Design & Build magazine March/April 2015

InspiringPlacesBeautifulSpaces
fectly fit together. All the ironwork
in the railing is custom designed
and hand forged, with a polished
wooden handrail—painstakingly
bent, not jointed. It is a breathtaking
piece of craftsmanship. “It
didn’t start out to be a circular
staircase, but they (the Cink’s)
found pictures of a similar piece,
and we duplicated it,” said Bankes.
“Working with Pat Kirkland, the
architect and Blacksheep Interiors,
we were able to deliver exactly
what they wanted. It is truly a team
effort which takes the right builder,
architect and decorator as well as
the right home owner.”
Bankes has been a custom home
builder in the Sugarloaf and River
Club subdivisions in the Atlanta
area for fifteen years. “Most of the
homes in Sugarloaf Country Club
are traditional, with lots of molding
and decorative touches. They are
generally more formal, but Stewart
and Lisa wanted something modern,
which is unique to Sugarloaf,”
continues Bankes. “The Cink’s
are the neighbor next door—very
unassuming—and they wanted a
home built to have fun with their
family and friends. Family is important,
even transcending his career
as a PGA golfer.”
An interesting construction detail
is that the home is designed
with lots of nooks and crannies.
Collectively, rooms are separated
by spaces rather than by hallways,
which function as a way to get people
from one area to another without
the need to use hallways and
doors. The house plan was custom
designed by architect Pat Kirkland
to create this type of flow, rather
than adapting an existing plan. It
is unusual and very comfortable,
considering the house is over
11,000 square feet.
The main floor functions primarily
as living and entertaining
space. A music room displays Li-
“
“
When we discussed what to do with the downstairs space, home theaters were all the rage. The
Cink’s were adamant they wanted a space to enjoy friends and family, not a dark room where everyone
sat next to one another but could not interact. Instead of doing a big home theater, they
wanted a karaoke area, and then set it up like a club. We built a stage with a backdrop and a
comfortable seating area for people to relax and have fun. The stage has props, a TV monitor for
displaying the song words and a jamming sound system. It feels like a lounge. It is amazing and has
offered hours of family entertainment!
~ Jim Bankes, builder
Jim Bankes, Inc.
sa’s collection of Chihuly glass. The dining room is casual and
comfortable yet also elegant, with room to seat eight and consists
once again of curves which create intimacy. “The fabrics
and lighting are inviting, with the banquettes in a modern, fun
fabric situated around a round table, and pulling the exterior
stone in for a dividing wall. It is a private space that is still
connected to the rest of the home, which reflects the outdoors
through the use of art and furnishings,” says Shane.
The main floor opens to the outdoor living space which consists
of deck areas, a swimming pool, fireplace, and gazebo.
“When the boys were younger, Lisa could have a full view to
the pool from anywhere in the living area, which made it wonderful
for when they had friends over,” said Shane. “She could
sit at the breakfast table and keep an eye on the kids, or be in the
We wanted this house to be
a place we loved. Over the
years our taste evolved but
we gravitated towards a west
coast style. We were amazed
and proud of Jim’s work. He
was a little off the grid and
did things for us he normaly
wouldn’t do.
“
~Lisa Cink, homeowner
“
kitchen and still have access to their outside activities.”
However it is a very adult space as well, with a large, comfortable
outdoor entertainment area complete with fireplace,
seating, BBQ and the wonderful gazebo with hot tub, on the
opposite side of the pool. Altogether, it provides different “living
areas” for people to relax without feeling constricted.
“The pool and outdoor space was created by the lot. Where
it falls off, we put in retaining walls, creating the cabana
area,” says Bankes. “After a few years of living in the home,
the Cink’s added a fire pit and cigar lounge downstairs off the
pool, accessed by a gracious, wide, sweeping stone stairway
that provides a private nook for entertaining. Often, we have
homeowners that add additions several years after building
their home, when they realize they need something more that
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