Moving from a three-centuries-old house in Boston to a mountaintop home built in 1985 in Tennessee was a refreshingly happy move for Doris McDowell.

“I loved my historical home in Boston — the craftsmanship was incredible — but the house was built in 1680, and after living there for 14 years, I got very tired of fixing it up,” she said.

When she got the news that her fiance would be moving to Chattanooga for his job, she was thrilled.

“I was very pleased at the move. I fell in love with the South after visiting North Georgia a long time ago. I have always thought I belonged in the South,” Ms. McDowell said.

David and Doris McDowell married shortly after moving to Chattanooga four years ago, just before they began a two-and-a-half-year remodeling project that doubled the size of their newly purchased Elder Mountain home.

“I’ve got to admit that I got a little tired of (the renovation), but it was worth it,” Ms. McDowell said. “We love our home so much that we question ourselves as to why we would ever go on vacation.”

The stately structure of the home paired with the beauty of the brow property sold the McDowells on the house. They immediately wanted to integrate the beauty of the outdoors with the indoors, so they tore down walls and created wide-open spaces.

Dark spaces were eliminated, and the entire home ignites each morning with the rising of the sun.

“We don’t like being confined, and we love the beauty of where we are,” said Ms. McDowell, a massage therapist. Mr. McDowell has retired since the move.

Art in the home

The McDowells commissioned local artisans to accessorize their home. Artists visited the home to get a sense of its beauty before creating pieces specifically designed for the space.

“We have a two-story twin fireplace that has original paintings hanging on each side,” Ms. McDowell said. “One is the artist’s abstract of downtown, and the other is of the sunrise coming through the trees.”

Some furnishings were handmade for the McDowells. Only a few select pieces came from their homes in Boston.

“We wanted to showcase the artists, much like in a museum. We don’t want to distract from the beauty of the art, so our furnishings are minimal.”

The view

The McDowells wanted nothing to obstruct their panoramic view of downtown Chattanooga and the Tennessee River Gorge. They took down trees and added a 3,000-square-foot deck to further their enjoyment outdoors.

“It’s a tri-level deck with stainless-steel railing, similar to the stainless-steel bridge by the Hunter Museum. The railing optimizes the view,” Ms. McDowell said.

Though the McDowells maintain a second home in Boston, it’s Chattanooga they call home.

“Comparing Boston to Chattanooga is like comparing apples to oranges,” Ms. McDowell said. “You’ve got two beautiful cities, both gorgeous in their own ways, but we intend to stay here.”

Local architect Kurt Stagmaier designed the original house in 1985 as well as the addition four years ago.

“We were so fortunate that he was able to do it,” Ms. McDowell said. “In fact, it was his idea to put in a three-level deck, and we’re so glad we did. We spend a lot of time there.”

Walls in the house were literally torn down to make spacious rooms and ceiling-to-floor windows. In the kitchen/dining room and living room/master bedroom, where it wasn’t practical to take down entire walls, portions of the walls were removed.

The master suite

Highlights of the home include the incredible master bedroom and bath. The bedroom, with a glass outer wall, opens onto the deck. A huge, handmade bed sits so that the couple can see the view of the valley below. The bed, a work of art, was specifically designed to be placed in the middle of the room. It features a shelf on the back of the headboard.

The master bath, which includes multiple shower heads and a sink, is tiled from floor to ceiling and also features a brow view. The shower opens to his-and-her sections that include cabinets and shelves.

The openness of the house makes it ideal for entertaining, Mr. McDowell said, noting that some of the furniture is on wheels, making it easy to move from place to place.

Downstairs

The two-story addition includes a mother-in-law suite (with a spacious kitchen), a bedroom suite, two baths, exercise room, living room with fireplace and wine cellar. One wall of the downstairs is the stone foundation of the original house. The downstairs opens to one level of the deck, while the upstairs bedroom opens onto the third level.