Honoring Excellence in Home Building
The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains recently honored builders, associates, tradespeople, and other members who made contributions for our industry with the WNC STARS Awards.
WNC STARS Award Winners
Here is a list of the WNC STARS Awards winners, who received their awards at BABRM’s annual meeting on January 30.
- Sales Professional of the Year: Mary Liske, Looking Glass Realty AVL LLC.
Mary has been the broker-in-charge at Looking Glass Realty Asheville since 2020, while also being the top sales agent. In October 2023-October 2024, she had $9.7 million in sales. - Mortgage Professional of the Year: Paul Heathman, HomeTrust Bank.
Paul has handled financing for $110 million in closed sales over 11 years, and is extremely involved in his industry and community. - Marketing Professional of the Year: Bonnie Roberson, Quartz Properties.
Bonnie developed three distinct Quartz brands while overhauling branding and creating more than 15 new marketing assets for the Belle Meadow community. - Superintendent of the Year: Randy Collins, Buchanan Construction.
Randy has made a significant impact in his three years at Buchanan, taking a leading role in ensuring that projects exceed expectations. - Construction Manager of the Year: Aaron Gogolin, Semper Fi Custom Remodeling.
Aaron successfully transitioned from a skilled carpenter to construction manager, managing 15 projects in 2023 with precision and efficiency. - Best Humanitarian Member Project: Ryan Hendrix Memorial Golf Tournament, Buchanan Construction.
Over 40 local businesses and 80 players participated in the event, raising nearly $20,000 in honor of Deputy Ryan Hendrix, a former Buchanan Construction employee who sacrificed his life in service to the community. - Best Brochure or Newsletter for an Associate: Gatefold Design Build Services – Alex DeRobertis, FS Design Group.
The compact and visually impactful brochures have already attracted new developers. - Best Brochure or Newsletter for a Builder: Kaizen Homes’ Home Building Guide, Kaizen Homes.
The guide has improved client engagement, streamlined consultations and contributed to better decision-making. - Best Marketing Campaign for an Associate: cLearn LLC campaign, cLearn LLC.
The campaign coordinated a multi-channel approach with print, digital and social media, bringing people to continuing education classes in a talk show format. - Best Advertisement for a Builder: A-Ha Moment Advertisement, Red Tree Builders-Alair Asheville.
The ad featured a personal sit-down interview with owner and president Brandon Bryant, tied to a dynamic landing page and robust digital marketing strategy. - Best Advertisement for an Associate: Car Wrap, Express Gutters.
The full car wrap was an effective mobile ad, maximizing exposure during the administrator’s extensive weekly 500-miole travels. - Best Website for an Associate: Express Gutters.
The user-friendly website prioritized the user experience through clean formatting, intuitive navigation and quality back-end management. - Best Website for a Builder: Morgan-Keefe Builders.
The visually immersive website includes a montage video on the home page, a sortable photo gallery and integrated access for clients. - Best Logo for a Builder: Masterpiece Custom Builders.
The sunflower in the logo symbolizes the company’s values: Just as a young sunflower turns its face towards the light, the company’s leaders strive to live their lives in a similar way. - Best Video Project: Passive Building, cLearn LLC.
The video blended in-home and on-site interviews, working in humor, bloopers, theme music and other touches to make technical content approachable. - Best Interior Merchandising for a Home Under 2,500 Square Feet: The Montreat, Buchanan Construction.
The merchandizing subtly connected spaces while allowing each room to maintain its unique character, using natural textures with a calming color palette. - Best Interior Merchandising for a Home 2,501 to 4,000 Square Feet: Casa Bonita, ID.ology Interiors & Design.
The collaborative and expertly executed design positioned Casa Bonita as a showcase of design innovation, appealing to buyers seeking luxurious and functional living spaces. - Best Interior Merchandising for a Home Over 4,001 Square Feet: French Broad Crossing Sanctuary, Atelier Maison & Co.
