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Ciel

Elk Mountain Scenic Highway

Mari Vanna: A Russian Restaurant in NYC

Recently on a small getaway weekend in NYC, my husband and I came across a restaurant in the heart of the Gramercy area just north of 14th Street that he had visited in Baku and Moscow.  Looking for a place to have a nice dimarivannanycnner and usually quite picky about what we choose to eat, it was nice to find a place with class, elegance, and a non-fussy menu.  I hate Fussy on a menu.  I don’t need infusion, weird beet ketchup, or “picks” aka fried pickles.  I want real food, served in a real way without all the fuss.

 

Mari Vanna offered all that and more.  The waitstaff was friendly, the food was fantastic, and the atmosphere was truly authentic.  Authentic in the fact that it was like walking into an early 20th Century Russian Home. mari-vanna-nyc1 Having lived in the Eastern Block for quite a long period of time, I’ve had my peaks into these types of homes and they are always so very interesting.  They tend to be filled with porcelain, grandiose chandeliers, doilies, and walls covered in wallpaper that covers wallpaper after wallpaper.

 

The food was as authentic as the environment of the restaurant and allowed for a great meal.  All of your Russian Cuisine favorites can be found on the menu and the drinks list is also extensive and well prepared. The atmosphere could not have been changed in the slightest to meet the elegance and authenticity of the historical homes of the late 19th, early 20th Century in Russia.
mari-vanna-nycAt Ciel,  we value the need for diversity in one’s life and way of living.  We believe our customers are interested in the finer things in life and the differences in all cultures and cuisines.  We offer our clients great ideas for them to grow on to build their dream homes on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway.  Often, when I’m in New York or other cities,  I relish in the fact that so much can be offered to people looking for a difference.   A difference that represents the best quality, without prejudice or pretentious behaviors.

 

Posted in homesites for sale in asheville nc, land for sale asheville nc, land for sale NC
Supporting Good Design.

At Ciel,  we strive to be one of the creator’s of aesthetic in this world filled with so much negativity.  It is ifastcode-designmportant to support good design on every level starting with children’s art classes in schools all the way to architecture and civil engineering!

We are an award winning developer and work with some of the best designs in Architecture in the Asheville, North Carolina area.  Whether we are involved are not, we support and believe in the promotion of design and the design aesthetic.

With that in mind, we wish the best tonight to all of the nominees in the 2016 AIA Asheville Design Award  – A Promotion for Design Awards Celebration to be held September 8, 2016, from 7-10pm in City County Plaza.

Watch the Video here for the nominees!

Posted in homesites for sale in asheville nc, land for sale asheville nc, land for sale NC
American Residential Design Awards 2016

Homes For Sale in Asheville NCIt is with great pleasure that we announce the winning of yet another, well deserved award for The Privé.  The American Residential Design Awards have issued a Grand ARDA for this well designed home that sits on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway above Asheville with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Mt. Pisgah.

The American Residential Design Awards by AIBD, The American Institute of Building Design, does a great job in the text below summing up the quality and design of this house:

2016 Grand ARDA – Retro+Fit Design, LLC, Asheville, North Carolina writes:
“This home is a custom developer spec, located in a high-end mountain community on a beautiful lot offering spectacular views with many challenges. The developer stipulated only that it be modern, marketable, and exceptional.
The south-facing site has views of the Downtown skyline, and long-range mountain views. The lot warranted something dramatic and sculptural. I designed the house conceptually from the outside in, as if designing a piece of sculpture. By shifting a series of cantilevered blocks at different angles and anchoring them to the mountain visually and structurally with the vertical circulation block, I created a dynamic structure while incorporating optimal views. The house appears to change kaleidoscopically on approach, creating drama as one arrives at the house.

The drama continues when you enter this house. Large floor to ceiling windows, a 24’ sliding door, and expansive decks at each level merge the interior and exterior capturing the stunning views.

This site presented numerous challenges. The mountain site drops approximately 320′ from the road and falls under several steep slope and protected ridge ordinances. Guidelines limited the amount of site disturbance, tree removal, LRV values, and restricted the height of the structure above grade. Another challenge was balancing privacy with accessibility. The further we put the house from the street the more difficult it was to design a manageable driveway.
Although the house was designed in a sculptural way, I was able to create an efficient flow of functional spaces that would be marketable to a variety of potential buyers including: retirees, empty nesters, or a family with children.

