The Man Cave and The Farm

Man Caves – you never know where you’ll find one. A 35-acre strawberry farm may be an unexpected place to find a cozy pub shed, but that’s just what you’ll see at Rancho Amaroso. When Kathy first moved to the property, it had been vacant for about six years. Even though the shed was in disrepair, she saw the potential for a stunning space.

Though Kathy’s husband’s family had owned the property for generations, they hadn’t called it home since the 1970s. In that time, it had been a cut-flower farm, a rental property for local farm workers, and more. When Kathy and her husband decided to revamp the property in 2020, they had a long road ahead. “The house was an absolute disaster, with overgrown weeds everywhere,” says Kathy. “But we knew it would be a beautiful destination.”

As they worked through the property, Kathy found inspiration in an old Tuff Shed barn. Though the barn was in disrepair, she started planning a future pub shed. She visited her local Tuff Shed team with her friend, an interior designer, to work out a design for the new space, inspired by rustic man caves. “We loved the style of the original barn and planned on a simple building, but when we saw all the options we could design, our dreams got even bigger,” laughs Kathy.

Kathy settled on a 12×12 Premier PRO Ranch Weekender with a 6ft porch. “We loved the porch and the option of an interior loft,” notes Kathy. “It’s a unique style, and we wanted to see how we could work with the space.”  After installation day, Kathy and her friend got to work on the interior of the Man Cave.

Using materials they already had from previous projects on the farm, they settled on a rustic theme. They used corrugated, galvanized metal panels and wood for the interior, and ran electricity to the new shed for lighting, a mini-split unit, and the refrigerator. “The shed worked perfectly for what we needed,” says Kathy. “I realized there’s so much you can do with a shed like this, and I finished the project feeling inspired.” To finish the new addition, they added landscaping and a fire pit outside the shed to create an indoor/outdoor entertaining space.

Now the property is renovated, Kathy and her husband have turned it into an events space. It’s available to rent for corporate events and parties, with the Man Cave shed becoming a crowd favorite. “We have a whole property for guests, but we’ve found that everyone gravitates toward the shed,” laughs Kathy. “It has the most beautiful views of the property, and I couldn’t be more proud of the space we created.”

For more information about the Rancho Amoroso property, visit their website: https://www.ranchoamoroso.com/ or Instagram profile here: https://www.instagram.com/ranchoamoroso/.