All artists have special relationships with the materials of their crafts. For painters, it’s knowing the types and textures of the paints and how they mix. A photographer is more interested in film speed and lighting. These are the nuts and bolts of craftsmanship, and woodworking is no exception. The grains of different woods, the notches and nicks giving the piece personality, and durability and color for the right project are all important details. Kyler Goodwin, a third generation woodworker, is following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, and has been interested in the trade since childhood. His work reflects a sophisticated eye with the classic charm most look for in handmade wooden furniture and curiosities.
Goodwin was raised in Omaha’s Keystone area, eventually buying the land on which his childhood home sat, building a massive workshop, and tearing down the old house. In 2021, he built a new home for his growing family. The workshop is warm and bright, with in-floor radiant heat, large overhead lights, and various tools of the trade; but it’s the smell of sawdust and the plethora of curved and shiny hand tools, many of which belonged to Goodwin’s father, that summon the brow sweat charm of beautifully crafted woodwork.
“Both my grandpa and dad were carpenters,” Goodwin said. “My dad passed when I was 6, he was a furniture maker. So I didn’t have him around to show me what a lot of the tools were and how they worked. I just kind of played around with them and figured out my own way of doing things. That—along with what my uncle taught me—that’s what got me here.”
That way of doing things has served Goodwin well since leaving his position as Habitat for Humanity Omaha's senior construction manager. He graduated from Hastings College with a degree in construction business and is a licensed contractor to boot. Goodwin uses a fair bit of reclaimed wood and recently purchased a sawmill, which will allow him to further prepare his own materials. Goodwin chose to name his company Zero K Woodworking, a nod to the go-kart racing team his family had during his childhood. The family tie is not only in name; Goodwin’s work reflects an old world charm, the product of somebody who has absorbed the craft through a lifetime’s worth of observation and reflection.
“When I left construction I purposefully left the company name kind of vague,” Goodwin said. “‘Woodworking’ can mean any number of other things. I would like to specialize in custom furniture, but I’m also a licensed contractor and that work can help keep things moving.” Goodwin, who has played the guitar since he was 9 years old, quipped that maybe someday he’d like to work as a luthier, fixing and building guitars.
“Having a niche, a specialty, is good,” he continued. “But at the same time I want to learn a range of things I can do. I wanted to be my own boss and having that ability to determine on the sliding scale the degree of precision needed and where to apply my skills, I feel that’s in my DNA.”
Goodwin has set up a clean and easy-to-navigate website that showcases his work, including smaller seasonal decorations, reclaimed shelves, built-in bookshelves, tables of all sizes, chairs, mantles, unique picture frames, and beautiful wooden rings. To make the process of commissioning a piece more efficient, Goodwin has created a questionnaire on the site allowing prospective customers to think about all the details of what they want, asking uncommon but important questions, and ensuring the end result is something they will love.
For more information, visit zerokwoodworking.com
This article originally appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Omaha Home Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.