In conclusion, this house is as exceptional as the surrounding mountains, breathtaking, solid and inspiring.”  –The American Residential Design Awards by AIBD.  

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Posted in land for sale NC
Choosing a New Homesite for Building in Western North Carolina

Building your dream home can be the most joyLand Photo 1ous experiences in your life.  It ranks in the charts with getting married, having children,  and visiting foreign and exotic places on your bucket list.  Many people are choosing to build homes for full time living, as well as for vacation time and retirement in Western North Carolina.

The process begins with choosing land that meets your needs, followed by ticking the boxes of what your dreams need.  Western North Carolina and specifically, the Asheville Area, offer many homesite options for your future custom built home.  Choosing that right homesite for to build your new home can become a daunting task as there is so much out their to choose from.  However,  consideration should be taken to understand that not all land is optimal and that the type of land you choose and who or what company it was prepared for building on can lead you down the path of greatness or continual land issues after you’ve built your dream home on top of it.  When you are on the look out for purchasing land, make sure that the land has been inspected and will actually “hold” the type of home that you are planning to build.  In all mountain areas, slope and how slope is dealt with is a key topic to address during your sLand Photo 3earch.  Slope can be handled if the developer and builder are familiar with the issues of gradient properties and how to deal with water irrigation, structural issues, and placement of the home on the land.

At Ciĕl,  we have studied the homesites that we have for sale and are knowledgeable as to what type of homes can be built on which particular piece of land.  We have made sure that every parcel of land for sale has access to plenty of well water on each specific site.  We work directly with each of our buyer’s to advise them on our wealth of knowledge about Elk Mountain and how any particular land issue can be overcome to aid in the building of a dream home.

We offer the ability to buy land and build on it by themselves with the help of an architect and general contractor or we can happily work individually to be the developer that manages your new home project from inception to absolute finish.Land 2

Ciĕl is a community of 25 estate-sized homesites carefully planned on 117 acres in Asheville, NC. Each home is a masterpiece, and each homesite is a blank canvas encouraging your imagination to roam free. For a select few, imagination will become a reality.

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Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce provides businesses with so many types of support that it is quite hard to quantify.  The Chamber is a superior help, especially to newcomers in the area who want to meet and network with other businesses and just get to know people.  I have lived in many places around the country and the world and dAsheville Chamber Logoespite my experiences with the American Chamber of Commerce in Macedonia, where I was also a board member for one year, I cannot think of any chamber I’ve ever been a member of that was so welcoming and actually cared about it’s members and their businesses.

As with all organizations and people, there is usually that one person that makes things click for you within the group.  That person for me at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has been Amy Jackson.  She has been welcoming since the first day I walked into the building until now.  Amy always provides members with great inforAsheville Chamber Buildingmation for their business, what types of things she recommends in terms of promotion, as well as pushing each member to do their very best.

It was Amy’s positive attitude and move forward personality that made me get involved on behalf of Ciel at this particular Chamber.  She encourages me to come weekly to the Power Networking Group on Wednesday Morning’s that she hosts and also gave us the opportunity to do an Ribbon Cutting for our latest finished home called the Prive.

The Ribbon Cutting was a great way for Chamber members to get a glimpse of what we do at Ciel!  We thank everyone that attended the event and hope that they enjoyed it as much as we did!  We look forward to all the Chamber’s Events and look forward to meeting you all very soon at a chamber event!

See the video from our Ribbon Cutting, by Michael Trufant at Crunch Media!

Posted in homesites for sale in asheville nc, land for sale asheville nc, land for sale NC
The Privé at Ciĕl: Well Designed Modern in Asheville, North Carolina

Rarely do we find in homebuilding today the artistic and aesthetic integrity that is encompassed at the Privé, a modern masterpiece, built on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway.  The home is the most modern example of architecture currently on the market in Asheville, North Carolina.

ciel.sitting room1

The home is located in the mountain top neighborhood,Ciĕl, known for it’s exquisite land bank on the south side of Elk Mountain facing the city of Asheville and Mount Pisgah.  Approaching the home by car on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway, one can only see the rooftop, as the structure is strategically placed below the rise of the road to create privacy and provide for impeccable views of the landscape afar.

