An Unexpected Craftsman

 

 

My husband Jim, a hobby woodworker, came home from work one day with a big smile on his face and a handwritten letter in his hand.  “A farmer read about my home shop in the woodworking magazine and invited us out to his farm!”

 

Driving to NW Portland that Sunday, I envisioned an aging farmer hobbling out of an old farmhouse to greet us. Instead, a fit man in his sixties quick-stepped to our car from a dream home in a Shangri-La setting. Shaking hands firmly, we would soon shake our heads in wonder after entering the world of Karl Schmidt.

 

That world includes a year-round family wholesale greens business, a one-of-a-kind home with every nook and cranny crafted by Karl, and a jewel of a wife, Julie, who has a hand in every creation.

 

“He never stops,” she says, smiling. “He’s always working and on the go.”

 

“If I sit still, I fall asleep,” Karl laughs. “I’ve always liked learning new things. When I saw the photo of Jim and his wood shop on the magazine cover, I had to pick his brain.”

Touring their self-made home was awe-inspiring. Karl designed it in high school — complete with blueprints and a scale model — and started building it 50 years ago. Since then, he’s added numerous large and small carvings, built four fireplaces, most of the furniture, done extensive metal work, acrylic and wax-based encaustic paintings and crafted a glass chandelier, stained glass and  wheel pottery. Outside, Karl built a huge shop, barn and outdoor living room. For his son’s wedding he built a deck, gazebo and bridge spanning a pond.

 

“Since childhood, I’ve been enthralled with architecture, and anything lodge-style struck a chord,” Karl says. “I’ve always thought outside the box. I usually have about 20 projects going. My son Hans and I own our wholesale greens business, Schmidt and Son, but I’m not wanted in the office. And I’m happy with that. I don’t do office — I’m terrible at it! I like to work outside, repairing and maintaining equipment, driving a tractor, excavating, planting, building and creating.

 

Most of the greens used in his business are grown on his properties — an 88-acre farm in Helvetia and 30 acres surrounding his home. The holiday business ships wholesale year-round across country, the biggest holidays being Christmas and Chinese New Year.

 

Born three miles from his present home, Karl remembers always pounding nails with his two younger brothers.

 

“I built every building at my parents’ place,” he says, “and a motorcycle at age 12. My dad encouraged me, but he was terrible at building! I learned from sponging off others. I had dreams of becoming an architect, but my dad lured me into the family business he started.”

 

In school, the math teacher who tutored him always knew where to find Karl: under a car. “I hated math and wasn’t a school person! I’d do anything not to be involved in school.”

 

He did manage to graduate in marketing and business administration from the University of Portland, where he met Julie, a nursing student who grew up on a Wallowa cattle ranch. Married in 1974, they have three children and four grandchildren. Julie returned to nursing school at age 49.

 

Of the dream home Karl began building at age 22, Karl says, “Julie and I built this together. It’s my vision, her help. I’m the builder, she’s the maintainer.”

 

That maintainer drives her own four-wheel ATV around the property and remembers putting 2,500 pegs into their living room floor when she was six months’ pregnant!

 

Karl gets ideas from people and buildings. “I liked Timberline Lodge and Salishan’s fireplace. I reach out and get ideas of what to do and what not to do from every house I see.”

 

He also reaches out to help others. Once at a woodworking store, he was behind a man who couldn’t find boxwood for carving. Karl ran outside after him, got his address, and delivered a piece of boxwood. In turn, the man taught Karl how to carve a totem pole.

 

“It’s important for people to create something with their hands,” Karl says. “My dream is to offer a class at our property someday — maybe an art class with 10 easels by our lake, or making pottery or building a fly rod, then fishing.”

 

Whatever comes next, Karl will be doing what he loves: teaching, learning, creating, being outside… and thinking outside the box.