Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan & Tracy Hanes of Barntiques Custom Wood & Design,
Hi Dan & Tracy, we are so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We are the sole owners of this home based family business located in Foley, MN. We have been married for 38 years and we have 2 adult sons that both help with the business. We both grew up in a small farming town very much like Foley in central Minnesota. We moved to the St Cloud area after High School, started College and after a few short moves ended up here in Foley in 1999 to continue our careers.
We both come from careers of service. Dan was an elementary/middle school teacher for 28years as well as a Drama Coach. He did 3-4 plays a year for about 15 years and built every set they had. I was in the medical field for 25 years. I worked in the lab and for a pediatrician after that until retired in 2018.
Right before Covid hit Dan had been building our sheds in the summer for a few years and we got pretty busy. He had always wanted to retire early and do it full time! An opportunity arose that allowed him to try it and within a year, after the doctor that I had been working for retired, I left my job and joined our business. We hire some kids in the summers and we have our 28 year old son working with us helping with the building and design part and our 33 year old son is doing our website and marketing from where he lives in South America. It has become entirely a family business and we are so grateful and excited to see where it will go from here.
We have Loved every minute of it and are so grateful for the people we have meant and new friends we have because of this experience.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The other obstacle honestly was getting use to spending so much time together. We both can be very stubborn, but now I wouldn’t want to go back, EVER!!! We LOVE what we are doing and have actually found a great work-life balance!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Our business is making speciality cottages, she-sheds, greenhouses, garden sheds, playhouses, and saunas. They have crooked walls and curved roofs. They remind you of Dr Suess or Harry Potter and we call them “Crooked Creations”. They were designed to have a whimsucal feel. To get this shape, we hand bend the rafters and work with the asthetics rather than blueprints. Each work of art comes from the heart and soul we put into every building and each one comes with a birth certificate but you have to come up with a name! Dan Also has written many poems about them.
I think what we are most proud of, is the individual attention that we are able to offer our clients. This is what sets us apart from a typical construction company. We work with the customer from design to delivery. This takes communication skills that we have developed over years of service to people.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We are constantly looking for the unusual and unique items to add to our buildings. These could include windows, door knobs and hardware. We also have thought about ways where we could possibly do DIY camps or workshops of some kind where people could do smaller projects like mailboxes or stump toppers. We have donated a Playhouse to Colorado Make a Wish Foundation (picture below) and a Greenhouse to Miller Dwan Foundation in Duluth, MN. This was for raising money for a Mental Health program in their Hospital system. We enjoyed both of these experiences so much that we have a goal, where with the right financial backing we could build several of our Designs every year and donate them to differant venues across the country!
Can you tell us if there is anything coming up in 2025?
Yes in fact we just opened up a new design of Mini Sheds or Fairy Houses. These are about 2’x3’ and 4-5’ tall. We also have started leasing our sheds for long term holiday events or summer activities. Like a bar for the summer near your pool or a playhouse for a birthday party. And coming up we are going to be renting saunas that will be mobile. We will bring them to you and pick them up when you are done! Check out our website for all of these oppurtunities. Thanks for reading our story we hope we have inspired joy and inspiration!
Dan and Tracy Hanes
Barntiques Custom Wood & Design
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.barntiquescustom.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14v56hKwLv/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Hanes Lifestyle Photography-
Tracy Hanes
