[et_pb_section fb_built="1" inner_shadow="on" fullwidth="on" _builder_version="4.16" da_disable_devices="off|off|off" global_colors_info="{}" da_is_popup="off" da_exit_intent="off" da_has_close="on" da_alt_close="off" da_dark_close="off" da_not_modal="on" da_is_singular="off" da_with_loader="off" da_has_shadow="on"][et_pb_fullwidth_image src="https://media-upload-livingstone.s3.amazonaws.com/img/20231129173913/rhodoreno-homeslide.jpg" alt="Rhodo Reno, home renovations near me" title_text="home renovations near me" admin_label="Header Image" module_class="shadow-image" _builder_version="4.23.4" animation_direction="off" hover_enabled="0" animation="off" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"][/et_pb_fullwidth_image][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="section" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="0px|||" da_disable_devices="off|off|off" global_colors_info="{}" da_is_popup="off" da_exit_intent="off" da_has_close="on" da_alt_close="off" da_dark_close="off" da_not_modal="on" da_is_singular="off" da_with_loader="off" da_has_shadow="on"][et_pb_row admin_label="row" _builder_version="4.16" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Design + Build" module_class="chronospro-heading design-build" _builder_version="4.16" text_font_size="24" module_alignment="left" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}"]DESIGN + BUILD | WHOLE HOME RENOVATIONS [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label="The Rhodo Reno" module_class="listing-heading" _builder_version="4.16" header_text_color="#589a43" header_font_size="52px" module_alignment="left" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}"]The Rhodo Reno [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure="1_2,1_2" module_class="before-after-row" _builder_version="4.16" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="1_2" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_image src="https://media-upload-livingstone.s3.amazonaws.com/img/20231129170853/rhodo-reno-before.jpg" alt="home improvements" title_text="home improvements" align_tablet="center" align_phone="" align_last_edited="on|desktop" admin_label="Before Image" _builder_version="4.23.4" animation_style="slide" animation_direction="left" hover_enabled="0" border_style="solid" always_center_on_mobile="on" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label="Before" module_class="before-after chronospro" _builder_version="4.23.4" hover_enabled="0" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"]Before[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="1_2" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_image src="https://media-upload-livingstone.s3.amazonaws.com/img/20231129170852/rhodo-reno-after.jpg" alt="home improvement contractors near me" title_text="home improvement contractors near me" align_tablet="center" align_phone="" align_last_edited="on|desktop" admin_label="After Image" _builder_version="4.23.4" animation_style="slide" animation_direction="right" hover_enabled="0" border_style="solid" always_center_on_mobile="on" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label="After" module_class="before-after chronospro" _builder_version="4.16" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}"]After [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label="row" _builder_version="4.16" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_video src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEPdlqiUrV4" _builder_version="4.16" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_video][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.23.4" module_alignment="left" hover_enabled="0" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"]A case study in “Right Size” DesignBy Sean Sullivan, AMB, CGP, CAPS My wife (Laura) and I decided to buy a 1960’s rancher in downtown Black Mountain to renovate for ourselves. We liked the feel of downtown and wanted to be close in to the lake, park, pool and center of town. We had our work cut out for us though since the home hadn’t been touched in nearly 40 years![/et_pb_text][et_pb_toggle title="READ MORE" closed_toggle_background_color="rgba(255,255,255,0)" module_class="read-more-toggle" _builder_version="4.16" background_color="rgba(255,255,255,0)" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}"]The 900sf shack sat on a crawl space situated nicely on a corner lot near the golf course. Believers in making all things beautiful, and the desire to give every home we touch “curb appeal”, we first nailed down the floor plan. We wanted to keep as much of the original structure as possible, leaving the two exterior door locations, existing room layouts (virtually the same), as well as leaving the original location of the hallway and common bath. Because we had to combine the two end bedrooms into a master suite, we needed to design a small addition on the back to replace the lost bedroom and give the home a proper kitchen. We enlisted the help of an architect partner to help create the new style, passive solar design, and get the exterior elevations just right. After that was nailed down, we set out to make this the most