Local Businesses Bring High-Quality Products & Design
by Noah Nelson
“You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it requires people to make the dream a reality.”
–Walt Disney
Three Central Oregon businesses have recently shown exemplary skills and dedication to their respective crafts, providing quality service to customers and showcasing their impressive work in projects that have won awards at the Tour of Homes. The businesses are Open Road Design, a one-man design firm; Stone Works & Design, a no-nonsense stop for stone, tile, flooring, and more; and Yancey Fabrication, a custom metal worker bringing big and bold style to each project.
Each business brings their own style and experience to the industry, and each is leaving their mark on Central Oregon by carving themselves a reputation in the region. These reputations have been built up by years of happy customers, satisfied clients, awards, accolades, and high praise. From projects that garnered awards in COBA’s Tour of Homes to lesser known but still impressive work across the region and beyond, these tradespeople of Central Oregon have left their marks, and continue to do so.
Open Road Design
Stone Works & Design
Yancey Fabrication
Open Road Design
Jeff ensures that each detail and opinion is heard in the design process. “The devil is in the details.”
–Jeff Warwick, Owner, Open Road Design
Founder, owner, and principal designer at Open Road Design, Jeff Warwick, recently worked on an ADU project with Total Home Solutions, which won the Best Architectural Design of $400,000 or less in the Tour of Homes.
“This ADU was a really great project because the client was also the builder,” Jeff says. “This enabled us to collaborate efficiently and come up with some great ideas. It was super fun to work with Ryan Freitas and the entire team at Total Home Solutions. I particularly love the unique shape and layout, and that rooftop deck is just awesome.”
The bulk of Jeff’s work lies with new construction of high-end custom homes, but he is also known for his work on historic homes. As Central Oregon housing demands continue to increase, Jeff has seen an uptick on requests for unique ADUs.
“We have seen a lot more large add-ons to increase home value and expand usability for people who can’t afford to sell and purchase a new home this year,” Jeff says. “Many people don’t realize that some local jurisdictions are allowing ADUs where they weren’t allowed before.”
Jeff adds that some rural areas have now become viable options for ADUs, and while ADU projects on historic homes often have unique classifications that add complexity to a project, he has a ton of experience in this sector and is more than able to help clients with historic homes.
“I particularly love the unique shape and layout, and that rooftop deck is just awesome.”
–Jeff Warwick, Owner, Open Road Design
Based in Bend, Oregon, Open Road Design is a boutique custom home design company. Jeff works one-on-one with every client to provide approachable service and pragmatic solutions to clients, ensuring that both aesthetic and financial goals are met.
Jeff believes the most important aspect of any project’s design lies in the planning phase; the more you understand a client and their needs, the more effectively you can meet those needs.
“The first part of the process for me is to sit down with the client and find out exactly how they want to use their space, as well as what kind of investment they can realistically afford,” he says. “But where big firms may just hand you a questionnaire on this sort of stuff, I prefer to walk through it step-by-step with clients.”
From the daily routines of family members to what each person liked or disliked about their old house, Jeff ensures that each detail and opinion is heard in the design process. “The devil’s in the details,” he says.
Jeff brings 18 years of industry experience to the table and was inspired to start Open Road Design after years of perfecting his trade under trusted mentors. He noticed that at larger firms, there was often not enough emphasis put on the personal touch in the design process. “When I opened my own company, I decided that would be a core element. It was vital to me that I have enough time to be able to work with every client personally.”
Jeff was raised in Central Oregon and is more comfortable in a pair of boots than a suit and tie. “I’m a very down to earth designer,” he says. “I like to walk the job site and get my boots in the dirt while I work closely with the builder and homeowner to ensure that their vision is realistic and being followed.”
“The first part of the process for me is to sit down with the client and find out exactly how they want to use their space, as well as what kind of investment they can realistically afford. But where big firms may just hand you a questionnaire on this sort of stuff, I prefer to walk through it step-by-step with clients.”
–Jeff Warwick, Owner, Open Road Design
A big focus of Jeff’s process is the merging of design needs and budgetary constraints. He recognizes that style trends, cost of living, and the overall housing market always change, and he is dedicated to creating projects that meet as many aesthetic needs as possible, while remaining financially viable.
“To me, the most important thing has always been not to over-design simply for design’s sake,” he says. “I’m a big believer that good design doesn’t need 8,000 different elements happening. Classy, elegant lines with high-quality materials and craftsmanship are key.”
In short, the goal of Open Road Design is to create projects that are stunning, but can still realistically be constructed. Jeff always keeps the builders in mind while designing any project, rejecting the commonly found “means-not-methods” approach that puts design first and leaves the builders scrambling.