Built on a private homesite with 5.67 acres of wooded areas the land allows for nature trails and sightings of the beautiful wildlife that inhabits Elk Mountain.  The Privé includes 4,869 square feet of useable residential floorspace to create a beautiful living space for a family looking for a private getaway from the modern day hustle and bustle that is life, whilst allowing access to Merrimon Avenue and Downtown Asheville within 12 minutes by car.

Asheville, NC

The home has been carefully designed by the architect, Jason Weil, in close cooperation with the developer, David Zimmerman, to salute the landscape and view inherent with the homesite.  The developer has strong convictions in maintaining the integrity to the mountain where the homes of Ciĕl are and will be built.  This is reinforced by the fact that the neighborhood will only allow for 24 homes built on homesites over 3 acres.  The large homesites create natural buffer zones between the homes and eradicates any density that could have taken place on this gorgeous stretch of land.

Luxury Homes in Asheville, NCEntering the Privé in itself is a majestic experience.  The south facing walls in the entirety of the home are glass producing outstanding and massive views of the scenic mountains surrounding the city of Asheville.  The entertainment floor which includes a large kitchen with custom cabinets and impeccable Thermador appliances opens up into an open plan dining and living room separated only by a free floated stone tile wall with an ambient dual fireplace to add to the aesthetic.  An office can be found off of the main living room and is a glass cube in the middle of the forest promoting peace and tranquility within the home and office.

Cantilevered on the side of the mountain, the home offers two additional floors.  The top floor is fully dedicated to a master suite which includes a master living room, wet bar, large master bedroom with a walk in wardrobe, and an ensuite bathroom that offers a double vanity sink area, a large walk in shower with extended slope drainage, and a champagne bathtub that sits behind glass walls and is surrounded by trees providing full privacy.  The lower floor is scheduled as the guest floor containing two full guest suites, a media room/gym, living room, screened in porch, additional private terrace, and a full scale media room/gym.

Homes For Sale in Asheville NC

The Privé strives to reach new heights in the architectural design of Asheville and the surrounding region and has one several awards for design and architecture.

If you would like more information about the home please call the developer representative, Jason at 336 543 7339 or Scott Mills with Beverly Hanks and Associates at 828 215 8019.  More information can also be found at www.ciel-property.com

 

Posted in homesites for sale in asheville nc, land for sale asheville nc, land for sale NC
Asheville Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting at Ciel Property

 

Posted in homesites for sale in asheville nc, land for sale asheville nc, land for sale NC
Black Mountain: A Small Town with a Big Town Feel

Black Mountain is a town located just outside of Asheville.  It was known in the past for it’s Black Mountain College which was known as a hub for creative thinking and art.  The town seems to have nurtured creativity, artistry, and free thinking long after the closure of Black Mountain College in 1957.  Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the town of Black Mountain and can only say great things about it and it’s people.

My first stop was at the Dripolator for a much needed coffee after a long day at the office. When entering, I truly thought that I might have just walked into an independently owned coffee house driploatorin Greenwich Village or some place in San Francisco.  Young people in their 20s and early 30s were at tables scattered throughout working on writing, websites, as well as, discussing art and literature.  It was a very refreshing experience to begin with and got better as the visit continued.  The Barista behind the counter was more than helpful and offered information about the different types of coffee they served and also recommended a few restaurants to investigate in the town for dinner.  Her recommendations turned out to be very knowledgeable as I evaluated each of them on my short walk through the town.

Black Mountain 1

Black Mountain is unique in that it is a small town in Western North Carolina that offers many shops and restaurants in it’s historic downtown area.  Yes, there are a few towns in Western North Carolina that have fully leased shop fronts, but I would have to say that few compare to the eclectic mix offered in Black Mountain.

The town offers several pubs such as the Black Mountain Ale House,  Trail Head Restaurant and Bar,  Town Pump Pub,  and many other small watering holes that meet the needs of all types of folks.  All offer beer on tap and a welcoming atmosphere.

Black Mountain 5

Out of the recommendations, I finally decided to eat at Berliner Kindl, a German Restaurant with authentic German cuisine and owned by a German man and his wife who immigrated over 30 years ago to the USA.  The food was absolutely scrumptious and the prices were very reasonable.  The waitstaff was knowledgeable of all the German dishes being offered and were helpful with beer selections as well.

