You
want a wonderful mountain home. You are going to retire
there, or live there until you retire, then live there some
more. You are thinking that this will be a second home…wait,
no, perhaps it will start out that way, but in a few short
years, your mountain home will become your main residence,
because there is that magnet on your soul called the mountains,
and they keep calling to you; your mountains are in your soul
now and you have recognized this and enjoy it. You deserve
it. We make it happen. Give us call to begin
turning your dreams into reality: 828-743-6010 ask for Rand
(he answers his own phone!)
We live
& work in what we design. Every
architectural & design firm should do the same. We
have the experience of living and working, All Year Round (365
days a year), in homes similar to what we design for you.
This helps us learn how to improve our designs, over
decades.
“I
blend your desired mountain lifestyle with the best views
from your mountain site to give you your Mountain Dream: a
special mountain home tailored to you and your environment.
Our details evolve from natural mountain materials,
resulting in Timeless Mountain Architecture that looks like
it grew there.” ------
Rand Soellner, AIA, NCARB
Satisfied
Clients "We
speak from our hearts. I just had to share with you ...I am
sitting here looking at the Front Elevation and it is
AWESOME ... Great job. It all looks great to us." ... "Rand,
I can’t explain to you how happy we are with your work.
You made my dreams come true, as if you knew what was in my
thoughts."
-
- Ginger & Michael Carbone, Sevierville, TN
"Rand
we LOVE the plans!! We are so excited. Thanks so much."
-
- Joe and Laura Morris, Highlands, NC
“We
really appreciate the lovely stained glass gift that Merry
made and are so TOTALLY enthralled with our final, or
almost, final plans. You are the BEST!!!!”
-
- Don & Sallie Ogilvie, Highlands, NC (regarding
new home design in Highlands Cove)
"We
are getting excited about the house and we see it take shape
-can't wait to get in it and really start living. Your
patience and expertise is making it all possible. For that
too, many thanks.
-
- J.B. and Susan Coram, Scaly Mountain, NC
"It's
like you were reading our minds. The design is just what we
wanted. Thanks for all your efforts."
-
- Jack and Shirley Kaplan, Lake Toxaway, NC
Just
Published: “House With A View” book
released by Images Publishing, features 3 homes designed by Rand
Soellner Architect. This beautiful new book has about 100
mountain homes in it from around the world: China, Switzerland,
America and many other mountain locations. Rand Soellner
Architect was honored to be only 1 of 2 architectural firms based in
the USA, east of the Mississippi River, featuring built projects in
this definitive book about mountain home architecture. Click
here to buy a copy of House with a View from Images online
It
All Starts With
People
We have learned how to work
with people who want a special mountain home. You have
special needs and desires. This is probably different from
anything you have ever done in your life. We see many
similar issues with our clients, while we recognize that you are
unique and that you have a special site. Our experience in
helping other people create mountain homes gives us the ability
to work with you to help tailor solutions for you. We have
solved certain issues repeatedly and know what to do to help you
achieve your goals.
“Cozy”
“Warm and inviting” “Captured the
Mountain and Lake views perfectly” “It’s like
living in a comfortable piece of art tailored to my lifestyle”
“I live in one of your homes and I still can’t figure
out how it can be so grand, yet so human-scaled at the same time.”
“You create the most detailed home design architectural
documents I have ever seen.” “Your homes and designs
have a sense of energy about them. . . it’s hard to put into
words. I feel energized, yet centered & peaceful in your
homes and can see the promise of that in your plans.”
“Your homes have
heart & soul. I’ve never seen anything like them.
I’ve been looking on the internet at log homes and timber frame
homes and was not very impressed with their designs. You have
what I’ve been looking for!” (response from
Rand Soellner: “Well, I typically work about 18 hours+ a day, 7
days a week and you have to have your heart and soul in what you do
to keep doing that, year after year, decade after decade…”)
-----------
comments from clients living in, and visitors touring, Rand Soellner
Architect projects
Dreams About Your Special Place. . .
You
have dreams about your future, your retirement, your family, your
relationships, your business, how you want to live. Many of us
feel that some major event (like retirement) must first take place
before you can start to live the real dreams you have always wanted.
Like you have to achieve yet another big objective before it is your
turn. Sound familiar? We have a question for
you: “What are you waiting for?” What is
stopping you? (okay, that’s two). Try it, you might like
it. In other words, what dreams can we help you achieve? We
are architects and interior designers: we design your special dream: your
mountain home! Why wait until 5 or 10 years from
now? Do it now! You deserve it!
Licensed
Architect North
Carolina #9266 South Carolina #6793 Florida
#9264
Projects all over
the United States, including: Western North Carolina,
Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois, Washington & the World.
Rand
Soellner, AIA / NCARB
Merry
Soellner, Interiors
Allow
us to help create your Mountain Dream
Worldwide,
we design luxury log & timber homes, including mountain
castles, themed shopping boutiques, schools, village centers,
master plans for communities, condominium complexes, clubhouses,
parks, office buildings and other projects in Mountain
environments. We also create mountain homes for builders,
developers and private owners and have helped create wealth for
them, as our projects typically appraise for much more than the
construction cost.
