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“Out Of Control Hobby” Becomes Charming General Store Museum For years, Steve has been collecting antiques. It’s a hobby that “kinda got out of control,” he says. He bought items at antique and thrift stores, but friends who knew about his interest also helped grow his collection; they would drop off pieces of the past that they were no longer wanting.  For a long time, Steve stored his collection in boxes and in the house, but he recently he’s found a way of getting it back under control: he turned this 14×20 shed into a charming General Store museum, and walking through the door is like stepping back in time. Antique Rotating Wheel Cheese Slicer The variety of items displayed is fascinating. On the counter is a rotating wheel cheese slicer. Next to it is a tobacco plug cutter.  Close by is the antique cash register with it’s unmistakable ring as the drawer is opened.  Just inside the door is an innovative piece of furniture: a folding combination chair, step stool, and ironing board. Not far away is a vintage Coca Cola cooler.  Behind the counter is a whole shelf full of tobacco products, one of health remedies, and another of coffee.  There are needles and matches, pens and razor blades, canned goods and gardening tools, advertising signs and kitchen kettles, a meat scales along with paper and string to wrap up the purchased meat — and a host of other intriguing items. Nice work, Steve — it’s a great collection!

Mike Green needed a building in which to work on his classic cars. He and his wife Pam also needed space for storing household items. As they began to shop for a storage building, they heard about Ulrich Barn Builders from other people. They went to the Ulrich sales lot where they talked with sales associate Dustin Young. In a sales brochure, they found the 24×32 Carriage House design and fell in love with it because it matched their house. The same day, Dustin gave the Greens a quote with the modifications they requested and put their garage on the building schedule. The Greens chose white for the exterior and a gray roof to match their house. They added two dormers and a porch over the door with a couple of columns to coordinate with columns used near their pool. Construction supervisor Brian Seaman had the building completed right on schedule. Mike says Brian kept the crew working efficiently and caught any potential issues. Mike had gray garage cabinets installed on the lower level. He used slat board for the walls and white bead board for the ceiling, with epoxy applied to the floor. They also installed air conditioning and heat on both levels. Mike’s son has taken over half of the upstairs, turning it into a theater room for watching sports. The Greens have recommended Ulrich Barn Builders to their neighbors. “There are a lot of people in the neighborhood that once this went up, they’re, like, ‘Man, we want a barn just like that.'” Several neighbors have walked through the barn to get ideas for their own sheds. If you’re looking to purchase your own shed or garage, Mike suggests calling Ulrich Barn Builders, and “they’ll pretty much handle it from there.” #MikeGreen

In May of 2018, Kim Wyatt retired from his position as CEO of a local bank. Now he enjoys spending his days raising cattle on the 160 acres he and his siblings inherited from their father. Needing a building to protect the tractor and other equipment, his brother and sister wanted a wooden barn reminiscent of a barn from their childhood. They especially wanted a barn with a loft. So Kim looked online and discovered that Ulrich Barn Builders had exactly what they were looking for. Kim met with sales associate Dustin Young, who arranged a tour of a similar barn they’d built for another customer. Touring that barn convinced Kim a 30×30 Raised Center Aisle Ulrich barn was what they needed. To accommodate the tractor, the center of the barn was raised a foot, with a wooden roll-up door modified accordingly.  They added a walk-through door and a loft as well. Building the barn on-site was delayed by rain, but construction supervisor Brian Seaman communicated well with Wyatt about the timing of the build.  Kim was impressed by the hardworking crew, who finished about two days sooner than projected. Kim and his siblings are very pleased with the construction of their Ulrich storage barn. The barn is very sound and tight.  Kim stores feed in the barn, and no raccoons or other animals have been able to get at the feed. His equipment starts better on cold mornings now that it’s protected. The barn has exceeded his expectations. Kim says, “It’s probably an overbuilt barn, but can’t complain about that! It’ll be here longer than I am.” #KimWyatt

Craig Scott owns a vacation home on the lake. The property had a small carport, but as Craig discovered, a carport doesn’t keep your boat clean. Leaves and dirt are an ever-present part of storing something in a carport. So Craig set about finding a better solution. Trying to coordinate framing and concrete contractors, particularly away from a big city, was quite challenging. He started searching on Google for “garages”, and found Ulrich Garages. When Craig called us, he spoke with Ulrich Garage Consultant Dustin Young. He found Dustin to be very accommodating with his schedule. Initially, Craig intended to replace the 16×20 ft carport with a single story garage of the same size. One of his goals, however, was to be able to park his Ford F150 inside during inclement weather. With his truck being about 20 ft long, Craig decided to increase his garage to a 16×25 ft size. Once the site was ready, construction progressed smoothly, with the exception of some rain delay. Craig was impressed by the professionalism and neatness of the crews who poured the concrete slab and framed the structure. After we finished our part of the project, Craig had electricity installed. Soon he plans to insulate the building with spray foam. Finishing touches will include shelving and place for his tools, as well as shutters to match his house. Craig says that Ulrich Garages solved his challenge of coordinating a concrete and framing contractor. “It was a perfect solution to the problems I was having out here in this very rural area,” he says. “Everything is going to come together real nicely now.” #CraigScott

