Back to Basics

Ken and Michelle Workowski are very much back-to-the-land, do-it-yourself kind of people whose lifestyle and business have kept them close to nature; “We came to the land to create, and over time the land and nature has created us.”

Hand-Crafted Artistry

Ken first began making willow furniture in 1977, setting the groundwork for a lifetime of working with natural and sustainable materials. Over the years he and Michelle have learned new skills with each new material they discovered. Their work evolved into a successful home business that has grown to include birch-bark frames, poplar-bark baskets, lamps, lampshades, antler chandeliers, brooms, cabinetry, and custom interior designs.

A Sustainable Lifestyle

In 1986 Ken and Michelle purchased 50 acres in southwestern Wisconsin. Then, along with their three children, Kya, Marissa and Alena, they carved out a homestead, building a log home with trees they cut and peeled themselves. Their home runs on solar electricity and they pump spring water to the house with an age-old invention called a hydraulic water ram. While many of the materials they use in their business come from their land, they also belong to the Kickapoo Sustainable Woods Cooperative and lease willow thickets from local landowners.

Giving Back

Ken and Michelle are very active in their community and beyond. They both teach classes on making willow chairs, paper lampshades and bark baskets at Sievers School of FiberArts. “We enjoy learning new crafts and sharing that knowledge with others.”