YOUR HOME
DESIGN WILL CAPTURE THOSE MOUNTAIN VIEWS which
you have paid so handsomely to enjoy. I integrate computerized
home plans with surveys of the building site to take advantage
of the accurate view relationships to mountains, waterfalls,
rivers and other spectacular features.
Click
here to see how we do this.
RESALE/FINANCIAL
SUCCESS Many
people want to build a vacation home, and wish to sell it at a
profit in the future. Resale appeal is crucial to financial
success. I work with realtors and appraisers to ensure my
designs have resale appeal & competitive appreciation.
Click
Here for more details GREAT PLANS
You will
enjoy a floor plan that is open, functional and efficient, while
providing spaciousness and optimized square footage.
Having
a problem with mutual funds and stocks? Click
here for: The New Gold
Standard: Dirt
AFFORDABILITY While
working with you, the home builder and various trades, we
will
ValueEngineer the size, feature and quality level
you desire. We can select from the builders I work
with here in the mountains, or use yours, to find the best
team for your project. I will design and manage your
entire project if you wish.
Don’t Think You Can
Afford An Architect?
click
here to find out how it is cheaper to use one rather than
not
AWARD-WINNING
DESIGN / EXPERIENCE I
offer you Award-winning design and experience. My homes are
under construction in many communities. I have 37 years of
professional experience, and am a licensed architect. I am
available to design homes all
over the world. My work received the AIA Design Award of
Excellence. I have designed projects for Frank Lloyd Wright
apprentice, Nils Schweizer. I am a
specialist in log, timber, rock and glass and the Architect of
Record on about half of the buildings at Jurassic Park at
Universal Studios. (while
VP of Orlando office of BTA)
ARCH/i
is Rand Soellner Architect's focus for researching items of
particular interest to our mountain home designs. Click here to
see what we are exploring to advance the state of the art in
fine home designs for the mountains.
Our
Design Services Specify Energy Star Performance Levels and
Exceed Them.
We
Design & Specify Healthy Products, Materials and Methods of
Assembly for Your Home. (Rand
Soellner Architect began this program, and his company will
certify other entities seeking this label, after satisfying Rand
Soellner Architect’s Healthy Home DesignSM
program registration requirements. The intent for all
design and material providers to eventually make only healthy
homes).
Rand
Soellner Architect now offering architectural design services to
clients of Doug Sidell's Town & Country Cedar Homes.
Click here
to see Doug Sidell's website for cedar homes in Georgia's lake
country, North Carolina, and other fine locations, when you
desire a pre-packaged cedar home. Doug Sidell has decided to
upgrade his company's offerings to provide the best possible
mountain home design services and we are proud to be associated
with Doug and his SE USA territory of Town & Country Cedar
Homes.
If You Are Planning to Have A Luxury
Custom Mountain Home Designed & Built For You, You Need to
See Our Mountain Retreat Series Designs:
We
took the best of the best features from all of our home types:
2,400 sf cottages, 16,000 sf castles, 6,500 sf estate homes,
4,500 sf family homes, and put them all together in our Mountain
Retreats, so all of the most delightful & functional
features you have been after may now be found in one, two, three
or four special homes, created to be the “yes” to your
“yes.”
From 2,500 heated sf (3BR/3Ba), to
3,500 sf, to 4,500 sf to 5,700 sf to over 11,000sf:
Most
of our clients select our highly-adaptable Mountain Retreat
Series home models as the basis of beginning custom
modifications to suit their personal lifestyle and site.
So many wonderful mountain features are packed into this series
that most clients’ wishlists are 95% satisfied immediately.
Please make an appointment to visit us to see these and discuss
how we can modify this series to suit you.
Starting
with our Foothills Retreat at
approximately 3,500 heated square feet : 4BR/3 to 4-1/2 baths/ 2
to 3 car garage, with Hearth Room (main living area), additional
Family Room-Home Gym-Home Theater, wonderful Master Suite on the
main level, sumptuous Family View Kitchen, Breakfast Nook,
Informal Dining, excellent open plan arrangement, Outdoor Living
Room with Summer Kitchen, Sleeping Porch off the Master Suite,
incredible Mountain Master Spa Bathroom with whirlpool,
fireplace, His & Her counter/sink areas, 2-person shower,
lots of windows, toilet room with window, master closet,
Laundry-Pantry, Loft Gallery, our trademarked Grand Canyon-Dor
(huge sliding glass doors) and more! This model can also
have a Terrace Level (basement) if you wish. There can be
an optional front Porte-Cochere (mountain elegant carport
entry). This model also has our classic Rocking Chair
Front Porch.
