In honor of one of our most celebrated architects we thought it would be worthwhile sharing, once again, one of our favorite posts on the man himself.  Cheers!

1953 Frank Lloyd Wright interview by Mike Wallace | This video shows his belief in individualism and his views on the lack of intellectualism and the presence of "mobocracy". I won't say more, but simply encourage you to spend 50 minutes to watch this interview with a true visionary who is, obviously, very comfortable in his own skin. Enjoy the segment here . Cheers!

2 Bedrooms | 2.5 Baths | 2,234 SQFT | .27 Acre

Hi Folks! We are gathered here today to present you this cool new property. The premiere modern "loft style" home was dreamed and constructed from the bones of a former neighborhood church. With a Scandinavian sensibility the simple and smart architect driven {Brickstack Architects} space offers flexibility for live/work, along with, separate guest quarters. The open main space encompasses a dramatic vaulted and trussed ceiling, original ground and polished concrete floors, European kitchen, thoughtful and sleek accent lighting blended with original sanctuary fixtures and a floating wood burning fireplace by Fireorb.

Flanking the main space is a frosted glass partition dividing a bedroom, bathroom and walk-in closet. At the other end is a convenient half-bath and doorway leading to another bedroom en suite with built-in kitchenette and bath with a stainless Japanese soaking tub. Hansgrohe fixtures throughout. Amen! The home is located near Malvern Hill Park in West Asheville and just a few blocks from Patton Ave amenities and a few minute trip to downtown.

What to know more? You bet you do! Check out the photo tour here. After that just give us shout. Cheers!

— Troy and Kelly

California Sunset | Andrea and Lucy fell immediately in love with this property given the hidden location and context. While the home’s foundation sits on an urban hillside walkable to restaurants and downtown, the elevation allows it to live in up in the natural environment reminiscent of their life in Northern California. Here they get to enjoy both the urban and natural world. Ultimately, the San Francisco couple took what was a fifties ranch home and elevated it on many levels—vertically, functionally and aesthetically.

The main level of the ranch home was maximized by combining functions and offering spaces that could be either offices or entertaining spaces using that Danish style simplicity, lightness and unity. All rooms were opened up inside and outside creating expansiveness and a needed relationship with nature. The upper level addition was key in the requirements to provide both a private guest space and more importantly a writer’s retreat in the clouds for Lucy.

The end result for Andrea and Lucy is an approachable and joyful modern home that marries the urban and natural context while bringing their own relaxed northern California vibe to our mountains.

Featured Bloomberg Businessweek Story | Here is an interesting perspective for what we see being built all around our area. These buildings are in almost every U.S. city. They range from three to seven stories tall and can stretch for blocks. They’re usually full of rental apartments, but they can also house college dorms, condominiums, hotels, or assisted-living facilities. Close to city centers, they tend toward a blocky, often colorful modernism; out in the suburbs, their architecture is more likely to feature peaked roofs and historical motifs. Their outer walls are covered with fiber cement, metal, stucco, or bricks. They really are everywhere!

For the rest of Justin Fox's story go HERE.

We have been discussing this type of home for years given the need for smaller, smarter homes that live like a loft for both retirees and other couples living smaller. People are living differently and Asheville, for the most part, doesn't have the homes that meet those needs. We would say the home featured in this article and video successfully captures what many people are looking for today.

Susan and Charles Elder’s roots run deep in their neighborhood outside of downtown Houston. They moved into a starter house there in 1981, just six houses around the corner from the house Susan grew up in. Now after raising their kids and retiring they've built this amazing dream home.

Two Masters | They were not exactly contemporary—but two architects delivered, within the space of less than a decade, two world architectural jewels that made history for the last seven decades. The French-Swiss Le Corbusier and the Brazilian Oscar Niemeyer have a point of intersection in their careers that make them unique. They both designed, each in their own way, an entire city from a drawing table. Corbusier bequeathed to humanity, in 1951, the Indian Chandigarh, and Niemeyer, raised, alongside Lúcio Costa, the capital of Brazil, Brasília, in 1960.

See the full article here. Cheers!

Urban Mountain Home | Jonathan Bryant of Form Design Concept crafted this urban infill home to stand out in its West Asheville neighborhood. Refined and highly livable, this structure reflects modern Scandinavian mountain home designs. On the exterior, large spans of glass combine with rustic siding (reminiscent of Japanese “shou sugi ban”), integrating the home comfortably in its forested locale.

The interior living experience was carefully considered within the constraints of the tight urban lot. The lower entry is convenient to off-street parking and offers easy access for guests. The deck above floats in the trees while providing privacy from the street, and in the back, opens to a private covered patio enclosed by a fenced lawn for pets, play, and further escape from the public world. Window openings and light play to context from all directions to balance natural light with privacy.

Overall, the home provides a sleek luxury escape within a small urban footprint. The home was constructed by Steel Root Builders. Cheers!

— Troy and Kelly

SNOW DAY! If you are living in Asheville you already know it is a snow day here. While our typical winters see light snows that last around 24 hours we were treated to a beautiful winter wonderland worthy of a Bing Crosby tune. So, while you are romancing this day, if you are able, enjoy some inspirational mountain escapes both here and here and just a little more here.  

Wishing you a safe and cozy day today. Cheers!

Kelly and I had the privilege of touring this home twice during construction right up until completion, along with, Elihu and Michael of Siegman Associates. As always, their ability to design with the site in mind stood out. The house flowed with the contours of the site both taking advantage of views and creating private garden spaces to maximize the indoor/outdoor living that we treasure here in WNC.

Carolina Home and Garden Magazine speaks to this in their article here. Pour some coffee and wander through this morning. And don't forget the Beaverdam Art Tour later today. Cheers!

This past Labor Day got us thinking about escaping into nature. What is more natural given the beautiful environment we live here in Asheville? Today's modern cabin has lost its Lincoln Log look and has evolved in every direction under the tree filtered sun. We've long been collecting architectural inspiration at Modern Asheville on our Pinterest page. So, relax and go here and slip quietly into cabin dreamland.

Happy Hump Day!