David Guest lives with his wife in a semi-rural area. He wanted to add a garage to his property, but he wanted it to fit in well with his home. The Guests’ home features tan siding and steeply pitched roof lines. When David saw an ad featuring our Two-Story Carriage House model, he liked how closely the steep roof of our garage matched the style of his home. After visiting our sales center and consulting with Ulrich Garages designer Dustin Young, David settled on a 30 x 26 ½ ft building. With two stories, it totals about 1200 sq ft. David decided to add a third garage door in the back, allowing him to drive through the garage with a trailer. The cross ventilation from the extra garage door is also a huge plus. The Guests are using the top floor for storage, freeing up space inside their home. The ground floor is a multi-use area. In addition to parking their cars, David also has a nice space where he can work on his tractor, lawn mower, and four wheeler. Outfitted with a TV and a few chairs, it also provides an informal place to spend time with his adult son — watching football and working on dirt bikes. David says Dustin was great to work with. “He was extremely helpful and knowledgeable about his product,” says David. He also enjoyed working with construction supervisor Brian Seaman throughout the construction phase, and now considers him a personal friend. “I would highly recommend Ulrich,” says David. “They did what they said they were gonna do. The project came to the penny of the exact budget that was proposed by Ulrich.” #DavidGuest

Brian George bought a bass boat from one of his poker friends some time ago. Now that he’s nearing retirement, Brian wanted to be able to keep his boat on his property, rather than in a storage facility. The homeowners association in Brian’s neighborhood, however, is quite particular about following the rulebook. Additionally his city also has plenty of regulations when it comes to building a large structure in your yard. Brian needed a contractor who could customize his garage to meet the HOA and city standards. Ulrich, it turned out, was just the ticket. One of the HOA’s requirements was that Brian’s garage had to look very similar his home. Sales consultant Dustin Young worked with Brian to provide a building that would satisfy the HOA requirements by matching the soft contemporary style of his house. The garage maximizes the available space, with a 29×26 ft footprint. In order to match the house, it has light colored stucco, a distinctive trim style, and a steeply pitched roof. In addition to housing his bass boat, Brian also has woodworking tools that he will be keeping in his new garage. The steep roof allows him to utilize the attic for additional storage space. Overall, Brian has been very pleased. “I would absolutely recommend Ulrich for a garage like this,” he says. “I chose them because I wanted a quality building, and that’s what they provided.” #BrianGeorge

Harvey Ackerman is a long-time pilot and electrical engineer. At 71 years old, he’s still inventing electrical devices. Harvey needed a space to work on his electrical inventions, and at the recommendation of a friend, stopped in at our sales office. He met with Dustin, our custom garage sales consultant, and discussed what he wanted in his dream workshop. Harvey’s property is high on the bluffs of overlooking the lake. On a clear day, you can see the far shoreline of the lake five miles away. With that in mind, Harvey designed his custom garage to face the lake. The property slopes significantly, so we built a covered walkway that allows Harvey to access the side door of his building without using any steps. This spring, Harvey plans to add electrical, plumbing, insulation, and high-grade plywood to finish out his workshop. Currently, he’s using his garage to assemble his own airplane. It’s a small two-seater that will be both tough and fast when’s he’s finished. Harvey enjoyed working with Dustin and the team at Ulrich. He says the project was completed on time and on budget. “Anyone wanting to have a custom or a standard building put on their property, I would highly recommend Ulrich as a contractor,” he says. #HarveyAckerman

Bikes For Angels is a unique non-profit. It provides bicycles for kids from low-income families who otherwise couldn’t afford a bike. Founded by Rick and Dee Curlee, Bikes for Angels has been able to give over 5600 bikes since 2007. Bikes For Angels now hosts an annual car show and auction to raise funds for the organization. This year we donated a bright red 6 x 8 ft Ulrich Premier Victorian playhouse for their auction. Auction day would turn out to be a very happy day for two young ladies. The auctioneer started his chant, and soon the bidding began. The competition narrowed to two bidders. As the price rose, the competing bidder noticed the eager faces of Jamie Bennett’s daughters, Tori and Cindy. He promptly stepped out of the auction, and SOLD! — two girls wishes came true. The girls immediately began exploring their new playhouse. They were delighted with its loft and little ladder. They started dreaming about the possibilities — painting the interior, adding cushions in the loft, and putting a little table downstairs. The afternoon was hot, and Rick Curlee intended to wait a few days to deliver the playhouse. But the girls would have been devastated, so Rick delivered it the same day. Rick wishes to express his gratitude to Ulrich for helping to make the auction a success. All told, the car show and auction brought in $18,000 for Bikes For Angels — enough money to brighten the lives of 360 kids who need a bike! If you want to learn more about Bikes for Angels, or wish to donate, go to bikesforangels.org