Then
step up to our Grand Mountain Retreat:
typically anywhere from 4,500 heated sf to over 6,000. Many of
the features of the previous series (above), with a much larger
main fireplace (6’ wide!) and a larger main living area
around the hearth, a Bar (complete with backbar, conditioned
Wine Room with large wood & glass door, secondary “drink
kitchen” with MW and bar sink, u.c. ref, wine glass
storage), larger outdoor living areas, much larger Kitchen: our
“Heart of the Home” Grand Gathering Kitchen, which
features a 3 bay stainless or porcelain main sink, large
work-buffet, additional Galley area with additional vegetable
prep sink, additional dishwasher and trash/recycling bins, large
double ovens with 48” gas burner range top with
griddle/grill, microwave stack with chest-high convection oven,
warming drawer, steaming drawer, combination Laundry-Pantry with
center island for crafts, pet bathing/grooming/feeding area, 2,
3, or 4 car garage (or more), 2nd BR suite on the main level,
2nd floor with 2 to 3 more guest suites, each with
walk-in-closet and their own bathrooms, home office, Home
Gym/Family Room/Home Theater and a lot more features. This
model can also have a Terrace Level (basement) if you wish.
There can be an optional front Porte-Cochere (mountain elegant
carport entry). This model also has our classic Rocking
Chair Front Porch.
Then
the ultimate: our Great Mountain Retreat:
typically 6,200 heated sf to over 7,000. This one really kicks
out the jambs! All of the features in the model above, but
more spaciousness in all the right places. The master
suite is truly amazing: 5’ circular whirlpool tub nestled
in a cozy bay window corner, with windows all around to enjoy
your mountain views while you sip champagne, listen to Mozart
and enjoy your bubble bath! A special 2-way fireplace
warms you comfortably just a few feet away, and a mountain
waterfall cascades down from in front of the fireplace down into
your tub! You’ve got to see this luxury at its most
sumptuous. Huge 2-person shower, window seat with fern
planter above at the large tall windows, His & Her
sink/vanity areas. Towel/storage closet, large Vista
Throne Room with toilet, bidet and sideboard for your reading
enjoyment, massive oval Dressing Room with center island
dresser, 3 levels of clothing storage, Hers vanity, flatscreen
TV, bar sink, coffeemaker for waking you up, arched stained
glass window, full-length mirror, Huge Hearth Room (main living
area), separate entrance Foyer with a rustically elegant Powder
Room with 12” thick varnished timber counter and polished
stone vessel sink, travertine floor and other delightful
treatments. This model also has the Pub/Bar & Wine Rm
featured in the model above. The kitchen is a chef’s
dream come true, with cabinet-faced or stainless steel high-end
appliances, custom architect-designed copper 3-bay farmhouse
main sink, large island, stone arch over double-wide gas
range/double oven, separate boxes for refrigerator and freezer
to yield 34 c.f. of cold storage, plus an under-counter
refrigerated double drawer for vegetables, Galley with smaller
copper prep sink, additional 2nd dishwasher, 2nd recycling bins,
the same additional MW/wall oven as the previous series (above),
separate Butler Pantry, with garage access, Catering
Kitchen/Kitchen Study/Pet Grooming, 3-car garage with Shop, 2nd
floor with 2 to 4 additional BR suites, Home Office, Family
Room, Bars, Home Gym, billiards, home theater, Loft Library and
other features, customized to suit you. This model can
also have a Terrace Level (basement) if you wish. Garage
can be 2-3-4 or more cars with shop. There can be an
optional front Porte-Cochere (mountain elegant carport entry).
This model also has our classic Rocking Chair Front Porch.
Yes,
Substitutions are Welcome: many of our clients pick and choose
features from the different models and we create a hybrid
solution for them, tailored to their desires.
If you think you can’t
afford us, you need to read this:
We Save You More Than Our Fee* in
Construction Cost Savings:
This
savings can be multiple times our fee* depending on the
services you request and if you and your builder accept all
of our suggestions. Our Base Bid Pricing strategy
illustrates to the Contractor how to build our design for
your home using what we believe to be the most
cost-effective materials & systems. We include
detailed Owner Optional Upgrades in our drawings and
specifications, requiring that the Contractor price and list
an ala-carte menu of upgrade items for your consideration,
allowing you to pick and choose which items you desire to
further enhance the basic design. The appearance of
our designs looks very much like post & beam, timber
frame and for some clients who wish this appearance: logs.
Our hybrid design approach accomplishes these appearances
for pennies on the dollar, passing the savings on to you.
For those of you desiring real timber frame and genuine log
construction, we are happy to provide those systems, also
with owner optional upgrades, placing you firmly in control
of how much your home will cost, based on your choices.
Call us to find out more about our unique approach, created
to put you in the driver’s seat of your project’s
cost.
We
Are Passionate About Creating Special Mountain Homes For
You We enjoy what we do! It
makes us happy and energized and this positive feeling pervades
our overall designs, our details, the construction and your
living within them. Happy healthy energy is part of each
of our creations. We find it interesting that people
touring our built projects seem to feel this warmth and express
to us: “This really feels good! I want a house like
this!” May we have the privilege of designing your
family’s mountain home? We ask you for the honor of
creating your special place in the mountains.
Okay, I am thinking I want
to meet with Rand Soellner Architect
How
do I do this?
NAVIGATION:
click on the thumbnails below to go to those
subjects:
YOUR HOME
DESIGN WILL CAPTURE THOSE MOUNTAIN VIEWS