“Means-not-methods basically means they design it and then let the builders figure out how to build it. I think that’s ridiculous,” Jeff says. “I know how to build and so I design with the builder in mind as much as the homeowner.”
Genuine client relationships are huge for Jeff. He loves to be able to enjoy a cup of coffee with his former clients in the houses that he designed, because they are so happy with the final product.
Jeff says, “Knowing we built up a great relationship and I kept them happy by making sure we didn’t spend too much money or go overboard with our budget? That’s a great feeling for everyone.”
His attitude, strong work ethic, and design expertise have driven Jeff to success, making him a premier designer in Central Oregon, and a top pick for any client hoping to construct a beautiful home or ADU while keeping the project on budget.
Stone Works & Design
“My parents and grandparents were small business owners. I just assumed that’s what I was supposed to do.”
–Chris Smith, Owner, Stone Works & Design
A leading fabricator in Central Oregon, Stone Works & Design is based out of Redmond, Oregon, and provides stone countertops, tile, hardwood flooring, and more to plenty of satisfied clients in the region. With a wide selection of countertops, tile, and flooring and an emphasis on custom work, Stone Works & Design strives to make the purchasing process fun, creative, and easy on the client.
Chris Smith, the owner of Stone Works & Design, was raised in Central Oregon in a family of small business owners. He says that going as far back as eight years old, he remembers working in family businesses and planning his own business venture in the future.
“My parents and grandparents were small business owners. I just assumed that’s what I was supposed to do,” Smith says. “Some families are all in the medical field. Some are all in the military. I grew up assuming I was supposed to own my own business.”
Years ago, Smith got a job at a tile wholesale business, then at a flooring retail business. He did side work on weekends and after work to pay for licensing, insurance, classes, and such to get a contractor’s license. A fabricator in the region whom Smith had connected with wanted to switch career paths, so he sold his equipment to Smith, who ended up making great use of it. Fast-forward a bit, add on a few employees and some newer equipment, and now Smith says he and his business are ready to go “full tilt.”
A big strength for Smith and Stone Works & Design comes from his industry experience, along with his local connections, “I was born in Central Oregon and have essentially lived here my entire life,” Smith says. “After all the years of positive business ethics, fighting to put the customer first and just outright being kind, maybe to my own detriment, a lot of customers were already on board before the business even opened.”
Smith gives the same praise to each of his crew, many of whom he had worked with before Stone Works & Design had even existed. “Our strength as tradesfolk follows the same principle,” he says. “My crew has been with me for almost the whole time. This business and I are nothing without them. They are completely my backbone, source of confidence, and drive for success. I owe them, and everyone who has supported me along the way, absolutely the best version of myself I can be. Their relentless commitment to a perfect project is rivaled only by my own.”
“My crew has been with me for almost the whole time. This business and I are nothing without them. They are completely my backbone, source of confidence, and drive for success.”
–Chris Smith, Owner, Stone Works & Design
“When customers come in, they can expect that there’s nothing we can’t make happen.”
–Chris Smith, Owner, Stone Works & Design
Passion for the project is important to Smith and his crew in each project they tackle. An example of this passion can be seen in a home that Stone Works & Design worked on in the COBA Tour of Homes.
“The builder and the owner wanted to push the line on flooring and design. First thing I offered was to start thinking of slab as a medium, not just a countertop,” Smith says. “With that, we cut porcelain slabs into five foot by five foot tiles that were used on their primary floor, shower walls, and base. From there, we were free to explore more mediums and ideas as the design evolved. That project was fun and trying from the first day the builder walked in until the day before the photo shoot when we were installing the Dekton fireplace. We provided all the tile and hardwood for that project, along with providing and installing the countertops.”
Smith says that one of the biggest things he’s learned in the industry is to simply make things happen. “We have a few sayings around the shop that we toss around when things get outside the box,” he says. “One of them is ‘there’s nothing we can’t do.’ We apply this thinking to running the business and helping our customers.”
Smith says that customers can expect that fearless, can-do attitude when they come into the shop and talk. “When customers come in, they can expect that there’s nothing we can’t make happen. Ridiculous things you’ve seen on a popular design app that aren’t based on reality? Sure, bring it on,” he says. “We have the experience, grit, and desire to always be trying new looks, new mediums, and new techniques.”
It’s very possible that this customer-first, nothing-is-impossible attitude is what keeps bringing customers back to Stone Works & Design. Smith is frank when mentioning how most flooring stores will generally offer the same big brands, aside from a few specialties. Smith acknowledges that there are other businesses in the region that can do a good job, but he’s not worried.
“Competitors can steal your pricing and marketing, but they can’t steal your culture. It is simultaneously the most intangible and the most visible aspect of a business to a potential customer.”
