French Connection
By Stacy Durr Albert / Photography by Skip Olsen
Inspired by the manors of Western Europe, an Oregon custom homebuilder creates a masterpiece of his own- and injects some Western American flair
It was about time that Jess Alway built a timber home for himself.
After all, the award-winning builder has created custom homes for
clients for more than 30 years. It’s no surprise that the fine craftsmanship
of these projects finally rubbed off, inspiring Alway to build a timber retreat
for his own family.
His daughter, Alisha Alway, says that the architecture of timber construction has
always appealed to her father. “He’s inspired by the French provincial architecture
that he’s seen in western Europe during his travels there,” says Alisha, who is the marketing
director for Jesse Always Inc. in Bend, Ore. “He was drawn to the clean, graceful
lines of European homes, and he was taken with the idea of timber framing.”
With more than 30 timber homes under his belt, Jess knows a thing or two about
fine wood craftsmanship. All of his homes boast luxury details and superb artistry,
setting a high standard in the luxury home market. He followed these basic principles
when it came time to design his own home in Sisters, Ore.
“Jess was really looking for a quality home that was comfortable,” says Alisha. “The
hallmark of the design is no wasted space—every square inch of space is functional.”
After developing a basic plan, Alway turned his ideas over to Portland designer
Rich Walton, who created the home’s workable construction documents. For Alway,
collaborating with Rich was a no-brainer, since the duo has worked on many projects
together throughout the years.
“Jess is awesome to work with,” says Jon Heiser, a co-owner of North Idaho
Timber Framers, which supplied the timber for the home. “For this home, he selected
a white pine highlight package, meaning the beams and trusses are nonstructural.
He really liked the look and knotty texture of the white pine.”
To enhance the wood, Alway created a special “aging” finish, a unique blend of
vinegar and steel wool, to bring out the beauty of the mortise and tenon timber-peg
trusses. As Alisha noted, “Jess spent a week staining all of the woodwork. He wanted
to antique the beams to give them that old European character he loves.”
Other unique touches include Venetian plaster on the walls, authentic blacksmith
forged ironwork, and copper gutters and downspouts.
The 3,500-square-foot design incorporates a great room, den, and media room, as
well as four bedrooms and three baths, furnishing ample room for day-to-day living
and entertaining. The decor of the home is a classic example of marital give-and-take.
“The decorating style incorporates a masculine Western theme for him and a little
baroque for her,” says Alisha with a laugh. “He wants everything to have leather
and belt buckles, and she wants everything scrolled and floral. The end result is a little
in-between.”
18th tee box of the Aspen Lakes Golf Course, the home offers sweeping vistas of golf
greens, woodlands, and the Cascade Mountains in the distance. Dubbed “Aspen
Manor,” it’s an ideal setting for family gatherings. But despite the time and attention
poured into this peerless house, Jess and his wife, Carleen, are preparing to move
into yet another timber home he just completed.
“They found another piece of property they loved, and they wanted to downsize a
bit,” explains Alisha. “Jess is the type of guy who can’t build the same thing twice.
He’s always evolving.”
So now the stone-and-shingle-clad house awaits new residents who will appreciate
its craftsmanship, singular beauty, and picture-perfect setting. Chances are, it
won’t have to wait long.
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