Quality
Quality can only be achieved by a complete dedication to it by everyone on the team. Hiring a builder with decades of experience and a proven track record is the way to get there. Coach Duane Fanning once said “Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only winners perfect the little things.”
This philosophy is why we created the process we use today. After utilizing every construction implementation method available, we ultimately learned that you can be a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. So instead of having a large, expensive staff, we have partnered with (and trained) the best talent in each field, and have them competitively price each project against another one of their contemporaries. This ensures two things: (1) that each client is getting the best tradesman for their project, and (2) each trade has submitted the most competitive price. Enjoy the posts below to see our promises turn into action.
Sullivan to bring passion to the NCHBA 2015
North Carolina Home Builder magazine WINTER 2014
Empowerment. That’s what incoming-NCHBA President Sean Sullivan says is going to be a hallmark of his term in 2015. He wants to empower members, local associations and executive officers with the tools they need to continue to keep North Carolina the #1 state in our federation.
North Carolina makes up about 10 percent of the National Association of Home Builders membership, so our state plays a critical and powerful role there. However, Sullivan says he thinks our NCHBA membership is somewhat lethargic, and he wants to reinvigorate the membership in 2015.
Sullivan Installed as NCHBA President
The NC Home Builders Association held their 4th Quarter meetings at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. A new slate of officers and regional vice presidents were elected, including the new NCHBA President and were installed in a ceremony that was held the evening of December 2nd. Sean Sullivan, President of Living Stone Construction, based in Black Mountain, NC, was installed as the 2015 NCHBA President.
Sullivan has been building homes in the Western North Carolina area for almost 20 years. While earning his Unlimited Building License and Accredited Master Builder designation, he became the President of the Asheville Home Builders Association in 2008. During his term as president, he oversaw 30% growth of the association. Through the years he has served in many different leadership roles within the local association and then the state association. In 2013, he served as NCHBA Region 10 Vice President before being installed as President-Elect for 2014.
Simple Steps to Create Positive Energy in Your Home
If you’re looking for new ideas to refresh your home, consider taking a few steps to boost your home’s positive energy.
Feng shui is the Chinese art of placement, and is based on the premise that people live healthy happy, prosperous lives when they live in harmoniously designed homes.
Feng shui consultant and interior designer Cynthia Chomos says that a few design fixes can even help with the resale of your home.
“A home purchase is one of the biggest and most significant purchases that a consumer will make. It’s where we rejuvenate and our lives flourish,” Chomos said. “Incorporating feng shui allows us to be more conscious and more intentional with the spaces we inhabit.”
Living Stone Wins at 2014 Parade of Homes
During the weekends of October 10-11 and October 17-18, the Asheville Home Builders Association (AHBA) held its Annual Parade of Homes (POH). Every year builders all across the Asheville area show off recently constructed homes in a variety of developments and other communities for the general public to tour and enjoy. Both weekends were a great success and approximately 1000 people toured the home. Living Stone’s parade home was The Strittmatter’s home, which is based on their Skylar Grande semi-custom model.
In between the aforementioned weekends, the AHBA holds an awards ceremony to recognize and present builders awards in a variety of different categories. Living Stone Construction capped off a fantastic evening by winning the coveted Viewers Choice Award, the Green Certification award (NC Green Built Gold) and the silver craftsmanship award for it’s category. Living Stone also won a PACE award for Best Public Relations Event for the Ricky Harwood Fundraiser. ID.ology Interior Design, Living Stone’s design partner, won a PACE award for Best Interior Merchandising for Dana and Cherrie Roberts’ Timberpeg home Living Stone built.
President Sean Sullivan said, “I believe the relationship and partnership Living Stone Construction has with our trade partners was key to this years successful POH.”
Trend Alerts : Wet Rooms
Inviting, accommodating and a feast for the eyes—wet rooms are showing up in more and more homes and wowing visitors at new-home showcases.
Wet rooms—essentially open-concept or barrier-free bathrooms—are tiled continuously from floor to ceiling and across the floor surface, giving a sleek, unified appearance.
The shower is open to the room or enclosed in clear glass, and has no raised threshold to step over. Sinks, countertops and vanities mounted to the walls hover above the unbroken plane of the floor.
Living Stone and ID.ology win BIG at the Stars Awards 2014
The North Carolina Home Builders Association presented 50 prestigious STARS awards at the annual STARS Awards Gala on September 10,2014 at the Omni Charlotte Hotel. The STARS Awards program honors the achievements of home building industry professionals from North Carolina and surrounding states.
Living Stone Construction and ID.ology Interior Design attended the 2014 STARS Awards Gala in Charlotte, NC for the seventh straight year and hoped to have yet another successful evening. Both Living Stone and ID.ology went into the ceremony with high expectations and did not leave disappointed.
Living Stone won Best Outdoor Living Area for the Japalachian Project (the Jones’ home) as well as Best Single-Family Detached Home in it’s price category for the Bonesteel project. ID.olgy won for Best Interior Merchandising over $1 million for the Japalachian project.
Living Stone has had a strong presence at the NCHBA STARS awards over the past few years and it can all be attributed to the hard work Sean Sullivan (President) has put in. When asked of this years results Sullivan responded, “Our team is dedicated to do whatever it takes to give our clients the home of their dreams. We don’t believe in taking shortcuts; we’d rather go the extra mile to give the clients the quality product they deserve. Living Stone is very blessed to attend and once again be recognized at the STARS Awards Gala”.
Custom Rockcliff for the Heartz
Bill and Rebecca Heartz got everything they wanted in the house that Living Stone Construction built for them. They live in a 4,200-square-foot, three-bedroom house in Southcliff, a luxury community in Fairview that is a 10-minute drive from downtown Asheville. “We wanted a casual house with an elegance to it, sort of a mountain retreat. We feel that we really achieved that,” Rebecca said. “Our home is a very calming place. We’re up in the trees. We get up in the morning and hear the birds sing and look out at the mountains.”
A Sacred Place – LSC Featured in Carolina Home and Garden
Designed by architect Maury Hurt to occupy the footprint of an existing A-frame, this serene lakeside home maximizes its location and boasts many vernacular exterior finishes including stone, cedar shake and pebble dash stucco. Green built and Energy Star efficient, the home earned regional and national awards for the builder, Living Stone Construction, and a state-level award for the interior designers, Allard & Roberts.
Photography by David Dietrich
Adiscreet sign at the front entrance reads “Sanctuary.” Fair enough. You’ve navigated some narrow country roads and come down a steep driveway to get here. The cedar shake and stone house is tucked into a wooded lot, perched on the hillside beside Lake Lure. A mountain retreat — a lake house…it makes sense. But then you walk through the stone portal and enter the great room. Before you, a massive arched wall of windows captures a stunning view: the vast sky, the distant, craggy face of a mountain and the sparkling waters of the lake.
Designations Make a Difference When Choosing a Builder
Continuing education and earning designations is very important to the team at Living Stone Construction. Sean is one of a very few Accredited Master Builders in WNC. He is also a Certified Green Professional, a Certified Aging in Place Specialist as well as a Certified Lead Renovator. Quality workmanship, knowledge and experience matter, especially when you will be investing a significant amount of money with a home builder or remodeler as you build a new home or update your current one to fit your lifestyle.
The Living Stone Story
Over the last twenty years, Living Stone Construction has set themselves apart by exceeding expectations. By utilizing a special team approach to Design+Build, we deliver ultimate performance, quality, and value. As only one of a few accredited master builders in the...
