouldn't believe," Brown said.

So, what's the must-have addition? A home theater with all the bells and whistles, he said.

THE DEVELOPMENT

Glenwood Park, a New Urban, Mixed-Use Community by Green Street Properties. It is under construction, but some homes are complete and occupied. Perk, a coffeehouse, and Babalu, a Cuban restaurant, are the first retail businesses to sign leases. It is at I-20 east at Exit 59B.

Eventually it is planned to include:

• 350 homes — single-family, townhouses, condominiums.

• 50,000 square feet of retail space.

• 20,000 square feet of office space.

• One public park; two public squares.

ENERGY SAVERS

• Fresh-air system and environment-friendly heating and air-conditioning system.

• Dual-pane windows.

• Urethane foam insulation.

• Sealed, nonvented, temperature- and humidity-controlled crawl space.

• Appliances, bath fans and lighting fixtures with the Energy Star rating (a program of the Environmental Protection Agency that encourages businesses and individuals to save energy).

• Instant and on-demand hot water system.

• Solar panels (photovoltaic roof system).

• Lighting control system including 80 recessed lights with compact fluorescent bulbs.

ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY MATERIALS

• Recycled wood fiber exterior trim.

• Mold-resistant wallboard.

• Recycled-plastics deck flooring.

• Nonporous quartz countertops.

• Fume-free paints and finishes.

• Recycled and pre-finished pine flooring.

• Low-odor carpets.

• Recycled-content Sheetrock.

WATER SAVERS

• Porous driveway pavement.

• Several-hundred-gallon rain barrel water harvester.

• Xeriscape landscaping.

• Water-efficient fixtures and appliances.

• Fifty-year metal roofing, approved for rainwater collection.

WHO

Developers: Green Street Properties and partners Charles Brewer, Walter Brown and Katharine Kelley.

Architects: Historical Concepts, Peachtree City.

Builder: Whitehall Homes.

Designer: Mary Margarett Nevin, Nevin Interior Design.

Sponsor: Southern Living magazine.

Beneficiary: EarthShare Georgia, representing 29 Georgia-based environmental nonprofit agencies.