efficient use of space we could create. Since most of our clients end up building homes larger than they had originally intended (due to having lower levels on sloping lots), we wanted to show what it meant to “right size” a home. “Right sizing” a home means that you prioritize “quality over quantity”, rather than the premise that “bigger is better”. As green design+builders, we also wanted to show that saving a home in an existing neighborhood is priceless when you want to be able to walk to what’s important to you. We designed this home so that the 1450hsf main level would be all that we would need on a daily basis. We utilized the lower level of the new addition by designing it to be a separate art studio for my wife who is not only an interior designer, but also an artist. The crawl space that adjoined the existing one car garage was dug out by hand in order to create space for the mechanicals, storage, extra bathroom, and tv/bedroom for the (occasional visit from the) college student. We intentionally did not include an interior staircase so that these overflow spaces could be used when there was want, but not out of need. Now that the spaces were identified, Laura went about designing each space for maximum use and aesthetic value, while I worked with our Energy Rater to make this the most energy efficient and green project we possibly could. We began with saving the existing (sinking) foundation by having helical piers rammed into the earth beneath the South corner. We also discovered that the previous tenant had been an earnest gardener so we gave away most of the plants in the yard (that we couldn’t use) to interested neighbors and the adult children of the (now deceased) previous tenant. Saving as much of the structure as possible and still be able to get the home certified, we left the exterior 8’ walls, but raised them to 9’6” by running beams around all the top plates. The exterior walls were then wrapped with foam board insulation to seal off any air infiltration and add maximum insulation values. Wanting a new contemporary look to the home, we opted for a glass garage door as an entrance to the art studio. The only calculated energy loss Read More
[et_pb_section fb_built="1" inner_shadow="on" fullwidth="on" _builder_version="4.16" da_disable_devices="off|off|off" global_colors_info="{}" da_is_popup="off" da_exit_intent="off" da_has_close="on" da_alt_close="off" da_dark_close="off" da_not_modal="on" da_is_singular="off" da_with_loader="off" da_has_shadow="on"][et_pb_fullwidth_image src="https://media-upload-livingstone.s3.amazonaws.com/img/20231129171806/aging-in-place-header.jpg" alt="aging in place remodeling" title_text="aging in place remodeling" admin_label="Header Image" module_class="shadow-image" _builder_version="4.24.0" animation="off" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}"][/et_pb_fullwidth_image][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built="1" admin_label="section" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="0px|||" da_disable_devices="off|off|off" global_colors_info="{}" da_is_popup="off" da_exit_intent="off" da_has_close="on" da_alt_close="off" da_dark_close="off" da_not_modal="on" da_is_singular="off" da_with_loader="off" da_has_shadow="on"][et_pb_row admin_label="row" _builder_version="4.16" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" global_colors_info="{}"][et_pb_column type="4_4" _builder_version="4.16" custom_padding="|||" global_colors_info="{}" custom_padding__hover="|||"][et_pb_text admin_label="Design + Build" module_class="chronospro-heading design-build" _builder_version="4.16" text_font_size="24" module_alignment="left" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}"]DESIGN + BUILD | CUSTOM HOMES [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label="Aging in Place Renovation" module_class="listing-heading" _builder_version="4.16" header_text_color="#589a43" header_font_size="52px" module_alignment="left" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}"]Aging in Place Renovation [/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version="4.24.0" module_alignment="left" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}"]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.”[/et_pb_text][et_pb_toggle title="Read More" open_toggle_background_color="#ffffff" closed_toggle_background_color="#ffffff" admin_label="Read More Toggle" module_class="read-more-toggle" _builder_version="4.24.0" hover_enabled="0" border_style="solid" global_colors_info="{}" sticky_enabled="0"]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. The space had many things going for it. It was large and well sited. It had a 22‐foot ceiling. But where else would she keep the pool table? She certainly didn’t want to give it up. It was where her sons had played with their friends, where she had spent many hours playing with them. The pool table was the center of many happy memories. Betsy considered the table. Then she considered the height of the room. The space could easily accommodate a loft, she thought. Tied into the upstairs bedrooms, that’s where the pool table and the game room could go. Above the new