Small Business Summer Series: KDR Wood Design

“Like a kid in a candy store.”

That’s how our friends described my husband as they watched him wander in awe among the rows of saw-milled lumber in the newly expanded KDR Wood Design Co Hobby Room.

The exceptionally clean and organized steel building, located off Hwy 23 in Green Lake, WI, is a culmination of over 9 years of growth for this custom lumber business. Their mission is to give logs a second life by claiming locally sourced lumber that may be displaced by road crews, new construction and arborists.

Their Hobby Room is a dream show space for wood workers. Just stacks and stacks of wood organized by species, grade and thickness. As you can imagine- it smells wonderful- like fresh cut cedar and pine. It has all the appeal of that “new car smell” but for people who like to build stuff!

Among the sprawling building there are traditionally milled wood options, large live slabs for specialty projects, rough sawn mantles ready for finishing and bins of “cookies.”

Cookies are typically slices of log rounds around 3″ thick that show the rings of the tree and any other distinguishing markers in the grain. The amazing pattern in the cookie below is known as spalting and is actually caused by a fungal disease most common in maple and beech trees.

This example is so intricate it reminds me of a topographical map of some yet-to-be discovered region of islands and will likely be transformed into a stunning piece of furniture. Many of these one of a kind lumber finds will become bar tops, dining tables and even headboards, as the owners passion for wood working and design extends far past simply milling wood.

While their retail location in downtown Green Lake might better represent the custom cabinetry side of the business, it was neat to see behind the scenes of the production shop which includes all the saws, sanders and other specialty equipment needed to produce custom doors, trim and even laser cut signs. We happened to stop during their lunch break so we were able to get up close and person with the sawdust.

The owner was lovely, offered us a tour of the entire work space and invited us to their Woodfest Event happening July 13th, 2024.

As the crew finished up their meals and resumed their posts in front of industrial saws and sanders we appreciated their relaxed and lighthearted demeanor. For many with this shared interest, including my husband, this looks like a dream place to work. Milling may be a hard days work but it is also an honest days work- a day when you see the fruits of your labor. A day when you get to work with your hands, create something and feel accomplished. Most of us would definitely equate that to the dream.

Check out KDR Wood Design in Green Lake, WI!