After working with an architect drawing up house plans, Debbie and Taylor Freeman knew exactly what they wanted in their new home. At least, that's what they thought.

"We had the itch to build," Debbie said. "We both enjoy that," architecture enthusiast Taylor added.

Right before they finalized plans to break ground, Taylor happened upon a model home in an upscale west Cobb neighborhood that seemed to have their name on it.

Debbie, a real estate agent with Keller Williams who is used to working with clients with set ideas, found herself in their shoes when she was pleasantly surprised at the unexpected. "We really came in here for some decorating ideas. But it just felt right," Debbie said.

The attractive brick home with a Cedar Shake roof and symmetrical exterior exemplifies the impression of a stately Georgian home. Similar in look and feel to the home in which Taylor was raised in Louisiana, he said, "5-4 and a door is what they use to call it."

With its classic exterior, one might expect a formal setting on the inside. But the Freemans didn't want stuffy. They worked for a "more livable space" that was comfortable.

Collaborating with local interior designer Beth Meyer, the Freemans achieved the open and friendly look of a farmhouse. They chose soft colors that seem to express the spirit of the countryside. They also incorporated local artwork and furniture such as a farm table in the dining room to attain a cozy, relaxed decorating style.

One of the things that initially attracted the couple to the home was the distressed white finish on the walls giving it a farm-style feel. "It felt homey," said Debbie, a 24-year Marietta resident.

Though the home purchased nearly four years ago is understated, it is quietly beautiful.

Another attraction was the flat back yard with endless possibilities such as the pool they installed. "We've enjoyed just being able to walk out from an entertaining perspective," Taylor said.

The home has a Yankee basement, meaning there's no daylight, he explained. "When you walk out on the porch, you walk out onto the back yard, and you're not on a high deck and we like that," he said. "It allows for good flow when entertaining."

With one daughter in college and another going next year, the master bedroom on the main floor makes the home amenable to main floor living. "It's great first-floor living space when it's just the two of us," Debbie observed, but she quickly pointed out that the four-bedroom home with a bonus room upstairs would easily accommodate guests when the girls marry.

By being open-minded, the Freemans have found the perfect home for their lifestyle.

"It's very different than what we were going to build, believe it or not," Debbie said.