Knitting has been a passion of Nancy’s since she was young girl, knitting with her Grandmother. Until recently, she didn’t have a single, organized space dedicated to her hobby. But that’s changed, now that Nancy has her own she shed. Jim Brown and Nancy Brown-Webber live in a semi-rural area. Their spacious backyard is a shaded oasis with a waterfall and a deck for outdoor relaxation. From inside the house, however, you can’t really see into the backyard to enjoy the scenery. Nancy wanted to put her she shed into her backyard so that she could enjoy the view through the large windows. The Webbers visited our retail store multiple times, making sure they chose the model that would fit their needs the best. “We only had a rough idea of what we wanted, and slowly narrowed it down,” says Jim. They loved working with their sales consultant, who was both helpful and not pushy. They settled on a 10×16 ft Ulrich Retreat, a popular model for backyard she sheds and hobby shops. The couple decided on a small porch and five 3×4 ft windows. Jim, an avid woodworker, lined the interior walls with knotty pine and the ceiling with knotty alder. Nancy stained the pine to give it a “barnwood” look and oiled the alder, which makes it glow. Nancy is very pleased with the end result and very happy with her Ulrich cabin shell. She was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable our prices were. “The quality for the price we paid, I was actually quite surprised,” she says. Jim was also impressed. “You can’t beat the quality,” he says. Nancy is looking forward to many peaceful hours of knitting and relaxation in her very own she shed. #JimBrownandNancyBrownWebber

Billy Battan has enjoyed woodworking as a hobby for many years. In the past, Billy worked on his projects in the backyard, but his tools kept getting rusty. He needed a nice shop where he could keep his tools dry and protected. Billy has lived in his home for over 30 years. In order to get his wife’s approval for the project, Billy needed to find a building that would look attractive and fit in well with the house. He found just the thing in Ulrich’s Workshop. With a garage door, heavy duty construction, and customizable door and window layouts, Billy was able to design a shop to his specifications. There was a unique twist, though. Billy’s property is slightly pie shaped. In order to fit in perfectly on the property, Ulrich Sales Consultant Everett Ulrich worked with Billy to design a building that narrowed slightly, to match the property line. “From the moment I called him, we clicked,” says Billy. “I think I knew probably with 4 or 5 minutes from talking with Everett that I was going to buy from him.” Billy had a concrete slab poured, and then the Ulrich on-site crew built his 12×16 ft Workshop directly on the slab. Billy is very happy with the final result. The building fits in great with his home. “I come out here on a Saturday morning with my coffee, and I look at projects [on YouTube] that I want to do,” says Billy. “This is kind of my unwind place, more than it is a workshop.” Billy has already been recommending Ulrich to others. “I couldn’t ask for a better company to work with,” he says. #BillyBattan

Mark Mattson has long enjoyed working with tools. More recently, his interest in woodworking has morphed into an actual business. With the need for a better workspace, Mark had to decide whether to convert the garage into a shop, or whether to search for a backyard shed. Mark and his father Jack began shopping by checking the big box stores for the perfect shed. Eventually, Jack settled on a 12×16 ft Ulrich Garden Cottage The double doors in front open up wide, making it easy to move bulky lumber and equipment in or out. The Mattsons also selected an additional 4 ft wide side door. Inside, the loft provides valuable storage space. After the building was delivered, Mark painted the floors, added a ramp, and built specialized tool holders to keep his frequently used tools within easy reach. Even though it’s a pretty compact woodworking shop, it’s a great first home for Mattson Woodworking. Matt enjoys creating American Flags, and does a variety of custom projects for his clients, such as furniture repair. Mark liked how quickly we were able to deliver the shed and the fact that its level and sturdy — he highly recommends Ulrich! #MarkMattson

Joe Adams already had a pool and a gazebo in his backyard, but he wanted a man cave. Joe’s father-in-law Homer Giles is 92 years old, and going strong. With his wife no longer living, Homer lives at his son-in-law’s place and enjoys tackling backyard DIY projects. Homer and his daughter Jerilyn visited our retail store. Ulrich sales consultant Aaron Jordan walked them through the process of purchasing a 12×16 ft Heritage. Homer loved the attractive design of the Limited series shed, as well as the wrap around loft and heavy duty construction. Because their gate is only 10 ft wide, they opted to have the shed built on-site. Both Joe and Homer were amazed at the skill of the crew as the building took shape in their backyard. Homer is not, by his own admission, a patient person. He set to work, finishing out the interior. The building has insulation, sheetrock, electrical, and plumbing. To give the building a more “cave-like” feel, they opted for a dark colored paint. Within about two months of its initial construction, the Limited Heritage became the Man Cave. Amenities and features include a large TV, a 1940s hand-carved bar, comfortable seating, and lofts outfitted with mattresses for guests. The man cave is not just for men, as it turns out. It’s also a favorite spot for the grandkids. Here at Ulrich, our motto is “Helping families live more memorable and organized lives.” This is definitely one family that’s choosing to live a more memorable life! #JoeAdams