Gretchen and Garold Jones of Jones & Jones Construction Co. in Johnston are known for their quality custom homes. But once in awhile, they build a spec home, too. Such was the case with one
in the Augustine area off 86th Street in Johnston.

And then the economy went south, and the home didn’t sell and didn’t sell. “I admit to asking for divine intervention,” Gretchen Jones says with a smile.

In a “this was meant to be” moment, Jen and Steve Jenkins and their two children were in the process of moving back to the Des Moines area last year. “We had only one week to find a home for our family,” Jen says. “We, of course, had to factor in school considerations, and we focused on Waukee and Johnston.”

Steve, who is with John Deere Credit, was returning stateside after two assignments out of the country. The family had lived 3½ years in Toronto and 2½ years in Luxembourg. Before those stints they lived for four years in Clive. Steve is a third-generation Deere employee, and the couple met when Jen was Steve’s sister’s roommate at the University of California at Berkeley.
In that week the Jenkinses looked at lots of homes. “While it certainly helped that we were familiar with the area, we absolutely couldn’t believe how the Des Moines area had changed and grown in the six years we were gone,” Jen explains. 

Felt like home
“When we saw this house, it felt like home,” she says. “I could see our family living here, and I could see our furnishings fitting here. The colors and the details just felt right. We only added a couple electrical outlets. Plus Steve would be less than a mile from his office. We could not have been happier.”

Neither could the Joneses. “Their arrival certainly was an answer to prayers,” Gretchen Jones says.
The two-story home with arches and columns for room definitions and a walkout lower level is classic and simple in its design. However, it also has contemporary touches with open spaces, such as in the kitchen, breakfast eating area, and family room. There are oversize south-facing windows for an open, airy feel. Jen likens the feeling to being in a tree house because there is a tree line separating the home from the one behind it. It sits on a corner lot.

The home offers about 4,100 square feet of living space, including the lower level. Jen applauds the efficient use of space.

Workable kitchen
One of her primary requests was a home with a large, workable kitchen. Jen has been baking bread for about 16 years and spends much time baking all of the family’s bread items—sourdough variations, sandwich bread, bagels, and pizza crusts. At Christmas she takes a little red wagon and delivers cookies to neighbors. Her specialties are cream wafer cookies, which are light like puff pastry; Russian tea cakes; and almond kolaches. She starts making eight kinds of cookies before Thanksgiving to have enough for sharing and for family gatherings.

The kitchen has maple cabinetry, birch floors, stainless-steel appliances, and a
walk-in pantry. Some of the cabinetry sections have leaded-glass doors to showcase
glassware. Jen appreciates the details that Jones & Jones incorporated in the kitchen. “I make choices that go with everything else,” Gretchen points out. “It’s a big advantage for me that we do so much custom building. Then I see and know what people want if they have full choice. It’s like getting first-hand information.” The couple has been in the home building business since 1981–82.

For example, she thinks having a center island is mandatory in a kitchen, but she
has a stipulation—it must be all one level, not multilevel. That just makes it more user-
friendly. And these days granite or a similar material is mandatory. The stools at the island are convenient spots for the kids to have meals and snacks. 

In front of the big windows is a black country table with six chairs. Transom-top windows are unadorned to soak in the sun. There are mini pleated shades to use for privacy or light control.
The focal point of the family living space is a fireplace with real stone and a classic white wood mantel with corbels. A sofa and loveseat in brown Ultrasuede fabric is family-friendly, and artwork and accents have been collected from living and vacation spots around the world. “We truly live in this room,” Jen says.

At the front of the home are a formal dining room and an office/music room. “We had never had dining room furniture before, so that was something we purchased for this house,” Jen says. The office/library with the classic detail of window seats with built-in storage also houses the piano—it was the only place the piano could go.

On the second floor are the master bedroom suite, the kids’ rooms with a Jack ’n’ Jill bath between them, and a guest room with bath. The large master bath has double vanities, a walk-in shower, and a deep whirlpool tub. Three square windows high over the tub allow southern light in without compromising privacy. A tray ceiling adds to the room’s airiness.

Lower level
On the lower level another fireplace with a cultured-stone surround anchors one end, where comfy couches call for some downtime. There’s room for a large pool table, and a kitchenette offers snack duty. Steve enjoys strumming his guitar there as well.

While the family enjoyed their two interesting foreign assignments, it was time for the kids to be in a regular school, says their mother. “It really has been a ‘growth experience’ for us all, and we have been able to become conversant in French. Our kids went to an international school with a primarily British curriculum, but it’s good to be back in an American school.”

And are they speaking French now? No, they are taking Spanish.

“This is such a great neighborhood,” Jen says. “Augustine is like a great big cul-de-sac. It has been so, so easy to live here.”

As Gretchen says, “It was just meant to be.”

Resources

BUILDER Jones & Jones
CARPET, LUMBER, TRIM, EXTERIOR DOORS Gilcrest/Jewett
HARDWOOD FLOORS B&B Hardwood Flooring
HEATING, COOLING Dorrian Heating & Cooling
FIREPLACES Fireplace Super Store
LIGHTING FIXTURES Albright Lighting
SECURITY, CENTRAL VAC, INTERCOM, CLOSET SHELVING ATech/Easy Living Store
ROOFING Gannon Roofing
INSULATION Insulation Engineering
FIREPLACE, EXTERIOR STONE Lindsey Stone/Stone Source
INTERIOR, EXTERIOR PAINTING, FINISHING Cole Painting
BUILT-INS Jim’s Woodworking
WINDOWS, SLIDING DOORS Moehl Millwork
TILE, GRANITE Stone Works
LAMINATE, PREFORMED COUNTERS Jon-top
APPLIANCES NFM Builders
PLUMBING Valley Plumbing
DRYWALL Stevens Drywall
SHOWER DOORS, MIRRORS, GLASS McGough Glass and Mirror
LANDSCAPING Iowa Outdoor Products
CONCRETE FINISHERS Larson Custom Concrete
FOUNDATION Monarch Poured Walls