The outdoor gardens are xeriscaped to be water-friendly — one of many “green” features of the property, which also include reclaimed wood and rafters, walls plastered with earthen clay, hand-made clay tiles, geothermal heating and cooling, and double-paned windows and doors. No detail was overlooked during the three-year construction and design process, says Betty, who worked with architect Dale Dibello of New Braunfels, project manager Judy Ramsey of Utopia, designer Catrina Kendrick of Boerne, and countless other subcontractors and suppliers throughout the Hill Country and beyond. “All of the many details that made the project successful took major detailed lists and follow-through,” Betty says. “Just finding the hardware for the doors and windows with a rustic authentic design took major research.” In the thick of things with the Martins was Ramsey, with whom Betty became close friends during the building process. Having moved to Utopia at the age of 7, Ramsey is a near-native of the area who says that her rearing taught her “to treat people with respect and honesty” and to give 100 percent in all that she does. These character traits served her well during the Martin project. “When you take on a project of this magnitude out in the rural area of Utopia, you know without a doubt there are going to be some big challenges,” she says. “I realized after a few weeks with Mrs. Martin that this was not going to be your run-of-the-mill house. I knew there was going to be a ton of research because of all of the intricate details and specialty items the Martins wanted.” The first step was to address drainage and lay out the house accordingly. But despite the magnitude of the project and possibility of things going wrong, she insists that “God truly blessed” the entire process and says she is in awe of the dedication of the contractors, subcontractors and vendors, whom she calls “the cream of the crop.” Like Betty, Ramsey found the home’s remote location to be the biggest challenge. From the transport of supplies to the overseeing of workers, the intricacies of constructing the mammoth showstopper required extensive forethought and planning. And that’s before the interior design process even began.