Things Are Heating Up Hi Folks! Things are sweltering this summer midst the thunder and lightening and has been the busiest for me professionally and, equally so, for my realtor and designer friends in Asheville. Obviously, I’ve been led astray from blogging these days. Sometimes in life you have to follow the energy and for me that has been in cars, on trams and circling Asheville by plane. I am currently working to open Microsoft stores across the country. Combining my design and marketing skills I’m overseeing production of all messaging vehicles for new stores. I’ve opened eight stores this year and have several more to go before I can refocus on all the cool things going on in Asheville. And there are some purr-etty cool things. An Aloft hotel just opened across from The Blue Spiral in downtown. Designer Charlton Bradscher opened up shop in a vintage modern store across from the Arcade and I recently ran into Brad Rice of Bellwhether Buildershammering another ranch home into a swank pad overlooking the Grove Park Inn golf course with the guidance of architect Scott Huebner. Designer and builder David Way is the middle of another one of his signature “Shoebox” modern constructions just off Merrimon. Tom and Yumiko Virant, Virant Design, completed a great new studio building for themselves up on Sunset Mountain. William and Michael, Four Corners Home, recently completed their airborne modern home overlooking the city and it was just published in Western North Carolina Home and Garden magazine. Last, Hoss Haley opened a show featuring his new smaller scale sculptures and enamel etched paintings. Yes - the summer rain is breeding a ravenous, modern frenzy equal to the vampires claim to Lilith's last drop of True Blood. Along with all my travels my partner, Roger, and I have been exchanging properties this summer which has required weeks of relocation and renovation. If truth be told, he has been designing and directing all the work while I give whiplash nods of approval from the air. Leaving our swank, vintage pad was difficult, but we are enjoying our wonderful, Bauhaus style contemporary with days of windows built in the last few years. The home, originally by Liquid Design, was a spec home lost to the bank during the economic down turn. The bank, having to complete the interior of the home, did it thoughtlessly on a nickel. So, we’ve been bringing it up to the designer level destiny it has longed to live out. Roger, having remodeled contemporary homes in LA and Palm Springs for clients, was a top designer for Marshall Fields and had his own design & manufacturing company. He has a great eye for creating clean and simple interiors that are livable, luxurious and highly functional. I’m so lucky!During this time I have, also, worked with realtor Kelly Erin Spinney to help some buyers and sellers make successful transitions from nest to nest. Again, I have to give hard working Kelly all the credit in this effort. (I’d like to say I’m just the pretty face, but she has me beat there, too.) We found a sprawling, mid-century home on a couple of acres in Fairview for some avid dog lovers and recently sold a contemporary Town Mountain view property for a couple who were downsizing to a lower elevation. All on her own, Kelly just sold a very cool, mid-century, commercial building on the far west side and a upscale, modern condo in downtown. From LA Stuntwoman to Modern Realtress she’s tearing up the town in her superhero boots. (Kapow!) Seriously, I’m hearing the long forgotten words – multiple offers – out there. It’s time to get in while money is cheap! If you need a dynamic professional who stays on top of things and keeps you well informed - call Kelly. I’ve got to wrap this up before they announce, “Please turn off your electronic devices” and remove my glass of substandard red. I just wanted to let you know I am here…there… and everywhere, but keeping tabs on all my modern connections in the Blue Ridge. Feel free to reach out to Kelly, Roger or myself for a free consultation or kitten-like kick in the pants to get yourself moving in the right direction.Enjoy the rest of your summer and we hope to see you all in the fall when the weather cools, but the autumn market heats up even further in the land of earthly, delightful modernism.Thank you,Troy

Summer of 2012