Want to know all about Peak Home Design?
Rick Stephens uses his decades of experience designing beautiful homes that are Oregon regulations compliance and safe for your family.
How Golf Made Me a Great House Designer
I love painting scenic mountain vistas with acrylics. So it was a very sad day when it dawned on me that I could either live by myself as a starving artist or find a profession that would make it possible to support a family.
It was a wonderful day when I discovered drafting. I could combine my love of creating beautiful designs with a very real service for people in my community.
So I went off to college and immersed myself in the intricacies of designing detailed plans for houses that can be built accurately and stand the test of time. I studied geometry, trigonometry and golf.
You see, to get my certification, I had to have one credit of physical education. So I chose golf. And if I hadn’t passed my Golf Class, I wouldn’t be a house designer today. Crazy huh?!
While my interest in golf has waned, I still love designing houses. I get a real kick out of seeing my work spring from the page into something beautiful that a family can happily live in.
The feel of the pencil (yes, I began in the pencil/blue print era), the buzz of the electric eraser, the swish of the brush across the vellum sweeping the eraser crumbs away still echo in my mind.
But I’ve kept up with technology, and that’s a good thing. Now your plans can zing across the internet. And you can get them in a matter of seconds no matter where you live in Oregon.
And Then the Spring Break Quake Happened
March 25, 1993, 5:35 am we were sleeping in our single wide mobile home 7 miles away from the epicenter of the Spring Break Quake. It sounded like a freight train rolling through and it violently rocked our home back and forth. Our bedroom was at one end right next to the bathroom and the hot water heater broke loose so we had a geyser of hot water that we had to run through to get out. Our bookshelves dumped all the books, the refrigerator and cabinet doors flew open and spilled all the contents. What a mess!
Because our house was not on a solid foundation, we experienced the devastation described above. This brought home to me how essential it is for families to have a safe and secure home that they can feel comfortable in. My designs reflect that concern.
Life is full of stories.
What will your story be, now that your dreams for building your own home is growing?
Let’s write the first chapter together as we get those dreams out of your head and down on paper.
Looking forward to talking with you soon.
Rick
P.S. I still love the mountains of Oregon, so every house plan is named after a peak in Oregon…Hence the name of my business…