The merchandising blended luxury with nature, using heirloom-quality furnishings while integrating indoor luxury with the beauty of the outdoors. - Best Interior Design for a Home Over 4,001 Square Feet: Birch River Retreat, Tyner Construction Company.
The home has touches like blackened steel details on the range hood and backsplash, and Doggett Mountain stone on the fireplace, creating an interior that matches the grandeur of its French Broad Crossing views. - Best Outdoor Living Space: New World Classic Greenhouse, Tyner Construction Company.
This luxury greenhouse includes 30 linear feet of workspace, a soapstone sink, a wood-burning fireplace and a seating area, making it versatile and inviting. - Best Swimming Pool: New World Classic, Tyner Construction Company.
The rectangular pool features contrasting tile demarcations for swim lanes, along with granite pavers, a custom fountain, tiered lawns and a nearby Koi pond. - Best Green Single-Family Home: Green Haven, Red Tree Builders-Alair Asheville.
The fully electric home in the Olivette community features energy management integrating solar panels, battery backup systems and real-time smartphone control. - Best Green Home Feature: EcoBlend ADU: Sustainable Synergy, Scroggs Construction Services.
The EcoBlend ADU repurposes materials from past remodels, while maximizing the urban lot for a functional 800-square-foot sustainable living space. - Best Single-Family Production Home Under 2,250 Square Feet: Tommy Ray Ridge, Sineath Construction Co.
The home features Green Built and Energy Star certifications, tied to an outdoor area with a hot tub, covered porch and bar. - Best Single-Family Custom Home Under 2,500 Square Feet: Modern Living, Silver Dog Construction.
The home has an open floor plan and plenty of quality touches, from custom kitchen cabinets to a custom tile shower to a loft converted into a music studio. - Best Single-Family Custom Home Under 2,500 Square Feet: West Asheville Modern Infill, Painted Buckeye Builders.
The home in the historic Malvern Hills community blends contemporary architecture with the neighborhood’s traditional charm. - Best Single-Family Custom Home Between 2,501 and 3,500 Square Feet: Ridgetop Retreat, WSM Craft.
Positioned on a ridgeline with 270-degree forest views, the home uses expansive windows and other features to invite the surrounding landscape into the homes interior experience. - Best Single-Family Custom Home Between 2,501 and 3,500 Square Feet: Rippling Water, Red Tree Builders-Alair Asheville.
A soaring 20-foot fireplace and polished travertine staircase wall create dramatic focal points, while seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces enhance the architectural flow. - Best Single-Family Custom Home Between 3,501 and 4,500 Square Feet: Casa Bonita, Living Stone Design + Build.
The complex project had a tight timeline, but through close coordination with designers and the construction team, the team successfully managed design changes and construction challenges. - Best Single-Family Custom Home Between 4,501 and 5,500 Square Feet: Birch River Retreat, Tyner Construction Company.
The homeowner’s decision to convert part of the mechanical room into an office capitalized on scenic views, while retractable porch screens and accordion patio doors enhance livability. - Best Single-Family Custom Home Over 5,500 Square Feet: Modern Mountain Air, Sineath Construction Co.
The home combines steel beams and wood ceilings, achieving an industrial-meets-natural aesthetic while being engineered to withstand high wind loads. - Best One-Of-A-Kind Home: Casa Bonita, Living Stone Design + Build.
By prioritizing non-toxic materials, improved air quality, and sustainable building practices, the home meets modern wellness and sustainability needs. - Best One-Of-A-Kind Home: The Perch, Red Tree Builders-Alair Asheville.
The 3,062-square-foot residence has a lower-level guest suite with a walk-out design, cantilevered decks, a double-sided fireplace and other unusual features. - Best One-Of-A-Kind Home Remodel: Alpine Farmhouse, Buchanan Construction.
The meticulous reconstruction preserved the 1913 farmhouse’s original charm while integrating contemporary features. - Best Design Detail: Art Deco Theater, Sineath Construction Company.
The theater captures the opulence of the art deco era, with bold geometric patterns, luxurious materials, and intricate metallic accents. - Best Design Detail: Secluded Sanctuary: Boulder Walls with Integrated Stairs, Morgan-Keefe Builders.
