Honoring the Builder Behind the Scenes, and Beside Me

June is a month to celebrate the fathers, mentors, and craftsmen who help build the world around us—quite literally. As a proud member of the South Central Wisconsin Builders Association, I’m honored to join this month’s feature highlighting the men who shape our industry from the ground up.

For me, that man is my husband, Eric Richards.

Eric is the owner of Richards Construction and a fellow SCWBA member whose dedication to craftsmanship and integrity has left a lasting impact—not just on our family, but on the entire homebuilding community. He’s the kind of builder who treats every project as if he were building it for his own family, and the kind of person who leads with humility, patience, and a quiet but unwavering sense of purpose.

Our story as a design-build duo began years ago with a few collaborative projects. What started as a working relationship quickly evolved into something deeper—a shared passion for creating thoughtful, well-crafted homes. From the very beginning, Eric has supported my design vision with the structural expertise to bring it to life. His steady presence has grounded me through every phase of my business, from launching a retail studio to refining our focus on full-service interior design.

What I admire most about Eric is not just his talent for building homes, but his ability to build trust, relationships, and community. Whether he’s mentoring a new contractor, navigating the daily curveballs of a job site, or lending a hand to a fellow SCWBA member, he does it all with quiet strength and genuine care.

This Father’s Day, I celebrate Eric not only as a devoted husband and incredible dad, but as a leader, mentor, and true craftsman. He inspires me daily—not just in the work we do, but in the way he shows up for others.

Here’s to the builders who lead by example and to the legacies they create—brick by brick.