Roswell Woman’s Club Homes of Distinction Tour
When: Through Feb. 23 (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; noon-5 p.m. Sundays)
Where: The Manor Golf & Country Club, 15951 Manor Club Drive, Milton
Cost: $20 (available at BiddingForGood.com, the Chandlery at 950 Canton St., Roswell, or at the door)
Info: roswellwomansclub.org
Some homeowners cut out the traffic and are embracing the ability to enjoy a hobby or pastime at home or just a few steps out their door.
From having golf courses and tennis courts in the backyard (see this week’s Private Quarters story) to adding rooms and features that showcase a hobby, homeowners are pursuing their passions near or in their homes. Builders, developers and renovation companies are creating communities, home designs and features for folks who want to spend as much time as possible doing what they love.
Right on the runway
Homeowners at Whispering Pines Airpark can taxi from their driveways to the runway in the Conyers community. The neighborhood was developed in the early 1970s by Cecil Etheredge, who wanted to enjoy his love of flying close to home, and who wanted to share that joy with other pilots.
“Everyone can keep his or her airplane at their house,” he said. “Of course, that’s the dream of every pilot really.”
The entrance is in Rockdale County, but some lots in the 27-home neighborhood are in Gwinnett County. Homes have hangars to house the planes, and homeowners can use the half-mile airstrip that runs between two streets in Whispering Pines Airpark. The community owns the airstrip, and homeowners share the responsibilities of maintaining it, Etheredge said.
“We thoroughly enjoy being who we are out here,” he said. “Most of us are retired. If we fly, it’s to go somewhere just taking a trip, not business, but pleasure. We may go several days and no airplane takes off, and maybe one afternoon, several will go out and just fly around.”
Housing styles vary, but most of the homes are more than 2,500 square feet and lot sizes are at least 3 acres. A 3,200-square-foot home with a basement on 3.6 acres is on the market, priced at $425,000, and one 6.5-acre lot is priced at $230,000 in the 140-acre community, which also has two lakes, a beach, dock and pier.
In tune with a musical hobby
For a Virginia-Highland homeowner with a sizable guitar collection, Jim Walker of Copper Sky Renovations in Atlanta created built-ins to display his guitars, amps and other music-related items.
When a homeowner has a hobby, often the challenge is finding a way to contain the items by designing ways to display and store them, Walker said.
“It’s always trying to contain the madness associated with the hobby,” he said.
Walker transformed a blank wall in the living room into a music storage system. David Tuyes Custom Woodworks, based in Decatur, created built-in cabinets and a bench that fit with the arts and crafts style of the home.
The homeowner’s guitars were measured to make sure the cabinets were tall and deep enough to hang the instruments. Puck lights were added inside the cabinets. As a result, an inviting yellowish/orange hue shines through the antique glass selected for the cabinets. A bench between the built-ins hides the amps, but the front mesh allows the sound to come through.
Other renovations at the same time to the early 1900s home included adding coffered ceilings and built-ins in the living room and dining room, and renovating three bathrooms.
Golfing galore
The two homes on the Roswell Woman's Club Homes of Distinction Tour, which runs through Feb. 23, are on the 8th fairway of the Tom Watson-designed golf course at the Manor Golf & Country Club in Milton.
Beyond the stone and brick exteriors and proximity to the court, builder Thrive Homes focused on the golf course setting inside the homes. Since the kitchen is the center of the house and the place where people gather, the homes were built to offer stunning golf course views from their kitchens, breakfast areas and great rooms, said Kirstin Hobday, chief operating officer for Thrive Homes.
The homes also have covered verandas and basements, and extensive craftsmanship, such as coffered ceilings, custom mantels, paneled walls and cabinetry by Bell Kitchen & Bath Studios. Interior designers such as Roswell-based Juliet Jones Studio are participating in the fundraising home tour (the homes are at 3064 Watsons Bend and 3074 Watsons Bend in Milton).
A river runs through it
Communities in North Georgia, such as Big Canoe in Jasper, also offer golf, fishing, hiking and other recreational opportunities without leaving the neighborhood. A smaller development, Woodpecker River Resort in Blue Ridge, offers access to trout fishing with lots that have river frontage, owner Earl Brewington said.
The Toccoa River flows through the Fannin County community, which has four homes and 1-plus-acre lots priced at $98,000 (listed by Rachel Callihan-Cowart with Harry Norman, Realtors). Brewington, who has lived in the community for about six years, said the river offers natural trout and is stocked periodically by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Part of the property also backs up to U.S. Forest Service land, for hunting, hiking and other activities, and the community has paved roads and a pavilion.
The community has appealed to metro Atlantans who have built retirement homes there, Brewington said.
About the Author