bedroom, it would never be far from Annette’s thoughts. All the pieces seemed to fall into place. Betsy called in Sean Sullivan and Living Stone Construction, recommended to her by a contractor who she knew for decades. The award‐winning company does excellent work, Betsy was told, something she got a feel for when she invited Sean to see the house himself. She recalls how he touched the wood and the rock inside. The artisan in himappreciated its solid construction. Sean seemed honored to add his work to the home’s grand design, Betsy says. “He was very impressed with the craftsmanship of the home,” she says. “Being a contractor is the hardest job in the world to me, and they have to love what they do to stay with it. You could tell from the look in his eye that Sean truly loves what he does.” She and he walked through the home as she explained her idea for the master bedroom and showed him her initial drawings. “He said it would absolutely work,” she says. “Most contractors will tell you, ‘sure, we can do this,’ but Sean went through the house thoroughly and showed me how we could do this.” The plan would work well with the existing structure of the house, Sean told Betsy. Support would have to be added in the basement, but it would be easy to tie into the existing plumbing and air systems. Best of all, the footprint of the house would remain unchanged, he said. Betsy’s plan called for building upward, not outward. Construction began, and Betsy, the manager of the project, dealt on a near‐daily basis with Frank Turchi, Living Stone’s superintendent on the job. “He’s a Read More
We are so appreciative that Living Stone reached out to your clients and friends to offer restoration services to our WNC communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
We wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how grateful we are that we chose Living Stone to help us restore our Black Mountain townhome. We couldn’t be happier with the process and progress thus far, from our initial meeting with Mike to see what repairs were needed… to our call with Justin for an estimate of the work… to our conversation with Alfred to review the comprehensive estimate… to our initial meeting with Chuck and everything he has done since to move things along flawlessly with our restoration… to our beautiful fireplace surround and mantle that Michael Blackstone built.
We feel blessed that Chuck was assigned as our project manager, as we have had a great collaboration with him. His demeanor is personable, but straight forward. He is extremely accessible, either onsite or via text/phone to provide scheduling updates, answer our questions, offer suggestions, provide feedback on design selections, and discuss next steps. He made a great suggestion to reclaim the unused space under our stairs as storage space. Chuck is also very proactive, quietly working behind the scenes to make things happen seamlessly. He is committed to providing us with a high-quality restoration project while keeping our budget in mind.
We already knew that Living Stone has an excellent reputation as a builder, but we are equally impressed by how much you give back to the community. That’s a large part of the reason we selected you to help us with our restoration. You have definitely exceeded our expectations thus far, and we know we will be very happy with our home once the restoration is complete. Although there is still work to do, we wanted to give you some preliminary feedback on how pleased we are to be working with Chuck and the entire Living Stone team.
We are delighted to call ourselves Living Stone customers!
We are thrilled with our green built home designed and built especially for us by Living Stone Construction. The care they took in choosing materials and using sustainable building practices are allowing us to enjoy excellent air quality inside our home while we realize amazing savings on our energy bills.
Living Stone Construction, and ID.ology Interior Design, were a pleasure to work with throughout all facets of our project. They were integral during our design stage and handled our fast-track schedule like true professionals. It is so rare to work with people who don’t make excuses or point fingers – Living Stone Construction and ID.ology are comprised of those rare people.
This house is absolutely amazing. It is everything I ever wanted in a home. I have not found one flaw in my house built by Living Stone; everything is done to perfection. Everything.
With Sean and Laura’s design-and-build business model, we knew exactly what was going on. It was helpful as far as keeping us on point for the amount we’d budgeted for each part of the house. It was very transparent and reasonable to me, more so than with other builders. We knew what we were getting.
To do a project this size over that amount of time and when you come to the end of it, you’re still friends – that says a lot about the builder. It says that they delivered what you expected.
Sean doesn’t want you to move in unless everything is absolutely perfect,” she said. “He just has to have everything perfect. And I like everything perfect as well. We were a match made in heaven.
