Just south of Dahlonega, the Achasta development spans a lush valley with mountain views.

It's this setting that gave Southern Living magazine its new Idea House, a showcase for Atlanta interior designer Mallory Mathison and architect Stephen Fuller Designs. The 3,700-square-foot home is awash in sea foam green, deep red and glossy white, and it opens to the public Saturday.

The floor plan is made for entertaining - the living room flows into the dining room and into the kitchen - and there's an upstairs retreat with interior windows in case you just need to get away. The master bath features pale green grass cloth on the walls and a shower covered in sea glass tile. And then there's the outdoor porches, so large they can accommodate multiple couches, a grilling area and they even include a second-floor retreat.

The home will be open for self-guided tours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays, and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays until Oct. 18. Admission is $5, with $2 from each ticket going to benefit the United Way of Dahlonega/Lumpkin County.

"It was an honor to be chosen," said Adam Brunning, director of sales at Achasta. "And what we ended up with was very special and very unique."

We had a chance to get a sneak peek of the home - which inspires from the inside with its splashes of color and from the outside with its multiple porches.