SOUTHERN LIVING announces 2009 Idea House at Achasta in Dahlonega

Birmingham, AL - Southern Living Magazine has chosen a home in Dahlonega as the site for one of its two Idea Houses for 2009.

The north Georgia Idea House is located in the Reynolds Signature Community of Achasta in Dahlonega. The home will be open for public tours beginning June 6 and will remain open through October 18. Tickets will be $5 at the door and a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the local United Way of Dahlonega/Lumpkin County.

"Each year, we carefully take into consideration the lifestyle a community offers and how our showhome connects to that sense of place," said Kristen Payne, Director of the Southern Living Homes Group. "This home represents all mountain living has to offer - a great place to entertain, dining indoors and out, and a place to reconnect with each other."

Ron Larson, the community's managing director, notes the many qualities shared between Southern Living and Achasta. "Creating an environment for friends and families to gather is fundamental to the Southern vernacular and central to life at Achasta," said Larson. "The community's character combines the small town charm of historic Dahlonega with the sophistication and excitement of Atlanta."

The 3,700 square foot mountain retreat is designed by Stephen Fuller, Inc., built by Linger Longer Homes, with interiors by Mallory Mathison, Inc., all from Georgia. Architectural highlights include a simple roof line of low intersecting gables that reflect the silhouette of the mountain terrain beyond. A host of porches results in striking front and rear elevations, suggestive of rustic lodges of the early twentieth century.

The interiors of the house were based on the notion of bringing the outdoors, in.

"The interiors of Hemlock Springs began with nature as the inspiration. Colors, patterns and texture are used throughout the house to create a sense of unity with the lush outdoors and casual, charming interior spaces," said designer Mathison. "Soft easy neutrals paired with clear bright color, crisp natural fabrics, hints of sparkling metallic and an unexpected works of art marry together for a classic, timeless aesthetic with a truly cheerful twist that will prove to be inviting and inspiring."

Southern Living has partnered with Reynolds Signature Communities on two previous Idea Homes - the first in 1992, and again in 2007 at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga.