A SECOND National Award for Living Stone Construction
On January 20th, 2016 Living Stone Construction will be presented a BALA Award (Best in American Living) for “One-of-a-Kind Custom or Spec Home, 2501-3000 sq. ft.” for the Pritchard Hardin Residence, which will take place this week at the NAHB International Builders Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Living Stone has won many awards on both the state and local levels however, this BALA award is the company’s second national honor.
STARS Award Winners – Living Stone Construction and ID.ology Interior Design
Stars Awards Gala in Charlotte, celebrating the best in the state in the Home Building Industry – Living Stone Construction Inc. and ID.ology Interior Design teams!
Living Stone won Best Advertisement, Best Logo and Best Single Family Home with a Price point of $250k-$500k.
IRON SHARPENS IRON: Sean Sullivan leads NCHBA to a very successful 2015
By Mike Carpenter, NCHBA Executive Vice President & General Counsel
Sean Sullivan’s theme was “iron sharpens iron”. He carried this message in his travels to every corner of the state during his tenure as 2015 President of the North Carolina Home Builders Association (NCHBA). Like iron sharpening iron, Sean strongly believes in the value that NCHBA imparts to its members, both professionally and personally, arises from active participation in the multitude of opportunities that the association offers. This belief is firmly grounded in his personal experience as a member and he freely shares his story both to educate and motivate others.
Sean first became exposed to NCHBA during his tenure on the leadership ladder of his local association in Asheville. He quickly recognized the value that NCHBA brought to his business not only from formal educational opportunities but also from informal networking with other builders who weren’t directly competing with his business. Sean recounted on many occasions how his business volume dramatically increased, and continues to do so, as he put into practice those things he learned by and through his NCHBA involvement. By utilizing his own story as an example, he urged others to become involved—and many have followed his lead.
During 2015, Sean expertly juggled the responsibilities of his rapidly growing business with the duties of NCHBA President and made both a success. He was significantly aided in achieving this result by his delightful wife, Laura, who is a talented design professional in her own right. In addition to Laura’s support, he has a great employee team which he nurtures by exposing them to NCHBA events like the 21st Century Building Expo and Conference. He also received solid support from his excellent Senior Officer team which Sean would be the first to credit with helping him cover the bases.
Parade of Homes 2015
Living Stone is thrilled to present 2 recently finished homes in this year’s Asheville Parade of Homes!
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.
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.
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.”
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”.
A Sacred Place – LSC Featured in Carolina Home and Garden
BY KATE O’CONNOR
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
Tips on Green Design for Your Home: An Interview with Sean Sullivan of Living Stone Construction, Inc
Published July 14th in NorthCarolinaHome
Living Stone is a Green builder of fine custom, and semi-custom, homes. We offer turn-key services to bring complete value to the client and make the building process enjoyable. Much like sustainability in building, our “Living Stone Difference” process is sustainable. When you work with us, we can help you find land, design your home, build your home (or renovation), prescribe finishes, provide financing, and deliver a home warranty.
Asheville Builder & Interior Designer: A Marriage Of Give And Take Ideas Yields Award Winning Results
Being part of a great team can yield wonderful results. No one knows this better than Sean Sullivan, owner of Living Stone Construction, and Laura Sullivan, owner of ID.ology Interior Design, both located in the Asheville area. Not only do Sean and Laura sometimes work together on the same projects – they’re a team off the job site, as well. This happily married couple has managed to strike a great balance that has led to exceptional accomplishments. One such accomplishment is The Rockcliff home – an award-winning Asheville project on which Living Stone Construction served as the builder and ID.ology served as the interior design firm. North Carolina Design talked to Sean and Laura to find out more about this spectacular home, and how their solid teamwork helped them achieve award-winning results.
Sullivan meets with Congressman Meadows
Asheville HBA Meets Congressman Mark Meadows To Discuss National Building Issues
This past Tuesday, at the Asheville HBA office, Sean Sullivan (President of Living Stone Construction and President-Elect for the NCHBA), Steven Webb (lobbyist for NCHBA), Caroline Sutton (Executive Officer of Asheville HBA), and 7 others met with Congressman Mark Meadows to examine current and future problems the country faces in the building industry.
Published in NC Design – BALA Award winning project in Lake Lure
It’s interesting how the most challenging projects also turn out to also be the most rewarding. That was the case with today’s featured home renovation. This two-year labor of love presented Asheville builder Sean Sullivan with numerous challenges, but ultimately Sean’s company, Living Stone Construction, achieved spectacular and award-winning results.
Living Stone Construction Brings Home Gold From Las Vegas
On February 5, 2014 Living Stone Construction was presented the Gold BALA Award (Best in American Living) for “Whole House Renovation” of the Bertsch-Furimsky project, which took place at the NAHB International Builders Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Living Stone has won many awards on both the state and local levels, including in 2012 when they received the award for “Best Whole House Renovation” from the NCHBA for this same project. However, the Gold BALA award is the company’s first national honor.
Living Stone Construction and “The Rockcliff” Shine at 2013 AHBA Parade of Homes
Living Stone Construction had yet another successful showing at the 32nd annual Asheville Parade of Homes. On the weekends of October 12-13 and 19-20, people all over the area were able to visit Living Stone’s craftsmen built home “The Rockcliff”, which is located in the beautiful Southcliff development.
“The Rockcliff” which was designed by Jason Weil (Retro + Fit Design) and decorated by Laura Sullivan (ID.ology Interior Design), served as the front cover of the 2013 Parade of Homes magazine and drew in more traffic this year than in any other previous year. Over 100 people signed up to receive Living Stone Construction’s newsletter with design ideas for a potential future build with the company.