No-Nonsense Bar Stool

The story of Gudde Co. (pronounced Goodie, don’t you dare forget it) begins long before owner Dane Gudde bought his first tool—a table saw—on a whim in 2012. The first chapter begins before he crafted his first pedal board by hand, or ever dreamed of designing his first dining table. Way, way back—before he dedicated himself to the craft of woodworking and building beautiful furniture the right way.

When the story begins, Dane doesn’t even respect wood, much less revere it as he does today. Because Dane wasn’t around yet. No, the story of Gudde Co. starts nearly a half-century ago from necessity—as almost all good stories do.

See, 50 years ago no matter how far you drove, there wasn’t ever going to be a monstrous maze of a discount furniture warehouse for you to get lost inside. For that matter, there wasn’t a big box store full of mass produced furniture always on sale at cut-rate prices.

When you needed a desk, you couldn’t just scoop up a flat-packed box that only cost two hours wages, throw it in the back of your Studebaker and after a few frustrating hours of assembly have a piece of “furniture.” Yeah, there was a furniture shop in town, but who had the money for that? Not to mention the quality had taken a noticeable nosedive over the past few decades as machine powered assembly lines steadily replaced the unbeatable skill of experienced craftsmen.

No, the Gudde family needed a new desk, and this desk—like all their furniture—needed to last. And while they might not of had the money, Mr. Gudde had a plan, an ingenuitive mind and an unstoppable work ethic.

All that, plus a handy helper, who just so happened to be his nine-year-old son. Together, they would build that desk the right way, which meant the exact same thing it does today—handcrafted from only the finest, solid woods. When it was done, Mr. Gudde knew his son would have more than a sturdy desk to study on—he would have already learned the true value of doing things the right way.

First, they needed the wood. There were a few craftsmen in town with cabinet-making shops, if the best wood in town were anywhere it was in those shops. So after a little bit of bartering, and long evenings cleaning up the cabinet shops in a sweaty, saw-dust covered cloud, they had their wood. And while it definitely took longer than assembling your particle-board, faux-wood veneered, pressed together by a robot, desk you’re reading this on, the desk slowly but surely came together.

That same desk is standing today, after 50 years of daily use by three generations of Guddes. Even after serving faithfully as mission control for four childhoods, it is stronger and more beautiful than ever.

Seventeen years ago, young Dane loved the desk for different reasons than he does today. He cared far more about the baseball cards stored in those large right-hand drawers than the craftsmanship of the drawers themselves. The sturdy, solid top was historic because it was the place he tracked his hero, Mark McGwire’s legendary quest to break the all-time homerun record—not because it would become his most prized family heirloom.

Gudde Co. exists because of that desk. The desk his grandfather and young father built together. The desk Dane will one day proudly inherit from his parents. The very same desk, one day, his future children will fight over.

A piece you might say, is an oldie but a Gudde.

It’s why Dane builds handmade furniture. It’s why Dane works tirelessly to source only the best wood. It’s why your Gudde Co. furniture will serve your family faithfully as it grows, and will look timelessly classic for generations to come.

“I want to bring furniture back to where it once was. I want to do my part to create pieces that are cherished by not only the purchaser, but their future generations. I want my pieces to be leaned on, loved, and scuffed so that each nick or mark brings back fond memories and tells a story,” owner and craftsman Dane Gudde says. “Each piece I create, is with that in mind. I strive to constantly improve my techniques and practices to ensure that my pieces will last for generations. I work with my hands to help create your family stories. I create quality, heirloom furniture that is made to withstand the test of time.”