Photos Hardy Realty
What can a family do with 16 acres of woodland and sweeping fields? One couple found out when they bought just such a property at 423 Bailey Road in Rome, Georgia. “We were going to build in the front pasture,” she says, “but my dad—who has always been a rock to me—looked at the property and said, ‘Why don’t you build on that hill?’” The problem was the hill was covered in forest. So, the owners marked a couple of large trees they would like to have in their yard and had the rest of them cleared from the site. They broke ground the day after Christmas 2006 and moved in during the summer of 2007.
Getting what they wanted
By the time the homeowners had bought the property, they had done a lot of research about what kind of house they would like to have. During the process of house shopping, they started collecting ideas for building their own place. She says, “Since we couldn’t find exactly what we wanted, we took the ideas we liked in what we saw and put them together—and I looked through hundreds of magazines—and I wound up just drawing it all out on a sheet of paper.” Then they gave that to an architect in Cedartown, Georgia, and let him draw up the plans.
The result was a brand new house that had the look of a beautifully restored 100-year-old home, gleaming white in the sun. “I’ve always liked that vintage look,” she says, “but with all the modern touches and luxuries. That’s what we were going for, something homey.” Upon approaching the home, a visitor gets the impression of a stylishly old-fashioned house from its metal roof, whiteboarding front, row of double windows, and a deep covered porch that runs the length of the house. “The big front porch is especially important,” she says. “It gives the feeling of home and family and instant comfort and peace. And it gives us a pretty view of the sunset.”
At 2,987 square feet and with four bedrooms and three and a half baths, this home has a sense of spaciousness inside without compromising that cozy feel. The large family room has a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace (wood burning) and is open to the kitchen and dining area. “Everything leads from the family room,” she says. There are wide-plank pine floors throughout. Just off the family room is a small nook-style room that the family used as a playroom when the kids were small; this space would be perfect for an office or sewing room.
Cooking, gathering, and room to grow
The kitchen is beautiful, with its stylish, multi-level cabinets—glossy white—stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops. The island seats three at stools and features a heavy butcherblock top and deep farmhouse sink. This space being open to the dining area and family room is perfect for parties and family dinners.
Leaving the kitchen and passing down a short hallway, one finds a pantry with built-in wooden shelves. “And I love my laundry room,” she says, “because there’s plenty of room to pile my things as I do the wash, and there’s a utility sink, lots of cabinets, and space to hang up the clothes beside the washer. Steve Billings built all of this in the laundry area, and he did a great job, giving me lots of good pointers about what we could do.”
The three downstairs bedrooms have full baths and ample space. Most of the living areas are on one level, but there is a large room upstairs as well. This can be used as a bedroom, playroom, or recreation space. Maybe a man cave? She says, “If we were going to stay here, I would definitely make it into an office.”
A time for new owners, new memories
When the homeowners moved in, they had two small children. “Growing up, the kids had fun with their friends riding ATVs all over the property,” she says. “And my husband’s brother bought fifteen acres next door, so that gave the kids even more land to explore. It was a good place for them to grow up. It was a lot of fun.” Now, however—in these empty nest years—it’s time for the homeowners to downsize. “Now my husband and I want to travel, which is hard when you have sixteen acres to keep up, so it’s time for a change.”
“There’s wildlife around here at any time of the day,” she says. “We’re watching ten deer right now, with a couple chasing each other across the front field. When I first looked out the window this morning, there were about twenty turkeys putting on a show while three deer fed.”
That sort of scene is growing increasingly rare in daily life, especially in close proximity to an urban center. So, for nature lovers on the lookout for plenty of elbow room, this property could be a dream come true.
For more information on this listing visit HardyRealty.com or call Brooke Brinson at 706-409-3838 or email him at brinsonb145@gmail.com
