NORTH RALEIGH
DESIGN CAPTURES
Sense of Elegance and Comfort
When Staley and Christine Gentry decided to build a retirement home, they didn't even think about downsizing. They had lived in many nice houses in many wonderful places during Staley's long and successful career with the mega-insurance company Axa, so they knew what they wanted: a comfortable house designed for entertaining, hosting out-of-town guests and enjoying their adult children who might soon be visiting with families of their own. From their home in Chicago, the couple began to think about returning to North Carolina, specifically to Raleigh where they had lived previously. Staley, a native of Laurel Hill, North Carolina, and a graduate of DukeUniversity, has special ties to the state, and as ardent golfers Staley and Christine had fond memories of North Carolina's excellent golf courses and mild winters. As a result, they set their eyes on the North Ridge Country Club community with its manicured greens, upscale amenities and friendly residential character. The only drawback was that the popular subdivision had been nearly built-out since breaking ground in the 1970s and then expanded and intensely developed during the 1980s and 1990s.
As these things sometimes happen, a friend of the Gentrys knew that Tim Thompson, president of Raleigh Custom Homes, a custom residential construction company since 1996, had just purchased a 1970s era home on the No.1 Green of one of the golf courses in a redevelopment project. The friend put Staley and Christine together with Thompson and the trio struck a deal.
The next step was to design a fabulous house and Thompson began assembling the team that would make the Gentrys' dreams come true. Connie Allen, of Connie Allen Inc., worked as Thompson's project manager. Allen credits Rick Raynor, owner and president of Raleigh's Design-Tech, Incorporated, with an immediate understanding of what the Gentrys wanted. "Rick walked the lot and met with the Gentrys. I think Christine had some plans from a friend's home in California that she liked but mostly Rick just listened to what Staley and Christine told him," says Allen. "When he came back with the initial plans, they were just about perfect." One of Raynor's achievements was to maximize the site's view of the golf course. "Rick worked with the surveyor and with Curtis Fields of Tri-City Concrete, who did the poured concrete foundation to obtain the correct elevations for each of the home's three levels," Allen explains. "Each room in the house has a good view."
Exceptional Planning
Raynor, whose homes are frequently featured in Parade of Homes events, successfully integrated the Gentry house into its site and its neighborhood of traditional residences. The home's nicely asymmetrical front-projecting gabled wings and multi-level hipped roof-draws from traditional architectural styles. The 13,000-square-foot house (9,000 square feet livable space) settles well into its site at the end of a cul-de-sac. The exterior is a careful blending of softly hued sand-colored brick and dark grey brick. The exceptional masonry includes a contrasting water-course of header bricks. The rear elevation, sited to the fairway, is particularly striking, showcasing a curved second-level terrace above a recessed patio enhanced by an arched loggia. The pool by Oasis Pools was cleverly designed to meet the required set-back from the golf course and angled to accommodate a raised hot tub at one end and a waterfall at the other. The cascading waterfall is set in a construct of dressed marble to add interest; the pleasing melody of the falling water melds the pool with its surrounding garden.
The beauty of the Gentry residence is most perfectly realized in the main floor public area that opens from a recessed doorway accented by an ornately patterned tile floor. Upon entering the house you experience a sense of well being, perhaps the result of an almost symphonic interplay of stunning materials and thoughtful design elements. The open floor plan, a requirement that Christine emphasized to Raynor as her number one priority for the house, successfully flows from one pleasing space to another. The spacious foyer is bordered by a curved staircase with an elaborate hand-crafted iron balustrade. To the right of the foyer is the dining room, where the focus is a floor-to-ceiling mahogany niche with mirrored leaded-glass panels. "Annie Palles of Annie's Interiors came up with the idea of the floor-to-ceiling 9-by-2-foot niche," says Allen. "It is reminiscent of something you would see in France. Christine endorsed the concept and is very pleased with the design." Another finishing touch used with great success in the dining room is the gilded plaster medallion on the ceiling. "Daniel Adams is a fourth generation master plaster, and he did the medallion," says Allen. The 8-foot medallion is embellished with a mural of cherubs created by Alley Murphy, a faux painter that Annie has used in several of her houses.
