When clients turn to the luxury designbuild firm Extraordinary Homes, it’s because they’re drawn to the company’s distinct modern style. Some have discovered their work online; others have noted the striking exteriors when driving past. A certain number arrive having already had the opportunity to step inside one of the company’s custom homes. But this home’s owner—a structural steel subcontractor who has collaborated with the Extraordinary Homes team for years—arrived with a deeper understanding of the company’s work than most. “He’s worked on nearly every house we’ve done,” notes president Kathleen Fogel. “We were a natural fit to design his and his wife’s own home.”

Fittingly, the client wanted a steel-centric abode. “That was the first thing he asked for,” Fogel says. “He wanted to take his trade and capitalize on it. So we took advantage of that and had a lot of fun.” This meant starting with a curved-beam steel barrel roof, which, along with dramatic black-metal trim and doors, gives the exterior its distinct profile. Walnut-colored metal siding continues the sleek style, but Fogel knew she needed a natural material to soften the dark palette and industrial edge. “The surroundings always provide inspiration for how I want a home to look,” she says. “It needs to look like it grew out of the land.”

Unfortunately, the muted grays found in much of the local limestone wouldn’t work for Fogel’s vision. “I needed an element of color,” she recalls. “We wanted something to pull all of this together.” That something turned out to be Buechel Stone’s Chilton Rustic Ledgestone. With its reds, oranges, grays, and browns, the stone brought the warmth and vibrancy Fogel sought. Creative and well-traveled, the client couple was on board with the bolder-hued stone immediately. “They were open to something a little different,” she says. “I didn’t even choose any other options. I just showed them the one and they said, ‘We’re in.’”