–Chris Smith, Owner, Stone Works & Design
“So how does a customer choose whom to do business with when they see basically the same products everywhere they go?” Smith says. “I don’t know, but it must have something to do with smiling faces and happy people. Competitors can steal your pricing and marketing, but they can’t steal your culture. It is simultaneously the most intangible and the most visible aspect of a business to a potential customer.”
Yancey Fabrication
“Everything we do is custom…We are extremely versatile as to what we can create.”
–Ashley Yancey, Owner, Yancey Fabrication
When clients, builders, or designers want to make a statement with their metalwork, Yancey Fabrication is the best option. Based out of Prineville, Oregon, Yancey Fabrication specializes in custom entryways and gates with automation, large farm and ranch gates, commercial projects, steel fencing, and custom CNC machine work.
Yancey Fabrication is a family-owned business that came from the minds of Doug and Ashley Yancey. Doug has had a passion to weld since a young age, and his parents bought him his first welder in 6th grade.
According to Ashley, “He knew nothing about welding but was determined to learn. He spent all his spare time outside of school practicing and learning to weld. By his senior year in high school, he built a tandem dually 16-foot dump trailer for his senior project.”
Doug’s first job out of high school was at a concrete block manufacturing company, where he spent ample time welding and repairing parts in the plant as well as working with customers and sales. In 2012 Doug and Ashley started Yancey Fabrication as a side business and continued to work it as a side gig until 2021 when they decided to go all-in. In February of 2023, Doug’s brother, Donald Yancey, joined the family business.
Looking back, it was the correct thing to do. Yancey Fabrication is now known in the region for creating high-quality custom metalwork alongside stellar customer relations; clients of Yancey Fabrication usually have nothing but high praise for the final product and the process of creating it.
When it comes to custom work, Yancey Fabrication is the place to go. “Everything we do is custom,” Ashley says. “We don’t make anything the same. Even if a customer wants a product similar to something we have already created, we try to change something in it to make sure all customers have their own unique design. We are extremely versatile as to what we can create.”
“We don’t make anything the same. Even if a customer wants a product similar to something we have already created, we try to change something in it to make sure all customers have their own unique design.”
–Ashley Yancey, Owner, Yancey Fabrication
Versatile is the perfect word to describe Yancey Fabrication; they can create custom gates and entryways, custom outdoor firepits, interior fireplaces, hood fan covers, benches, windowsills, steel trimmings, custom truss and framing brackets, custom CNC cut signs, and more. According to Ashley, “That is just listing a few items.”
This versatility shined in the Tour of Homes, where Yancey Fabrication was able to showcase some of their beautiful metalwork in a home built by Axis Enterprises. “When Chad at Axis Enterprises originally approached us, he wanted us to make an entryway gate and the fireplace,” Ashley says. “As we started, he was impressed with our work and just kept adding to it. When it was all said and done, we did the fireplace, the steel beam above the island, the brackets on all the shelving, the window seals, the outdoor firepit, all the outdoor brackets, two benches, the hood fan cover, the custom dining room table legs, custom safe door, and the entryway gate. All of these items were custom and were raw steel treated with wax and polish for a durable and long-lasting finish.”
Ashley and Doug both remark that the final design turned out to be amazing, and far beyond what they were first expecting to do. In addition, Yancey Fabrication made sure to utilize the natural surroundings to add emphasis and style to their already impressive collection of work on this house.
“We were able to offset the Cascade Mountains onto the gate and backlight it for an amazing look in the dark…It’s so rewarding to us to create custom focal points like these that really stand out and add personality to a home.”
–Ashley Yancey, Owner, Yancey Fabrication
“Using the Cascade Mountains as a focal point on the gate was important,” Ashley says. “We were able to offset the Cascade Mountains onto the gate and backlight it for an amazing look in the dark. The outdoor firepit has the same mountain scene to match the gate as well as the fireplace. It’s so rewarding to us to create custom focal points like these that really stand out and add personality to a home.”
The key to Yancey Fabrication’s success lies in their process of creating custom work and understanding the needs of each client, “Every product is different,” Ashley says. “If we are going to create a custom gate for a client, there are a lot of details that go into it. Do they want masonry columns, do they want an archway, do they want a logo, brand, or scene in the gate? How do they want the gate finished? Will it be powder-coated or do they like the rusted look? How big of steel do they want to use for the gate?”
While Doug prefers the “strong, beefy look” in his work, Yancey Fabrication also ensures that each project is within budget. Here, the customer will always come first, and each project is approached from not only an aesthetic lens, but also a financial one.
Together, there doesn’t seem to be a metal working project for the home that Doug, Ashley, and the team at Yancey Fabrication can’t tackle; this is a testament to their skills, work ethic, and overall passion for the work they create and the client relationships they form.
