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Engineered Wood vs Hardwood Floors | Pros & Cons in 2025

Homeowners prefer hardwood floors when they want classic, durable, beautiful, eco-friendly, and long-lasting solid wood flooring that buyers react positively to for generations. As luxury home builder Kevin Reed, of Bluestone Construction, puts it, “Flooring is a big deal. You don’t want it to detract from the value of the home.” There are many benefits

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Mountain Style Homes – Rustic or Modern? Discover Your Style

Mountain House Plan Ideas Your exterior mountain house style communicates something about who you think you are to the world at large, while your interior home style gives a more nuanced picture to anyone lucky enough to be invited in. When you choose the perfect lot where you want to build your legacy home, a

Custom home in the mountains Asheville North Carolina

The Best Luxury Home Features of 2025

The best luxury home features of 2025 are advancing again, with homeowners seeking designs that blend sophistication with functionality. We’re seeing exciting new trends emerge that reflect a deeper appreciation for intentional design and elevated living. Current luxury home design trends bring the outdoors inside with seamless transitions, focus on spaces promoting health and wellness,

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Top Questions to Ask Right Now When Hiring a Builder For Your Greenville Home

Considering relocating to Greenville and looking for a South Carolina contractor to build your dream home? Residential real estate in Greenville, South Carolina is appreciating quickly. Greenville home prices were up 17 percent in March of 2021, from March of 2020. Local newspapers have reported houses selling well over the asking price, due to the

Why Kevin Reed, Founder of Bluestone Construction, Loves What He Does

Asheville’s Kevin Reed wasn’t always a custom-home builder. A few decades ago, he was about 15 years into a mechanical engineering and project managing career. Then he took his family to Disney World.  He walked into the Wilderness Lodge, one of Disney’s trademarked resorts, and had a epiphany. He wanted to build something like that—something

Bluestone Construction Sweeps the STARS Awards with a Modern Take on Boho Chic

Last month Bluestone Construction won three 2019 STARS Awards, as selected by the North Carolina Home Builders Association, for a total renovation on a custom-built mountaintop residence in Fairview. Builders from all over the state compete for these prestigious awards, so the fact that Bluestone walked away with three of them—Best Whole House Remodel, Best

What Is the Modern Art of Building Science? Why Does It Matter So Much Right Now?

Building Science combines knowledge from the architecture and design fields, as well as of building materials, home systems, engineering and more. Kurt Kvandal, Project Manager for Bluestone Construction, thinks of building science as “trying to build the most efficient house, as efficiently as possible.” Kurt grew up doing construction projects with his father and grandfather,

Asheville’s Love Affair With Tudor Revival Homes

Tudor Revival home are plentiful in upscale Asheville neighborhoods. Where does this architectural style come from, and what are its trademarks? Since the early 20th century, Tudor Revival has been a popular style of residential architecture in the US. Marked by dark timber and textured facades, natural materials and palettes, tall windows, pitched roofs, and

High Quality Materials and Appliances Will Change Your Life

If you’re spending the time and money to custom-build a home, opting for high-quality building materials and high end appliances is almost always a good choice. At best, outfitting your home with economy appliances undermines its value. At worst, scrimping on materials may result in expensive structural damage. Investing in top materials and appliances will

The Slow Rise of the Smart Home: Technology and Home Ownership

By the end of 2025, roughly 77.05 million smart home devices will be in use across 147 million U.S. homes, as the slow rise of the smart home continues. The home automation industry in the U.S. is showing a 22% annual growth rate year-over-year, totaling approximately $20 billion last year. However, only 45% of U.S.

10 Best Questions to Ask Your Home Builder (and Why)

When you’ve decided to build a custom home the next step in the process is discovering the best questions to ask your home builder. It’s easy to want to rush into things, especially when you’re excited, but the most satisfied homeowners put in the time to vet and qualify the builder, not to mention the

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What Is a Pre Construction Services Agreement? Why Is It Better?

Maybe you’ve never heard the term “Pre Construction Services Agreement.” If you’re building a custom house, you should change that. So what is a pre construction services agreement? Many residential builders offer a free estimate upon the homeowner’s request at the very start of the custom building process. In fact, Bluestone did this up until

Mistakes to avoid when doing a multimillion-dollar new build or renovation

Our homes are playgrounds, sacred spaces, places to rear families, sanctuaries to rest within, environments to work in, and structures with which to define ourselves, our lives and our purpose for being. When you are ready to build a multimillion-dollar new home or take on a massive renovation, with good planning, the experience should and

Building on steep slopes in Asheville, North Carolina

“It’s all about the view.”     Imagine you’re just starting a hike. You’re down in the valley. It’s early fall, and the rains have made the earth rich and aromatic. Ochre and crimson leaves lace the trail. The air is crisp. You tilt your gaze just to the right, up the hillside. It’s gorgeous.