By Jess Clarke / Photos By David Dietrich
First impressions count, and there’s definitely a “wow” factor when stepping into the home of James and Gail Jenkins at Lake Toxaway. Renovations transformed the entryway from a dark closed space to an open and welcoming area with warmth, windows and balance. The entrance now “serves as a focal point of the rest of the house,” Gail Jenkins says. “It sets the tone for everything else.”
The couple decided the solid windowless doors that were in the foyer beside a narrow dark staircase had to go, and the stairway should be relocated and widened. To make the entrance more inviting and connected with the rest of the house, they wanted a stone floor, big open stairway, many windows and more space. And they wanted symmetry for a sense of harmony.
To create a hospitable entrance, crews from Holden Construction Co. in Lake Toxaway expanded the foyer toward the front of the house to provide more space for the new staircase, a “sculptural link” between the upper and lower levels, says architect Doug Harris of Harris Architects in Brevard. The handrail’s wrought-iron pickets allow more light into the entryway. Windows were raised and added, so natural light streams into the house. The flat ceiling was vaulted, and a chandelier was added. A custom 42-inch wood door featuring two side panels was imported from Beaumont, Texas, where the Jenkins have a second residence.
The plan also introduced stone-and-timber detailing inside and outside the entryway. To create continuity with the outer walkway, granite pavers from French Broad Stone were extended ten feet into the foyer area. Viola! The perfect segue between outer and inner worlds.