The great room, with its two-story ceiling and walls of windows set in raised panel molding, is simply delightful, a room for viewing the smooth green of the golf course from large comfortable sofas and arm chairs, or wandering out onto the second-floor terrace to the professional barbecue grill. Separated from the great room by a trio of fluted columns connected by a leaded glass transom, the kitchen is furnished with cabinetry and a level-four-grade granite-topped island. An accomplished cook, Christine wanted to be able to converse with her guests while she prepared and served food. The cabinetry had to be both functional and aesthetic and appear as a natural complement to the refinements of the great room. Custom cabinet-maker Matt Smith of Woodleaf Inc., was selected to build the kitchen ensemble and the other furniture-quality cabinetry throughout the house. "Matt brings the completed cabinets to the house and his craftsman Vinnie Puszynski actually finishes them on site," notes Allen. "Though it is an unusual approach, it allows you to see how the finish looks in the room, and the finish can make or break a job."
Christine chose the finishes for all the cabinetry created for the house including the kitchen, great room, Staley's study, the pub room and the oak counter-height island designed for the catering kitchen in the lower-level recreation area. The cabinets and architectural elements in the kitchen, great room and study are cherry with the more subtle finish bringing out the wood's warmer tones. The pub room, a spectacular creation with a patterned tin ceiling, and a black and pearl granite-topped oak bar, features a darker more masculine finish continued on the room's oak floor. There is an oak island in the recreation room made to look like an antique with salvaged corbels and an expansive wood countertop. Though also of oak, the choice of finish for this piece allows a lighter more golden appearance than the dusky pub room. The piece was designed and built by Ed Fulford of Fulford Antiques in Wilson.
The lower-level recreation area also accommodates a sumptuous media room, which Thompson says is outfitted with state-of-the art equipment. It features handsome leather recliner chairs for relaxed viewing. A series of hand-painted movie posters depicting classic films including King Kong and Gone with the Wind decorate a wall leading from the media room to the main recreation area. The posters are the work of Peter Campbell, a friend of the Gentry family.
The Floors are the Thing
The unifying element in the grand main level public rooms of the Gentry home is the remarkable Travertine floors that flow like pale honey throughout. Allen is particularly proud of the floors. It was her suggestion to use Travertine, a marble quarried in Mexico. "I had seen Travertine used in a friend's home in South Florida where the stone is very popular. I suggested that Christine hop on a plane and take a look. She did and liked what she saw. I think the floor acts as a stage for the whole house."
Though the selection of hand-honed Travertine marble was an inspired choice, the installation of the 18x18 half-inch thick tiles on such a large surface required careful analysis. Thompson knew just who to call. He had been introduced to Raleigh tile contractor Jim Lincoln by mutual friends while on a fishing trip to the North Carolina coast. Lincoln assessed the project and determined that it would be best to use a traditional method called mud setting for such a large open expanse of floor. He learned the technique from an older craftsman while living in California. "We chose to set the tiles in a mud base of concrete sand and Portland cement for cushioning and support so they wouldn't crack under pressure," explains Lincoln. "It's a multi-stage process and my crewmen are very skilled at it." Lincoln and his team laid seven palettes of tiles, weighing 2,200 pounds, over a steel reinforced truss floor covered with plywood and dressed with mud. The process was even more demanding because the tiles were set with a matching grout that makes the floor look almost seamless. It was then finished with two coats of sealer. The effect is subtle perfection.
It is sometimes said that grand scale can overpower fine detail. If that's ever the case, it is certainly not true in the North Ridge Country Club residence of Staley and Christine Gentry. Working with their team of experienced builders, designers and crafts persons, the Gentrys have created elegant architecture, an open and inviting home, and a glowing tribute to cooperative design.