Low Maintenance
Quality
Aging in Place Renovation
Here was the challenge: how to turn a family home into one that would keep its owner happy – and in place – for the rest of her life. It was the challenge that interior designer Betsy Edwards met with the help of Living Stone Construction. And it was posed by Annette Pace, who loved her farmhouse‐like home in north Asheville’s historic Beaverdam community but hadn’t lived in it for years.
Annette, who raised her sons in the house, didn’t want to give it up. But being a planner, she was planning ahead and wanted to see if Betsy could turn the house into a pretty home that would shelter and nurture Annette as she grew older.
“She had a real sense of commitment to the property,” Betsy says. “There was a sense of family and tradition there that was hard to give up.”
Betsy, whose business (Betsy Edwards Design) has reconfigured houses, hotels and restaurants all over the world, felt the home’s magic the moment she first saw it. “You could just feel the energy and beauty of it,” she says.
Annette, living elsewhere at the time, had expressed that she wanted to live in the house for the rest of her life. So as Betsy walked through its rooms, she envisioned how they could be changed to accommodate her client’s later years.
Some updating needed to be done, certainly, but cosmetic changes alone wouldn’t achieve the longevity that many homeowners want these days. Aging in place ‐ a term used to describe construction details that allow a resident to enjoy an independent life for years ‐ often means wider doorways and no‐threshold showers. In Annette’s case, it meant a master bedroom suite on the main floor – a space she suggested might be made out of the large room that held the family pool table.
Ten years in a Living Stone home and still thrilled
To look at Peggy and Bill Scheu’s house, you’d think it was brand new. But it’s not, and the Scheus credit its handsomeness to the skill and materials that Living Stone Construction used when it built their Montreat residence over nine years ago. Today, the house is as durable as it is beautiful.
“We designed it with that in mind,” Peggy said at home recently. “The planning was carefully done.”
“The quality of the work is just superb,” Bill said.
With seven grandchildren and a growing family, Bill and Peggy Scheu (pronounced “Shy”) built the home with elegant endurance in mind. Working with Living Stone President Sean Sullivan, Peggy and Bill chose finish materials and a style of home that could stand up to the rambunctious family gatherings that happen especially during summer, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Asheville Builder & Interior Designer Duo Create Beautiful Green Homes, Allowing Clients To Live Happier, Healthier Lives
Published by NC Design Online, July 2015
To live in the Asheville area is to love the beauty of nature and to be taken in by quiet strength of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. In our previous feature, we talked to Asheville builder Sean Sullivan, owner of Living Stone Construction, and his wife, Laura Sullivan of ID.ology Interior Design about the couple’s unique “design green, build green, live green” concept. The concept has earned them success and a reputation as one of Asheville’s leading green building teams. Today, we’re focusing on the products and techniques that help them give their clients the homes they’ve always dreamed of, while encouraging them to live greener, fuller, and happier lives in their new spaces.
The Strittmatter Residence
Quiet mornings in the mountains are the start of the Gramleys’ day
David Gramley especially likes the mornings at his Living Stone Construction-built home in The Settings of Black Mountain. The first one awake, he makes a cup of coffee and turns to the large windows in the living room. Cradling the steaming cup of joe, he marvels at the clarity of the mountain framed within the view. Sometimes he sees deer emerge from the woods. Wild turkeys strut among the trees.
Shifting his eyes to the mountain range in the far distance, he’s prone to contemplate he and his wife’s move into this house in the winter of 2015. The house suits them perfectly, David said.
“We found that since we moved here, we hardly turn on the TV,” he said. “I’d rather look outside.”
And to find beauty inside, he has only to scan the interior space of his Craftsman-style home. Its large common area flows seamlessly from the living room into the kitchen and dining area. Its spaciousness is graciously proportioned. The airy, open space seems to breath in the mountain air that David enjoys when he steps out with his coffee onto the porch to see what kind of weather the day has brought.
Beautiful Homes By Asheville Builder & Design Team Embody A “Design Green, Build Green, Live Green” Concept
Asheville’s lush, green forests and stunning mountain landscapes have long been a draw for nature lovers seeking to build a home in an unspoiled natural paradise. Sean Sullivan, owner of Living Stone Construction and his wife, Laura Sullivan, owner of ID.ology Interior Design team up to not only help their clients build their dream home, but to ensure that Asheville stays unspoiled for future generations through their green building and design process. North Carolina Design talked to them to hear more about what true green building really entails, and the surprising ways it enriches and enhances the lives of their clients.
Five ways to Implement Universal Design in Your Home
Whether you’re raising a young family or beginning to enjoy an empty nest, the design of your home should meet your changing needs. Families looking to customize their homes to suit their lifestyles both now and in the future can easily implement universal design techniques.
Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design at a later point in time. Universal design enhances traditional design by incorporating elements that offer comfort, convenience and ease of use.
Multigenerational families and first-time homeowners alike will appreciate the often simple and inexpensive changes that make homes livable for all household members, regardless of age or ability. Homes with universal design are more user-friendly, require lower maintenance and complement an easy-living lifestyle.
Here are five ways to implement universal design in your home:
Windsor Case Study: The Japalachian
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This custom design-build home is located in the mountainous setting of western North Carolina. One challenge with the home was incorporating a blend of arts-and-crafts style with a dash of contemporary to maximize and capture not only the view, but illuminate the interior with natural light. Interior designer Laura Kirkpatrick Sullivan, with ID.ology Interior Design, understood these needs and made sure the space was tailored to this desired feel and flow. Laura and her team were awarded the Best Interior Merchandising Award by NCHBA for their work on this project.
Another challenge this project faced was the steep grade of the site itself, which is typical of the region. Sean Sullivan, builder-president of Living Stone, was able to overcome this obstacle with great success.
Designing for Aging in Place
This bathroom takes into consideration aging in place with the lighting design. We used built-in mirror lighting to be able to see the reflection
better and cabinet toe kick lighting which is especially helpful when using the bathroom at night.
Living Stone and Houzz
We love the Houzz website which is geared for people looking to build a new construction home, remodel an existing home, or for decorating inspiration for their current home. We introduce all of our clients to Houzz so they can begin building an “ideabook” for their project. “Ideabooks” help us as we work in design and throughout the project to get a feel of the clients’ tastes and preferences.
Living Stone has been awarded “Best in Houzz for design AND service for the last 3 years.
Why install Geothermal Heat Pumps?
Geothermal heat pumps (GHPs), sometimes referred to as GeoExchange, earth-coupled, ground-source, or water-source heat pumps, have been in use since the late 1940s. They use the constant temperature of the earth as the exchange medium instead of the outside air temperature. This allows the system to reach fairly high efficiencies (300% to 600%) on the coldest winter nights, compared to 175% to 250% for air-source heat pumps on cool days.
Although many parts of the country experience seasonal temperature extremes — from scorching heat in the summer to sub-zero cold in the winter—a few feet below the earth’s surface the ground remains at a relatively constant temperature. Depending on latitude, ground temperatures range from 45°F (7°C) to 75°F (21°C). Like a cave, this ground temperature is warmer than the air above it during the winter and cooler than the air in the summer. The GHP takes advantage of this by exchanging heat with the earth through a ground heat exchanger.
Add Green to Your Home — and Your Pocketbook — by Remodeling
The rapid growth of green building means that new home owners can take advantage of the lower operating and maintenance costs that come with these energy- and resource-efficient homes.
But for the 120 million existing homes in the United States, remodeling is the only way for home owners to incorporate green practices. NAHB Remodelers offers the following suggestions to home owners who want to increase their home’s efficiency, decrease costs and take advantage of the other benefits that green offers.
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.
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”.