By P. Milliren
A handmade Christmas gift of a wooden kitchen set for his toddler daughter inspired Mount Angel resident Darin Mohr to start making toys for other children.
“She was only 18 months at the time but she really loved (the kitchen set) and I really enjoyed making it,” Mohr said. “The rest is history you could say.”
Last January, Mohr started his business “WeeWoodenKitchens” specializing in children’s toys, primarily wooden kitchen sets.
Originally from Ohio, Mohr has been interested in woodworking for most of his life. He worked with his father in his basement woodshop and took woodworking classes in high school.
“Then there was a space of time when I didn’t and now just started back up with it again,” he said.
When his family moved to Mount Angel in 2006, he decided to return to woodworking.
As Mohr is showing his work, his daughter Rowena, now 2 years old, plays with her kitchen set. Rowena pretends to cook, bake, wash dishes and much more. Her mother, Louise Mohr, gets her daughter a pretend egg to fry in a pan.
Darin Mohr uses local materials for his kitchens. He purchases pinewood from a family-run mill in Woodburn. He doesn’t use plywood, just solid woods.
“I really like the way I have full control of each and every project from start-to-finish,” he said. “These toy kitchens hold up very well to lots of playing and are something which can be handed down to the next generation. It’s something you can pass on.“
Customer orders usually come from women with a particular vision or requirement for the toy kitchen and he welcomes the custom orders. His sets range from $150 to $375. Mohr had one mom ask if he could attach a refrigerator, and he created one.
The toy kitchens have evolved from the first one Mohr made for his daughter last December to many different styles. Whenever a new custom style is created, Mohr names it in honor of the child it was originally built for. He enjoys delivering the finished kitchen to the family who ordered it. Making wooden toys isn’t Mohr’s full-time job. He also works with computers.
“It’s fun for me and I really enjoy working with wood,” he said. “I am also starting a toy box line and hope to do other toys in the future.”
The wooden kitchen sets have stainless steel sinks, quality hinges, and when Mohr stains or paints are them, they are VOC-free. Mohr also uses non-toxic glues. Usually, however, he said they are unfinished and stay natural wood color.
“It’s cool for me to watch my husband work on them, and I have never seen anyone put so much love into building something before,” his wife said.
For information www.weewoodenkitchens.com.
