Buying 3 acres of land on Lake Lanier just before the 1996 Atlanta Olympics kicked off nearly a decade of devotion to creating the right waterfront retreat.
Homeowner Janace Harding designed and completed the home in phases, first pitching a tent on the property — now called Foxtail Cove Estate — to get the lay of the land. She wanted to visualize where the home should be positioned for maximum lake views.
“The goal was to create a very personalized retreat, a place that would be home but also vacation,” she said.
Fireplaces and stoves inside and outside the home are among the features that allow the home to be used throughout the seasons.
“It’s a summer home that has a beach and water feel in the summertime, and in the winter it’s a rich, warm kind of a mountain home, and I use it like that,” she said. “I’ll do a lot of baking in the house in the wintertime. Then I’m outside a lot in the summertime.”
Snapshot
Resident: Janace Harding, president and founder, jhIDEAS in creative design
Location: Lake Lanier, Gainesville
Square feet: More than 6,000 square feet, four bedrooms, four baths and a one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse
Year bought: Land purchased in 1995
Year built: First half in 1998; second half in 2006. The phased design and development of the property included substantial land development and landscaping, including more than an acre of gardens that surround the home.
Builder: David Searcy Homes, Gainesville
Architectural style: Coastal New England
Favorite architectural elements: Towering widow's walk, cedar shingles, stone terraces and massive stonework for the continuous plinth base
Interior design style: Eclectic and casual elegance. For example, the leather furniture blends comfortably with tropically colored artwork, all of which were assembled over time, she said.
Favorite interior design feature: Seven stone fireplaces capture the feeling and character of a mountain home.
Favorite outdoor feature: Panoramic view from the stone terrace with two stone wood-burning fireplaces (one for cooking and one for gathering around on cool nights). The stone terrace provides seating on the lawn to watch the sunset, she said.
Resources: Items throughout the home were assembled from the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, AmericasMart Atlanta, the Bennett Street Design District and The Shops of Miami Circle Market Center, as well as fabric from Forsyth Fabrics, and Lewis and Sheron Fabrics. Several items were custom designed by the homeowner and fabricated by local artisans and artists.
Decor tip: A home is a haven, so design each space to be an intimate experience, Harding said. She focused on making each space, from the open kitchen to the master suite to the outdoor spaces, feel like a private retreat, whether she's at home by herself or hosting a small dinner party of lawn party with 100 people.
