KALONA

(This story was published in The News on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023.)

In the market for high quality furniture built to last? Good news, there is a local option just down the road.

Midwest Woodworks, located at 2019 Hwy 22, Kalona, owned by Marcus and Anita Miller, provides high-quality indoor and outdoor furniture with a large selection displayed on the showroom floor, making it easy for anyone to stop in and find their dream table.

But they offer more than just tables.

Midwest Woodworks has beds and mattresses; desks; chairs of all varieties; light fixtures and lamps; dressers and chests; decorative signage like a sign labeled “baby” and furniture like a horse rocker; and standing grandfather clocks and wall clocks. There are a magnitude of colors for each product, and that just scratches the surface of what Midwest Woodworks offers.

Despite taking on outdoor furniture to sell just as a side, this line of products has since blossomed into roughly 25% of total sales for the store. Passersby easily identify the outdoor furniture, almost too much.

“Often, when people come in the door, their first reactions are like, ‘Wow, I thought all you sold was outdoor [furniture]’. I’ve been trying hard to figure out how I can how I can change that,” Miller said. “[Hopefully] people realize that we do sell indoor furniture. That is actually our main focus.”

Outside, guests can find patio furniture; the same playground sets found in a few local parks; windmills that are gaining popularity; barn quilts which also have grown in popularity; bird feeders of the classic and stylized variety; and neat decorative items such as owls, for example. Again, this is just a quick overview of the wide variety of furniture offered.

The point being: Midwest Woodworks has it all when it comes to furniture. And it is done with a commitment to quality and attention to detail.

The point of Midwest Woodworks, in Miller’s eyes, is to sell quality furniture that can be passed down for generations as opposed to furniture obtained at IKEA, for example, which might have a short home life.

“The material that’s used with a lot of furniture anymore is mass produced. It’s made of pressed wood, which after 10 years will start to fall apart. It just does not last as long as solid hardwood,” Miller said. “You cannot beat [hardwood] as far as longevity. It will just last forever if you take care of it, so hardwood is the number one reason why [our products] are so high quality.”

“[Our builders] always use the highest quality process available, they don’t cut corners,” Miller added. “[Our] focus is to make it last a lifetime, rather than 10 years, so [we] can sell you another piece.”

Everything in Midwest Woodworks garners the seal of quality from Miller. That extends to the mattresses, by Monarch Rest, made from a small family shop in Ohio.

“These are some of the few mattresses available that match the quality of our furniture. Whereas most mattress companies have cheapened up their springs and foam to the point where the average lifespan is 5 to 7 years, Monarch Rest has not and is backed with a 20-year warranty,” Miller said. “Realistically, you should be able to get 20 to 30 years from your mattress.”

Miller is an expert in what goes on at Midwest Woodworks since becoming the owner in 2020. He is very good at reading potential customers and helping them decide what they would want in their living room. He recommends people walk about the showroom floor until something catches their eye. The showroom has kiosks that can show the furniture in different colors as well, giving customers a multitude of options.

Miller previously worked construction for 10 years and enjoyed it. He still dreamed of owning his own business with his family one day.

“[My children] often come out here and are playing while I’m working, which I really enjoy,” Miller said with a smile.

The process of ordering furniture

Buying furniture is a simple process.

Miller recommends eager customers visit the store to get a feel for the furniture. If that’s not possible, customers can view the furniture online along with the multitude of colors, collecting a quote and sending it to Miller over email to inquire on price. The website is not capable of selling products, so contacting Miller by email or phone is a must.

At the showroom, people will see most of what Midwest Woodworks offers. No stock is on-hand but every once in a while people will buy the product directly from the floor. Customers pay a 25% deposit on their furniture order and cover the rest once it is time to pick up.

Ordering sets off a chain reaction where the product is made elsewhere. Most builders partnered with Midwest Woodworks are based out of Indiana. The only local shop partnered with Midwest Woodworks is Yoder’s Polycraft, which supplies some outdoor furniture.

The order is sent to a builder that specializes in the item, and after it is crafted, it is sent to the same finish shop to be finished. Then, it can be shipped directly to you or the showroom, where it can be picked up. Once onsite, Miller can make local deliveries in a certain radius. To set up local delivery, that needs to be worked out with Miller per order.

Midwest Woodworks’s ability to ship anywhere gives them the advantage of selling furniture nationally. In fact, the company has shipped to nearly every state, with Miller keeping a map filled with pins indicating sales throughout the United States, though he admits the map is outdated. Most of Miller’s customer base is still in Iowa, specifically the corridor area between Cedar Rapids and Mount Pleasant.

What’s Trendy

Miller sees that more traditionally stained furniture sells better than the modern aesthetic. Traditionally stained wood would be lighter colors as opposed to darker. Miller also noticed that older folk tend to prefer the traditional look more than younger folk who prefer the modern, darker wood. For bigger towns, this trend might not be the case.

“[The trends here are] all over the place the last couple of years. Our most popular seller is still the wood look with a brown stain. Oak is our number one wood. My number one seller is still the traditional oak,” Miller said. “I know there’s stores like mine, in a lot of bigger towns, bigger cities. Their trends are way different than mine. They are selling way more modern styles.”

As for Midwest Woodworks, Miller would love to expand the business. For now, he is focused on the task right in front of him.

“I would love to build another store right across the lane. Have [this one] focus on indoor furniture and that focused on outside [furniture],” Miller said. “Maybe someday that will change, but I really enjoy what I’m doing.”

Midwest Woodworks is open six days a week, Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. If you want to see what they have to offer on the showroom floor, be sure to head down. You might see something that catches your eye.