By: Sarah Ericson
Walk into any design showroom, and you’ll find familiar elements: product displays, samples, and an eager sales team. But West Avalon offers an experience above and beyond the typical sales floor. It’s a chance to see the full potential of natural materials rooted in the region and how stone can transform a space. With versatile materials spanning structural, decorative, and everything in between, West Avalon and the team behind the name are ready to show the Flathead Valley how stone can anchor and transform luxury home building and design.
Decades of Stone Expertise
“THE PURPOSE OF WEST AVALON IS TO WORK WITH AND PROVIDE SPACE FOR ARTISANS AND MASONS. WE A RE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CREATIVE ENDEAVOR, A PLACE FOR CREATIVITY TO FLOURISH.”
West Avalon’s showroom and stone yard are the latest chapter in owner Vaughn DeWitt’s two-decade career in the natural-stone industry. DeWitt has owned and operated AAA Natural Stone and The Stone Genesis Group, serving the wholesale market with raw materials and sales and marketing expertise.
That work has helped him establish relationships throughout the building-material industry while learning from businesses that serve customers directly.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved at a retail level,” DeWitt says, “but I never wanted to be in competition with clients in my other ventures.”
After 20 years in the wholesale sector, DeWitt opened West Avalon last winter as a fully developed concept. His background in quarry management, material extraction, and sales also helped clarify that the business should be a focused resource for artisans and masons rather than a company trying to do everything at once.
“SOMETIMES PEOPLE COME IN TO PURCHASE A SINGLE STEPPING STONE TO COMPLETE A BACKYARD LANDSCAPING PROJECT, AND OTHER TIMES, WE’RE SELLING FOUR TRUCKLOADS PER HOUSE TO BUILDERS DEVELOPING SMALL RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES.”
“The purpose of West Avalon is to work with and provide space for artisans and masons. We are an integral part of the creative endeavor, a place for creativity to flourish.”
DeWitt started his first stone business in his garage and recalls being “hooked from the very first sample.”
Twenty years later, his enthusiasm is still as solid as the material he sells.
Inside the Showroom
Drawing on decades of experience in the stone industry, DeWitt and his team have created a showroom that offers an immersive experience. Visitors drive through the expansive stone yard on the way in, setting the scene from the first moment.
An archway of aspen trees leads inside, where the space feels more like a forest than a storefront. A massive Montana moss rock wall climbs to the ceiling, where whimsical wood installations blur the lines between roof and forest canopy. Various interior spaces are staged but without any pretense. The bar and billiard room invite guests to unwind and toss a few back. The living room welcomes them to sit down and stay a while. The various stone features aren’t just samples and templates; they belong there, inviting guests to feel the same way.
Perhaps the most impressive feature is the walk-in shower, built of local Montana Bluebell stone.
“THIS SPACE IS IDEAL FOR NETWORKING EVENTS, CLASSES, AND CELEBRATIONS.”
“Water features are a common inclusion in luxury homes,” DeWitt says. “And this is a shower that’s both a wellness space and a water feature all in one.”
Multiple showerheads, including an overhead rainfall fixture, integrated lighting, and a redwood art installation complete the space, elevating a practical plumbing fixture into an artful indulgence.
“People are drawn to this shower, and it opens their eyes to the possibilities of bringing the outdoors inside,” DeWitt says.
The showroom is designed to move intentionally from luxurious, rustic materials up front to Old World and modern materials in the back. Weathered textures, irregular shapes, and an endless display of raw materials reveal stone’s wide-ranging potential. The lighting overhead mimics natural light, allowing visitors to see how the materials will look regardless of the time of day or the season.
“Sometimes people come in to purchase a single stepping stone to complete a backyard landscaping project, and other times, we’re selling four truckloads per house to builders developing small residential communities,” DeWitt says.
West Avalon carries thin veneer, landscaping stone, and retaining wall materials, including products mined from three local quarries. They also have concrete and porcelain, custom wood-burning stoves, and some custom leather sofas.
The West Avalon Team
“TOGETHER, WE’RE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AND WE’RE DEDICATED TO GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF WHICH MATERIALS PEOPLE WANT, WHAT THEIR PROJECTS REQUIRE, AND HOW TO GET TO THE PRICE POINT THAT WORKS FOR THEM.”
In addition to local raw materials, West Avalon has another valuable homegrown asset: its team. JoAnne Marquart, Jake McCormick, and DeWitt handle day-to-day operations. Jessica Wirth, Alan Gonzalez, Mike Mosied, and Brian DeWitt support sales, service, and support. Their combined knowledge and expertise provide a vast network for everyone from the casual shopper to the real estate developer.
“JoAnne’s local network is incredible,” DeWitt says. “She has years of experience in local real estate and building trades, and she’s a connector in the community.”
“And Jake is a jack of all trades with a background in the railroad industry, carpentry, landscaping, and a full-time can-do attitude,” DeWitt adds. “Together, we’re the boots on the ground, and we’re dedicated to getting to the bottom of which materials people want, what their projects require, and how to get to the price point that works for them.”
Outside of daily operations, other endeavors are on the horizon at West Avalon. The showroom and its grounds are also available to rent as an event venue. “This space is ideal for networking events, classes, and celebrations,” DeWitt says.
The venue is also part of a larger vision for the property. Together with its neighbor, Paul McElroy, owner of Montana Build, West Avalon is planning to develop the adjacent lots into an all-inclusive creative campus—The Montana Design Emporium. Plans include space for real estate, lighting, plumbing, and interior design firms, along with a courtyard and cafe for guests.
Just like the material at its center, West Avalon is quickly becoming a solid, foundational, and sturdy element, establishing its own lasting presence in the Flathead Valley’s enduring residential building community.
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