Welcome to the second post in our Neighbor Spotlight series! Several months ago, we profiled the very first family to move into the neighborhood, the Canneys, in our print Polestar newsletter. We are absolutely thrilled that Discovery West is now home to many more residents, and we look forward to getting to know them better through these short interviews.
Up this month, we asked the Ellsons a few questions about their family, new home, work and life in Bend, Oregon. They moved to the area about one and a half years ago in order to be in close proximity to their family (namely grandparents) and to raise their young son. Like many Central Oregonians, they love spending time outdoors, so Discovery West is the perfect location to access all the recreational opportunities that the region has to offer.
Q: Why did you choose Discovery West?
A: We previously lived in NorthWest Crossing (NWX). We bought our house in NWX because we loved the neighborhood, convenience of great parks and restaurants as well as convenience to the mountains. So when Discovery West was building phase 1 we felt like it was the perfect fit for our family.
Q: Tell us about building your house and the process. Did anything stand out for you?
A: Jordan is an interior designer and has worked on many new construction homes so she is very familiar with the process. Curtis Homes LLC was almost done framing when we purchased our new home. They were very flexible in letting us choose all our finishes, as well as customizing the home to fit our needs. We added a lot of cabinetry for more storage since we were downsizing quite a bit. We added a few design features, such as a niche with built-in shelving in the hallway. That, paired with the lighting Jordan purchased from her vendors, won the best feature in the 2021 COBA Tour of Homes.
Q: What do you like best about your new home?
A: We love the floorplan. It is very functional for our family. The finishes also pulled together exactly how we wanted. Simple, clean, and lots of warmth.
Q: What do you like best (so far) about living in Discovery West? Bend?
A: We love the accessibility to so many things outdoors. A ten minute walk to beautiful parks. A ten minute bike ride to Phil’s Trailhead. A ten minute drive to world-class golf, the river, and to downtown. Having lived in larger cities, Tampa and Denver specifically…we love being able to pack multiple activities into one day.
Q: Who are the members of your family?
A: Ryan, Jordan, and Riley (year and a half old). Ryan’s parents are down the road in NWX.
The Ellsons say: “We’ve met some amazing neighbors and we’re looking forward to seeing the Discovery West neighborhood come together!”