Winner of two 2023 Rehabilitation Griffin Awards

The Hands of Sean Perry won local recognition for two projects at the 2023 Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County (PSABC) Griffin Awards, celebrated at a ceremony held Thursday, May 23. The award-winning projects—The Applewood Manor, a boutique bed and breakfast owned by Stephen and Robin Collins, and a private residence at 83 W. Chestnut St.—were both honored in the rehabilitation category.

The Collins, who purchased The Applewood Manor in 2020, worked with The Hands of Sean Perry to create a five-star kitchen worthy of hosting local and world-renowned chefs. The residential style kitchen was removed, and a custom-designed kitchen was constructed, complete with soapstone countertops and custom copper range hood. They then turned their focus to the exterior and restored the original 111 year old cedar shake siding and repaired the wood trim. The exterior porches were also returned to their original intent and beauty, creating picture-perfect outdoor nooks fit for relaxing.

While the front of 83 W Chestnut St. was preserved, The Hands of Sean Perry constructed a rear addition for a new kitchen, laundry nook, and powder room. Special care was taken to make sure it tied nicely to the original architecture of the home—the new windows match the original two over two wood windows, and exterior siding was custom milled to match the current siding. On the interior, historic park pine lumber was resown and installed on the floors and stair treads, and the trim was created with custom-made knives to match the original trim. While the homeowner incorporated her personal style and preference into the house, they preserved the history and respected the integrity of this beautiful house.

This is the fifth Griffin Award for The Hands of Sean Perry—with previous recognition in 2021 and 2012. View the videos for the 2023 winners.

Each year PSABC presents awards to outstanding projects and individuals that further the goals of historic preservation in Asheville and Buncombe County. Any person, company, or organization interested in historic preservation is invited to nominate projects, persons or groups. The winning projects are honored at an annual awards ceremony recognizing the owners and the skilled craftsmen and contractors that contributed to the project. Awards are given in the categories of restoration, rehabilitation, adaptive re-use, in-fill construction within a historic district or neighborhood, research, publication and education, stewardship, and preservation.