The massive rock walls, constructed form North Carolina mountain stone, integrate functional stairs that blend harmoniously with the natural environment. - Best Aging in Place or Accessibility Residential Project: Brush Creek English Modern, Living Stone Design + Build.
The home prioritizes accessibility without sacrificing aesthetics, with a zero-step entry, widened hallways and curbless walk-in showers. - Best Kitchen Remodel Over $100,000: Alpine Farmhouse, Buchanan Construction.
The reconstruction included removal of the original wood stove chimney and reconfiguring doorways to transform a confusing layout into a cohesive design. - Best Kitchen Remodel Under $100,000: Vibrant MidCentury, Buchanan Construction.
The remodel included reworking the kitchen triangle, installing custom red oak grain cabinets and using bold geometric tiles to add personality. - Best Bathroom Remodel Over $75,000: White Dove Relaxing Restroom, Semper Fi Custom Remodeling.
The project used premium materials for such areas as the shower while building a new walk-in closet and pocket doors to enhance functionality. - Best Bathroom Remodel Under $75,000: Elegant and Efficient Wet Room, Semper Fi Custom Remodeling.
The remodelers converted a small bathroom into a modern “wet room” by removing old fixtures, relocating the entrance door, and optimizing plumbing. - Best Room Remodel: Alpine Farmhouse, Buchanan Construction.
The project involved salvaging and reworking key elements, including the stunning front door with its working bell and reconditioned slider doors. - Best Addition: New World Classic Pub, Tyner Construction.
The project repurposed an unused basement area into a luxurious social space, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of an upscale, historic pub. - Best Whole House Remodel Under $250,000: Majestic Mountain Makeover, Semper Fi Custom Remodeling.
The project included transforming the master bathroom, creating an open layout for the kitchen and breakfast nook, and installing high-end features. - Best Whole House Remodel Between $250,000 and $500,000: Traditional Abode With Modern Twists, Semper Fi Custom Remodeling.
The remodel blends elegance and functionality, featuring elements like a new rock fireplace, a shiplap-surrounded electric fireplace, and custom-built bookcases. - Best Whole House Remodel Between $500,000 and $750,000: Start From Scratch – Swannanoa Spruce Up, Scroggs Construction Services.
After restructuring the roof to include vaulted and coffered ceilings, the space was reconfigured to balance modernization with the character of the original home. - Best Whole House Remodel Over $750,000: Alpine Farmhouse, Buchanan Construction.
The result of the reconstruction of the 1913 farmhouse is a harmonious living space where the character of the past meets contemporary comfort. - Best Aging In Place or Accessibility Residential Remodel: Luxury Lodge Lift, Scroggs Construction Services.
The integration of a state-of-the-art air-powered elevator provided a seamless connection between all three levels without compromising the cabin’s rustic charm. - Best Historic Preservation / Restoration: Alpine Farmhouse, Buchanan Construction.
Contemporary updates like energy-efficient systems, new appliances, and premium tile work were integrated without compromising the farmhouse’s character. - Best Historic Preservation / Restoration: Shiloh Bungalow, Painted Buckeye Builders.
The project turned a deteriorating structure into a modern living space, now home to a new family while preserving part of the Shiloh community’s architectural heritage. - Community Of The Year: Belle Meadow, Quartz Properties.
Belle Meadow addresses the need for family-sized rental homes in Asheville, with thoughtfully designed 4-bedroom homes with private rear decks, fenced yards, a dog park, and a playground. - Best Training Program: Project Manager Onboarding, cLearn LLC.
The 90-minute Project Manager onboarding course focuses on project flow, management synchronization, and task scheduling, ensuring consistent and efficient project operations with safety considerations integrated throughout.
Each of the WNC STARS winners will be submitted to the NCHBA STARS program with the potential to win the same award at the state level. We are proud of how our STARS do at that level: Typically, the Builders Association of the Blue Ridge brings home around 40% of these awards.