The town has a great feel to it and offers a range of shops and galleries.

If you are in Western North Carolina for the first time or someone who has never visited Black Mountain, I highly recommend it.  It has all the offerings of a Big Town, with a small town feel.  I give it 5 stars.

Black Mountain 6

Black Mountain is one of the many interesting places with less than a half hour drive from Ciel, a mountain top neighborhood, in Asheville NC.  At Ciel, we focus on building homes that meet the needs of our customers without compromising the landscape and integrity of the mountain.

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Asheville’s Luxury Home Market

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It’s easy to see these days that Asheville, North Carolina has one of the most robust housing markets in the USA.  The market is currently seen as a Seller’s market and homes stay on the market for a minimum period of time in the range of $250,000 to $550,000.  This has prompted many people to put their homes on the market in this price range and reap the benefits of incoming families that are moving to the area for work or to open new businesses.  Homes in this range can be found all over the city and surrounding areas.

The true competition remains in the luxury home market as it does in most areas of the world.  The number of homes in Asheville that can be considered as “luxury” is quite limited and not only do the homes have to reach a certain standard, they also need to be located in areas that meet the needs of the buyers in this category.  When looking in this sector of the market buyer’s become more interested in the details that have been put into the home.  They want a home that is crafted to meet their needs and desires.  Some will choose to build their own homes on land that they have chosen to be their perfect spot in the city.  All buyers have different opinions on that perfect spot, but it is clear that whatever they choose is meant to be their idea of perfection!

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As with most things in Asheville,  the market is truly unique and buyers need to take into consideration exactly what they are looking for in the area that they choose to buy. Some decisions they will have to make:

  • Do they want to be in a gated community that offers amenities?
  • Do they want to have convenient access to schools, shopping, and entertainment?
  • How far do they want to be away from the city center?
  • Are they interested in custom building or moving in immediately?

At Ciel, we take all of this into consideration and offer the finest homes on the market in Asheville.  Our location offers a 10 minute accessible drive to downtown Asheville, schools, shopping and entertainment whilst providing our home owner’s with privacy and the feel of being located much further outside of the city.

Not only is our location the best in the city, we also offer our buyer’s with many options in terms of building their own home or buying one of our meticulously built homes that are move-in ready.  We have homesites that offer many different sizes ranging from 3 to 7 acres and allow for custom built homes with their own builder, homes built by us, and pre-built homes.  When we set out to develop Ciel,  we made sure to leave our buyer’s with many options for tailoring their own piece of the good life!

Perched on the top of Elk Mountain Scenic Highway, Ciel is the most unique and well thought out neighborhood within the region.   We look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Posted in homesites for sale in asheville nc, land for sale asheville nc, land for sale NC
Elk Mountain Scenic Highway

Elk Mountain Scenic Highway is located just off of Merrimon Avenue in North Asheville, North Carolina.  The Highway, in my opinion is more of a cyclists haven then a motorway. Occasionally a car is spotted on the road, but mostly it is frequented by Cyclist’s from around the world for it’s upslope climbing to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The road provides for a very lovely scenic route up the South Side of Elk Mountain and allows cyclists almost full range of the road.

elkmountain views

It is important to note that although the road is less traveled by cars then by bikes, it is still considered a public highway for cars and therefore cyclists should be careful of cars and other vehicles that are driving on the road.  That said, most drivers go quite slowly up to the mountain as they themselves are taking in by the dramatic scenery and the views that can be had at almost every turn of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

elk mountiain scenic

At Ciĕl we promote safe driving and sharing of the roads on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway. We believe in maintaining the integrity of the mountain and it’s landscape.  This includes the protection of cyclists, joggers, walkers, and natural wildlife that is sometimes crossing the road.  We ask that all drivers on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway drive safely and slowly and respect the use of the road by others.  Our homes are located on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway and we enjoy all of the persons and wildlife that use the route!  It’s a well secluded place away from the busy downtown life in Asheville, but is located just 10 minutes from Merrimon Avenue and therefore, it offers incredible access to the City of Asheville, The Asheville Country Club, Beaver Lake, and many other attractions in the area.

pavillion

Find more information about cycling on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway at the following:

US News and World Report

The Bike Noob

Map my Ride

Asheville Citizen Times

Romantic Asheville

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