A Limestone Tower Anchors This Storybook Countryside Home in Newnan, Georgia

Two Troscan club chairs with a T-shaped wood design are the first things guests see upon entering the great room. The artwork above the fireplace is by Mary Catherine Lowery.

The main entryway is flanked by two hidden closets and consoles, though the focal point is the sculptural plaster entrance, a motif repeated throughout the home.

The great room was designed with entertaining in mind. Numerous seating areas with custom furnishings provide endless options for lounging.

A dining table from Jerry Pair is surrounded by comfortable seating, fabricated by Douglass Workroom, that encourages guests to sit and linger.

The mudroom features wooden dog crates crafted by Rosewood Millworks and blue limestone flooring from François & Co. that caters to the country house lifestyle.

The kitchen offers a rich architectural mix of plaster, beams, and white oak. The breakfast table with wishbone chairs from Design Within Reach is often where the family starts their day.

The outdoor patio offers generous spaces for entertaining, with indoor-outdoor wicker furniture around the fireplace and a separate dining area with a Janus et Cie table.

The primary bedroom is awash in tranquil neutrals, with lightweight Matouk bedding from Gramercy and a nook with two club chairs fabricated by Douglass Workroom by the windows.

This oval soaking tub that overlooks the garden is a focal point, with a plaster wall and an opposing rustic stone wall that recalls the tower hall.

Webb kept decor to a minimum in the tower hall to allow its architectural beauty to sing.

The study is one of designer Beth Webb’s favorite spaces, imbued with a multitude of textures including pecky cypress ceilings, river-recovered cypress on the walls, and white oak floors.

The tower room stands out for its white oak bar that’s lined with rifle shells, which calls to the area’s hunting lifestyle.

Despite the tight configuration, the tower offers plenty of spots for conversation.

The Newnan, Georgia, home was designed by husband-and-wife duo Matthew and Lauren Russell, with a Lueders limestone facade and a storybook tower that dictated the rest of the home’s design.

Landscape architect Don Hooten created many different gardens throughout the property—similar to an arboretum—while Pristine Landscaping and the farm manager, Daniel Foss, work to make the entire property look pristine.

A tranquil infinity pool lords over the property, offering incredible views of the land.

The family’s two golden retrievers, Marley and Murphy, often play and prance across the open lawn.

For architects Matthew and Lauren Russell of Heyward Russell Studio, each home begins with a central design story. The main character of this Newnan, Georgia, residence: a dramatic limestone tower that evokes the charm of a countryside fairytale. “The client envisioned a tower so they could see the land from the highest point of the property,” says Lauren. “We wanted the stone tower to look original to the land, like it had always been there, and then we expanded the house from there.”

In collaboration with designer Beth Webb of Beth Webb Interiors and builder Rhett Bonner of Bonner Buchanan, the tower—perched atop the county’s highest point overlooking nearly 800 acres—draws inspiration from the lookout structures often found in national parks. “When you’re [in the tower], you don’t feel like you’re in Newnan,” says Matthew. “It’s like you’re in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. You don’t see other houses, just the land and treetops.”

Inside, Webb tailored the home to suit the owners’ unique needs of living and working in the remote country, while reflecting their warm, welcoming spirit. The couple—and their golden retrievers, Marley and Murphy—are on a constant indoor-outdoor march, and regularly entertain their children and grandkids who live nearby. “I heard all the words they used. They wanted it to be effortless, approachable, and family-friendly,” says Webb, adding: “There’s a wonderful flow to this house, which makes for ease of living.”

Webb began in the great room, breaking up the long space with multiple seating areas anchored by elegant custom furnishings, perfect for gathering. Her signature quiet color palette is imparted throughout the home, with the great room warmed with rich terracotta accents. “Neutral can be boring unless it’s finessed correctly. It was all about the various textures and that tiny pop of color,” says Webb. In the study, work feels more like a retreat. Webb’s personal mantra, “texture is my color,” comes to life through limewashed walls, a hide layered over white oak floors, and stunning pecky cypress ceilings. “It’s the perfect play of a multitude of elements,” adds Webb.

The quiet interiors allow the home’s architectural wonders to sing—including the Russells’ sculptural plaster openings—from the great room to the tranquil primary bedroom, where timber casings frame a cozy window nook, to wooden ceiling beams, and interior stone walls that echo the exterior. In the primary bath, a rustic stone wall flanks the luxurious soaking tub.“It continues that story that the tower was original, and its stone walls are still standing,” explains Lauren.

With so many captivating spaces, deciding where to linger isn’t easy. Webb drew on her design finesse to maximize every inch of the tower’s compact footprint, curating a white oak bar and intimate seating areas for dining and play, all while ensuring the sweeping views take center stage. The kitchen, with its warm honey tones, reflects the homeowners’ hospitable personalities and country lifestyle. “Because they are very remote, they’re cooking at home and truly living on the land,” says Webb. Then there’s the wraparound screened porch dotted with more inviting seating—or the infinity pool, flaunting those unbeatable vistas. “We wanted the edge of the water to blend seamlessly with the view,” says Matthew.

Landscaping played a vital role in grounding the home in its natural setting. Don Hooten of Hooten Land Design even incorporated an herb garden, where the homeowners can gather fresh ingredients for cooking. “I think Don did a phenomenal job with the landscaping,” says Matthew. “It’s almost like an arboretum—there are literally millions of plants out there.” The result is a home that sits in perfect harmony with the surrounding land.

INTERIOR DESIGNER Beth Webb, Beth Webb Interiors, (404) 277-7718; bethwebb.com ARCHITECTS Matthew and Lauren Russell, Heyward Russell Studio, (334) 322-0125; heywardrussell.com BUILDER Rhett Bonner, Bonner Buchanan, (770) 423-0249; bonnerbuchanan.com LANDSCAPE DESIGN Don Hooten, Hooten Land Design, (404) 373-9816; hootenlanddesign.com