Modern Asheville continues to grow with new modern and contemporary homes of all sizes being constructed. Check out this sweet modern home completed late last year and designed by Rusafova Markulis Architects along with R.J. Taylor, the owner. The Trillium Cove Residence is located on a wooded lot in the subdivision of High Hickory which is just east of town yet tucked away in a beautiful forest. The owners wanted a small but efficient home that felt cozy but also connected to the outdoors though covered decks and mindfully envisioned outdoor spaces. The house is positioned high up on the lot to take advantage of the surrounding views. The upper level houses the open concept living, dining and kitchen as well as the master bedroom suite. The lower level has a guest bedroom, a guest bathroom, laundry and small workshop space accessible through the covered parking.

In order to keep costs down they designed a simple 1350 sf shed roof volume elevated on one end to allow for covered parking below. They, also, added visual interest by creating a “floating” roof effect as well as by adding rough sawn pine siding to the clean palette of painted cement siding and cast in place concrete walls.  Sustainability features of Trillium Cove Residence: a tight building envelope, Duke Energy HERS certification, small building footprint, passive solar design, rain water collection and cross ventilation. The overall design approach was for the construction to disturb as little ground as possible and to meticulously restore all disturbed areas with native plant species after the house and the driveway were completed. R.J. took extra care to transplant native species from the house site all around the property in order to return it to its initial state of health and balance. The landscaping also incorporates natural systems for storm water control. 

The home will be on featured on our Modern Home Tour in 2020 which is now scheduled for September 12th. Cheers!

Photography by Ryan Theede

Photo by Ryan Theede

Hello Architects! If you hadn’t seen the invitation to submit an entry for this year’s George Matsumoto Prize go here for the details. The George Matsumoto Prize is North Carolina's highest honor exclusively for Modernist residential architecture. NCModernist created the Matsumoto Prize in 2012 honor of George Matsumoto, one of the founding faculty members of North Carolina State University's College of Design. Matsumoto created some of North Carolina's most well-known and well-loved Modernist houses. The Matsumoto Prize encourages young architects, designers, and prospective clients to continue the Modernist movement in houses so important to North Carolina's design heritage. Both local Rusafova Markulis Architects {above} and Brickstack Architects {below} won prizes at last years award ceremony that we attended.

Hi Folks! Today, is Modern Asheville Real Estate’s energetic birthday. While Kelly and I have worked together for over ten years we chose this date to kick off our new brand six years ago. It has been a sweet ride with a lot of great memories. We love our clients and our community and happy to be a part of what makes Asheville a great place to be. Take a peek at some of our memories and thank you for being a part of our unique journey. Cheers to Us! Cheers to You!

What are we doing today? Like you, we are working to ground ourselves with what is immediately around us while reaching out to those we can. Know we are here for you and happy to help, both personally and professionally. It is a good time to evaluate what is important which tends to be what is closest to home — our families and community. We are in this with you so don’t hesitate to reach out. Cheers! Kelly and Troy

It just so happens that during this “stay at home” period our next door neighbors are building their own home by hand. June and Lea originally purchased 3 acres from us to create a cozy homestead for themselves and create community with us. June, a builder by trade, is taking the lead in building the home. We, Modern Asheville Real Estate, have represented June on a couple of her spec homes.

The home itself is something I think many folks are looking for today. A small 1500sqft, 2 bedroom, 2 bath home on one level with open living space and great views. The efficient home, thus far, has been constructed with a thick concrete pad which will serve as the finished floor and 2 x 6 framing to give the home some solid bones.

On Tuesday June gathered her friends for an old fashioned barn raising of sorts. Eleven of us placed 16 roof trusses in place. Each truss was about 50’ in length and 3’ in depth. When complete the trusses create the space between the roofing and drywall ceiling to run ducting, insulation, electrical and some plumbing.

Continue to look for updates on the construction of this contemporary homesteading house as it progresses into summer. Stay safe out there!

We were able to close this week on this sweet little cabin in Homeland Park despite all the current hurdles. It is our second closing in the past week and our third cabin in this neighborhood we have sold. We love the charm and architectural history of this unique neighborhood that was once a vacation getaway in the 1940’s. All three of the cabins we listed had been lovingly and creatively restored by their owners and trusted us to tell their unique story and to find a passionate buyer for their homes.

Following the past post this morning my partner, John, and I were discussing this new video. We are implementing these practices in our own home. I know Kelly and Chett are being diligent as well. With both our food delivery and grocery shopping yesterday we left them outside for a 24 hour period, but we are fortunate to have a screen porch on the north side of our home that provides a cool and protected space. Know we are all thinking of you and our community. Be safe and well!

As part of Keller Williams we are able to bring the power of greater tools and team to assist you in purchasing a home today. Here are some of the ways we can help you at this time. Cheers!

Are you spending more time in your home office? There is not much doubt that you are. I know I’m thinking about making mine {pictured above} more functional adding in a creative studio component and perhaps a little loft space given the height. This day and age it needs to be functional, but also a space that reflects all aspects of self to escape living in close quarters with others. Whether you can find a private room to yourself or little nook with some good headphones there is a ton of inspiration online. Here are some visuals from dezeen to inspire you on your own. Or go here for more modern home office designs. Last, you might peruse our own pinterest board here. Good luck creating your own daytime nest for working and grounding in your environment. Cheers!

Hi Folks! As life has given us a departure from the normal please allow me to take a departure today from all the cool things we like to showcase here. Underneath what we aesthetically enjoy is a desire to be present to what is truly in front of us and mindful of choices around it whether its regarding our home or our health. Typically, we would might be together showing you a home and considering those choices relative to the property we are standing in. Today, we are having a collective experience of a very different nature. The following essay by Stephen Dinan was shared by a dear friend and, I find, is one of the more comprehensive pieces of writing for this collective experience. Yesterday, I was in a place where I could ground myself and be productive at home and see the long term potential of what is happening. I saw hope. Tomorrow I may be in a more troubled place. There is a great list of ideas here that you might find helpful when you are feeling weighed down.

Here is an excerpt I appreciate: The best case scenario is ultimately for us to approach this global pandemic as something that calls us into a higher level of collaboration, creativity, and conscious living. We can emerge living more sustainably, peacefully, and enjoyably with our local communities. We can develop more skills for independent lifestyles. We can cultivate a higher-quality, less-expensive lifestyle with less stuff. Let’s do our best to write the story of 2020 as a year not defined by a global tragedy but as a challenging but ultimately successful birth of a new way of being. Just as the toughest life experiences can catalyze our greatest personal growth, so can this planetary emergency lead to real growth of our species. For the rest of the arcticle go HERE.

Know we are thinking of you. And we are still here. Reach out anytime if you need help or an ear. Cheers!

Thank you Kim Winters for sending us this article this morning and keeping us up to date on the changing mortgage world. Homeowners who have lost income or their jobs because of the coronavirus outbreak may get some relief. Depending on their situation, they should be eligible to have their mortgage payments reduced or suspended for up to 12 months. Check out the full article on NPR here.