When it comes to working in harmony with your husband or wife, there has to be a division of labor. But for Byron and Elena Robinson, launching their custom home construction company first meant a definition of labor.

“Our banker pointed it out to us,” Elena explains of working with her husband in Robinson Homes. “She said, ‘Byron is all about the details; you are all about the big picture.’”

That big picture first came into focus when Byron was getting ready to retire from a career with the Las Cruces Fire Department. “Having a firefighter’s schedule allowed me the flexibility to work in other areas. I would work a 24-hour shift, and then be off 48 hours, so I started getting experience in light construction.”

After 24 years of service in the fire department, it was time to make a decision. “He could have stayed in firefighting, either at NASA or with another fire department,” Elena explains. “But we also wanted something new and exciting we could do together.” And so a company called Robinson Homes was born.

“We actually started building a few homes with my dad,” notes Elena, who grew up alongside her father in the construction business in Los Angeles, California. “He’s been in construction since he was 15, and has been a great mentor to us; he really helped us get started.” Their first house, which was a favorite in 2005’s Showcase of Homes, was built in two and a half months. “It was a little Mediterranean home,” Elena remembers. “It was beautiful and everyone loved it, but we weren’t quite sure that was the style we were looking for. We looked around the area and saw a lot of Santa Fe and pueblo style homes, and the builders here do them well, so we knew that wasn’t the style we wanted, either. We didn’t know which way we were going to go until we took a trip to Guanajuato, Mexico.”

The trip would become a turning point for the company. After a tour of San Miguel de Allende, known for its historic Mexican colonial architecture, Byron and Elena saw a sign. “It was a map,” Elena explains, recalling a picture she took along the way. “It was the trail of El Camino Real, and on the map was San Miguel, and then Mesilla, and then Las Cruces. I told Byron, ‘This is it. This is the style we’re looking for.’ I wanted to help make that cultural, historic connection Las Cruces has with its roots in the Mexican interior.”

Knowing what that signature style would be helped Byron and Elena move forward with more great custom homes, including another that was featured in the 2006 Showcase. The large, split floor plan featured three bedrooms with a fourth that could double as an office or game room. The spacious 14-foot ceilings enveloped the house in sunlight that peeked through a unique, custom-designed skylight above the kitchen. Ample use of slate tile and custom texture on the walls and ceilings helped to finish off the Mexican colonial style. As with every Robinson home, the kitchen was loaded with extras: granite, pendant lighting, custom cabinetry and upgraded appliances. Arches and accent lighting crafted from wrought iron in the great room also added to the charm of this unique home. Rich in texture, warm tones, and all the charm of Mexican colonial architecture, the home was the perfect example of the style they both had dreamed of.

Having built a firm foundation on which to grow their business, the only direction for the Robinsons is upward. Elena is able to maintain her first priority, their children Diego and Daniela, while still doing her part to help Byron with their dream of living up to the Robinson Homes motto. “We build beautiful homes in beautiful Las Cruces, and that’s really what it’s all about. I don’t like to use the word ‘quality’ because it’s more than that; it’s quality in every detail.”

After all, you can’t have a big picture without first knowing all the details.