Sean Sullivan and his group are the most professional and pleasant builders I have the had the pleasure of working with. They go to great lengths to determine what their customers want (and their budget requirements). Then they do everything possible to “under sell and over deliver”. Sean is an exceptional builder that delivers an exceptional home.
Over the last 10 years, time has not marked the home – nothing on the inside has needed re-staining, and nothing on the outside has needed re-painting. It’s been very minimal for the yearly things you would think you had to do. We don’t have a list of repair people because we haven’t needed them.
The building supervision was good. The communication was good. We didn’t have any problems with the billing. There really weren’t any surprises. It was really easy, which is almost unheard of in a construction situation.
He does things right for the sake of doing them right and that was the impression we got with every facet of our experience with Living Stone. That made us just be able to trust them and trust their system.
They have a process that is thoroughly thought out, thoroughly vetted and thoroughly effective. The process from start to finish was totally transparent and the bottom line was that it was a fun process and not a stressful process.
I was impressed with the emphasis on high quality construction, energy efficiency and an aging in place concept. If you choose LSC and ID.ology you’ll have the piece of mind that you’ve chosen the best.
Sean and Frank have done excellent work in the community and have a great reputation so there was no where else we would go but to them when it was time to build our new home.
I couldn’t be more pleased. Michael and I feel like we are on vacation, everytime we walk into the kitchen. Frank and all the crew has really made this project go smoothly, and I can’t thank Living Stone enough.
We chose Living Stone because of Sean but we love Living Stone because of their team. Molly, Pam, Frank, Laura and our main man Mike! Mike drives our home’s construction, can answer any question at a level you can understand and is a pleasure to work with. Laura organizes and improves all of our design decisions, gives us inspiration and keeps everything on track. Sean, it is a credit to you that you have surrounded yourself with so many truly good people.
I have to comment on everyone’s integrity. Everyone has been of the highest caliber and truly made us feel like they care about us as people, our satisfaction and that we are getting a home, not just a house. I rate every aspect of this process, every member of this team and every subcontractor, an A plus!
Design+build is an outstanding approach and the implementation of it was just amazing. We had very high expectations based on Sean’s reputation and what we had seen. And they were exceeded.
The process of design+build and creating something that is so energy efficient is a miracle to me. Sean has a way of putting things together so that we get the product that we want and then he puts together the quality product that he knows he can build.
I don’t know why someone would not choose Living Stone to build their home. It is such a polished production that gives you a polished complete finish. You have no doubt that the product you have is the house you dreamed of!
We built this home from a remote location so we had to put a lot of faith in Frank the Superintendent, Sean of Living Stone, and Laura the designer, to make sure they were building this home to our specifications and to meet our needs. Frankly I have to admit I was extremely impressed. I don’t think they missed anything and they exceeded our expectations.
It’s special, it’s wonderful and I keep pinching myself because I cannot believe that this is our home. Living Stone Construction, headed by Sean Sullivan more than met our expectations. They hit a grand slam out of the ball park. This house is amazing!
Design/Build is an outstanding approach and the implementation of it was just amazing. We had very high expectations based on Sean’s reputation and what we had seen…and they were exceeded.
Your integrity, skill, kindness and warmth shows in your words as well as your actions. We are and will forever be grateful to have worked with such an amazing group of people. Being part of the Living Stone family is our blessing. Thank you.
The energy efficiency of the house has made it very comfortable through some very extreme weather and our energy bills have been remarkably low. The energy star rating of the home has really paid off. Truly, I haven’t had energy costs this low in 20 years.
Sean has the rare quality of being able to see the big picture while being engaged in the fine details of his projects combined with the ability to effectively and efficiently communicate both in a way that not only gets the job done but gets it done with a commitment to excellence that has enabled him to be a leader among his building industry peers across North Carolina. I have known Sean for close to 10 years and have a great professional and personal admiration of his work and character.
Sean’s knowledge of building practices and principles, conceptually and practically, really impressed me. I eventually saw his work in person and was blown away by the craftsmanship. He is a TRUE craftsman — no cookie cutter work here. The houses he builds are incredible — the floorplans are well thought out, and the details are really special.
