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.
By the time you read this, Kip Pritchard and Val Hardin will have been in their new home for just a few months. And they couldn’t be more delighted. About 10 days before they were to move in, they were excitedly talking about the house that Living Stone Construction was building for them in The Settings of Black Mountain.
A few years ago, when Val and Kip decided they wanted to retire, they drove around the country to discover where they wanted to live. They decided that they wanted to be close to exciting Asheville, which led them to the small, vibrant town of Black Mountain. Oh, this is it, they decided. “We loved the feel of this town, and how the mountains looked around it,” Val said. Working with a real estate agent, they didn’t see anything in Black Mountain that they liked. That’s when the agent suggested The Settings. She took them there to see a house that Living Stone built. “She said, if you decide you’re going to build, let me show you what a real craftsman builds,” Kip recalled.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
Homeownership is the foundation of the American Dream, and in today’s do-it-yourself culture where how-to advice for just about anything can be found on the internet, many people think they could save a lot of money by building their own home. But your home is likely the single largest investment you will make in your lifetime, and not hiring a professional home builder could be a costly mistake for many reasons—financial, emotional, and physical. 
Getting financing is an important consideration. As a self-contractor, lenders have strict guidelines and limits on how much money they will give you, and they will require that you provide house plans, specifications and an itemized list of documented costs and bids beforehand.
Even if you feel that you have enough cash to do the job, it is wise to get a loan to cover material or labor cost increases, upgrades or material overruns. Many mortgage companies will not lend money to cover unanticipated costs on a home when construction has already begun.
