Written by: Peter Briccetti
Photos by: Ramey Photo Co
Building a custom home comes down to two things: expansive vision and extensive collaboration. RK Builders fosters both. Each project begins with a bold blueprint shaped by the client’s unique tastes, experiences, and passions. Once that vision is captured and solidified, it requires a project manager who can marshal the forces necessary to make the dream a reality. Anyone who has built a custom home understands what that demands: planning, patience, and masterful communication. Walking through RK Builders’ most recent custom home in Big Sky, it’s immediately clear that they’ve refined this entire process.
Success through Collaboration
Stepping through a powerfully framed single oak door from a snowy Montana day, the shift is immediate. Morning light pours through kitchen corner windows, settling softly across the grain of wood. An expansive granite island centers the room and offers a sense of permanence, while the view outward keeps the space connected to the landscape beyond. The rooms tell the tale of everyday luxury—coffee, good conversation, and a front-row seat to the changing outdoors.
The master bedroom and office typify the essence of Montana living. It’s unpretentious, tactile, and deeply connected to a sense of place. The custom-made, matte-black fireplace hangs like a modern family heirloom, echoing the landscape’s boldness, while layered woods and woven textures soften the edges. Beyond a set of frosted double doors, a workspace reflects a lifestyle where retreat and productivity coexist with little friction. Throughout, the house is a masterpiece of beautiful utilitarianism, blending simple spaces with luxury finishes.
Shon Ramey, President of RK Builders, clearly lives for the details. Poring over pictures of this most recent project, he highlights the small touches that truly make this a luxury home. He points out the handmade wine rack, the custom white pine banquette, and the brass-finished cabinetry in the kitchen and bathrooms. Each detail is a testament to the community of artisan craftspeople Shon has assembled to create this mountain-view home.
“LUCKILY, AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, I HAD A BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO WAS AN ELECTRICIAN, A BUDDY WHO WAS A PLUMBER, AND A FRIEND WHO WAS A FRAMER, AND I COULD JUST GO WORK WITH THOSE GUYS THROUGH THE WINTER.”
That network is central to how RK Builders operates. Rather than acting as a pass-through between architects, designers, and subcontractors, Shon positions his team for collaboration. On this project, that’s evident in his work with the design team and premium finish contractors.
The team worked together with artisan partners to create a beautiful wine bar that sits in that transition space between the dining room and the kitchen. The clients are world travelers and enjoy hosting large parties with lots of guests, so it made sense to highlight their wine collection in the house’s most communal space.
The team also worked to design and implement a custom fireplace in the master bedroom. Sticking with a wood-burning fireplace was a priority for the clients, but they wanted something that would dovetail with the home’s modern aesthetic. While the clients wanted a minimalist bedroom, adding light and warmth to that space was a priority. Together with his design team, Shon developed a unique flask-shaped design that is both elegant and energy-efficient.
Shon has been building homes for a long time. He began learning the trades at 13, helping out at his dad’s landscaping business. Their company valued honesty, transparency, and integrity above all else and relied on its rock-solid reputation in their small community of Wenatchee, Washington. During the winter months, Shon was able to learn other essential skills for building.
“Luckily, after high school, I had a brother-in-law who was an electrician, a buddy who was a plumber, and a friend who was a framer, and I could just go work with those guys through the winter,” he says. “I very quickly acquired all those other sub-skills that are so essential for building luxury homes.”
Two years ago, Shon decided to mature the brand, going beyond what many deem traditional methods, and brought on Shawna Oliver as Chief Development and Marketing Officer. A Missouri native, Shawna grew up immersed in the construction and real estate industries in the Ozarks and has been actively involved since 2007. Her design-build exposure, high-level strategic perspective, on-site project management experience, and nationwide network of suppliers, vendors, and investors complement Shon’s decades of knowledge and technical mastery.
Together, their professional footprint spans 25 states; the firm now boasts a unique “From Montana to Missouri” synergy, rare in the custom home world. While RK Builders remains a premier name in high-end residential projects, this expanded leadership has diversified the company’s capabilities to cover commercial and mixed-use developments, multi-family complexes, theatres, exhibitions, resorts, restaurants, and workforce housing.
Shon believes that one of his greatest advantages is his deep understanding of each of the professions that make up artisan home building. “Having so much practical experience in each of these fields allows me to communicate with the plumber, the electrician, and the fine cabinetmaker equally,” he says. “I can speak everyone’s language and relate to the unique obstacles that each of them is facing when they work on a job that I’m managing.”
RK Builders focuses primarily on high-end residential projects, including work in the Yellowstone Club and Moonlight Basin. With that focus comes a clear understanding of whom to bring into each project, and when. It all begins with a conversation. Shon and his team will meet with clients to learn their priorities for their new build. They’ll walk the proposed site, sometimes teasing out ideas from ground geography. They’ll brainstorm together and try to think outside the box. Once he understands the vision, Shon will recommend a selection of architects and designers working in the Mountain West.
“WHEN YOU’VE BEEN WORKING ON A HOME FOR UPWARDS OF 18 MONTHS, THERE’S A TENDENCY TO OVERLOOK THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PARTS OF A PROJECT. BUT WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE DOORS WITH THE OWNERS FOR THE FIRST TIME, YOU’RE SEEING THE HOME WITH FRESH EYES.”
The building process is defined by on-site leadership, exacting quality standards, and full transparency carried through every phase of construction. Shon says he usually gets to know clients very well during this part of the process, often serving as an intermediary between the architects, tradespeople, and homeowners.
“A good general contractor is always involved,” he says. “Always at the true center of every project.”
Shon believes that RK’s success rides on the ability to put together a unified, collaborative effort that helps keep budgets and timelines on track. His personal relationship with each subcontractor enables him to manage the entire project more predictably and in a planned way.
At the end of each project comes a building tradition: the client walkthrough. While many builders might view this step in the process as rather stressful, Shon says it’s his favorite hour of the entire process.
“When you’ve been working on a home for upwards of 18 months, there’s a tendency to overlook the most beautiful parts of a project,” he says. “But when you walk through the doors with the owners for the first time, you’re seeing the home with fresh eyes.”
It’s a moment that reflects the process—months of collaboration and planning. For RK Builders, that outcome is never the result of one person, but of many working together.
“It’s just so rewarding,” Shon says.
Shon Ramey and RK Builders would like to extend a special thanks to the following partners:
(Derek Stevens | DS Creative) (Erin Chamberlain | Lark/Spur) (Manhattan Plumbing & Heating) (Rich Kampf | ADT Construction) (Logan Platt | Clean Cut Painters) (Jon Scauzzo | Local Demo)
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