Sean is detailed, honest and conducts himself and his company with character and integrity. Fantastic and loyal employees. I’ve known and worked with Sean for over 7 years, highly recommend.
The Living Stone team are unmatched in what they do. We are so grateful to get to be part of their team and look forward to bigger and better things to come.
We have enjoyed our relationship with Sean and Living Stone Construction thru the years. They have an excellent eye for detail and are enjoyable to work with.
The Living Stone Construction Design/Build team, are the best in the area. I have been in, and around, the building and real estate industry throughout my life and I have never met a builder that has as much integrity, passion for what he does, care for his clients and the motivation to always exceed expectations, drive to continue learning and honing his skills and techniques to offer his clients the best. Anyone who hires Living Stone Construction will not be disappointed and will have the home of their dreams!
I have known Sean for many years and can say with out a doubt he has the highest degree of professionalism, attention to detail and desire to provide a spectacular customer service experience I have ever seen.
Sean has an extremely professional TEAM who supported my clients initially and now throughout the process. He builds trust and it is deserved — Sean has high standards for himself and that is obvious in how he does business.
I have built or renovated 5 homes and completed tens of millions of dollars of commercial construction. Sean is the most professional, knowledgeable, honest, organized residential builders it has been my pleasure to know. He recently completed our custom home in the Settings of Black Mountain and exceeded our expectations in every way. From his staff to his sub contractors, excellence is practiced every day.
From a professional standpoint Sean Sullivan with Living Stone Construction goes above and beyond to make sure his clients as well as the general public and colleagues are as educated as possible with building homes in the mountains.
Simply awesome company !!!! If your looking for the best, you need not look any further. Custom built quality homes and fantastic folks who care about you and your new home! Living Stone Construction you are the BEST!
Sean Sullivan’s team of builders are top notch. They converted a small residential building into a arts n crafts commercial masterpiece.. With over 2,000 sq ft of addition; everything looks as if it’s been here since day one. I highly recommend Sean and his team of experts.
The process of design/build and creating something that is so energy efficient is a miracle to me. Sean has a way of putting things together so that we get the product that we want and then he puts together the quality product that he knows he can build.
Sean is the most organized manager I have encountered. I would match his management skills against any of the Managing Directors of the Fortune 500 Company that I worked with in project management, financial planning, and negotiations. He expects and demands the best from his employees, as do Living Stone’s clients. He is a true leader. Pam Potter
From the beginning, Sean was a great listener, offered ideas and introduced us to his team. We have been extremely happy with everything that has been done so far. We anticipate the building phase with great joy! A top professional for sure.
Having worked together on an award winning home, I found Sean and his team to be attentive to the quality of construction, committed to incorporating sustainable building practices and materials, and thorough in tracking costs. He was very willing to work with my team during the construction process which provided the best level of service to our client. Sean is a builder that I recommend highly.
LSC was a pleasure to work with throughout our remodeling project. Frank worked diligently to meet our deadline for completion of late January, despite snow and ice. Their ability to deliver a quality product in a timely manner while still being able to adapt to unforeseen circumstances was greatly appreciated.
We love our home. In addition to building a quality home, Sean is honest, responsive, a pleasure to work with. He really makes the entire process flow quite comfortably. Living out of state when we had our home built was initially cause for some concern for us. Sean and the superintendent of our project were in constant communication with us, letting us know well in advance when decision points were approaching. And the weekly pictures were wonderful. I wouldn’t have been able to cope without them. Probably the best comment I could make is that if we were to build again, we’d use Sean again in a heartbeat
Sean Sullivan’s skills and experience exemplify superlative leadership in business and construction. His commitment to doing the right thing and being focused on the best interests of his customers is always clear. The consummate professional, Sean’s strong relationships with the many disciplines within the trade establish him as one the best go-to contractors in the business!
Living Stone did a fantastic job on our mountain house. They far exceeded our expectations and always kept us informed throughout the entire job. Their crew are real craftsmen- from carpenters to painters, they were professional in every way. If you want a beautiful and well-done job, these are the guys. We highly recommend them, so if you have bad experiences in the past, call Sean and deal with a real pro
