STROMSBURG, Neb. (KOLN) – During a recent trip to Polk County, we learned about Mischievous Metals and Woodwright Co., which specializes in restoring structures and building furniture.
“We’ve been in business for just under nine years,” co-owner Jeff Lacy said. “It started when I was living in California, and I came back to build my parents’ house. When we were here, we saw all of the old barns and old barn wood, and I thought how neat it would be to use some of that material in new builds. Over time, we grew our name, and started using reclaimed materials in new builds like coffee shops, banks, and things like that.” An example of a coffee shop that was designed by Lacy and his crew is Gathering Grounds in Osceloa.
Mischievous Metals and Woodwright Co. does new construction and renovations, but the business is also focused on producing high quality furniture with reclaimed or vintage woods. One example of this is the modular boxes the business makes out of lath. The boxes use old slats that are found behind plaster in old houses. “Within the last year we actually started taking furniture production seriously, and we’ve started making high-end hard wood dining sets,” Lacy said. “For wood options, we use a lot of black walnut, but we use ash, red oak and white oak. With some of our dining sets, we use some entry level barn wood. We aren’t taking down old barns like we used to as much, but there is a homestead north of town that had a bunch of lumber in a barn. We acquired that lumber, and that is our back stock right now.”
Lacy says his wife Erin plays a big role in the business. “I bounce a lot of ideas off of her,” Lacy said. “There is a lot going on with construction, and doing furniture now, and many times I just need someone to give me some clarity.” Lacy says the business has about nine people on staff currently. Lacy says he always enjoyed the artistic side of construction. “I went to design school in Colorado, and my brother is an artist, too. We like to do a lot of three dimensional design type stuff.”
Owners are excited about the growth they’ve seen at Mischievous Metals and Woodwright Co. “I think the furniture part is what we are loving to get into right now,” Lacy said. “Just allowing furniture to be something in people’s lives, and having people sit around a nice dining table and make memories. That, for us, is what we want to give to Nebraskans.”
Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2025 KOLN. All rights reserved.
link