So this post might seem like its totally out of left field but I just have to share. There is this fine line that we get to walk as a bloggers. I get to do really cool stuff with really awesome brands but I don’t usually talk about it here. Because honestly, how do you talk about these amazing experiences without coming across as braggy or like you are just talking about something because you feel obligated? Its dang near impossible. But today I just feel like I am going to burst if I don’t finally talk.
Confession. This is so weird. Every time I go into a public restroom and I see the Kohler mark on the toilet or sink it makes me grin like a fool. Seriously, do public restrooms do that to you? If they don’t, well then chances are you haven’t been to Kohler Wisconsin.
Last October (yep, this post is almost a year in the making) I had the opportunity to attend a brand event with Kohler. You know THE Kohler. Like creator of the bathtub as we know it, Kohler. Going into it I thought that it would be like any other trip, I had no idea that it would change me the way that it did. Still, almost a year later, I think about all the time. (I actually searched the MLS listings when I got back because I want to have a little house there for during the summer. Court thinks I am delusional because “How can he run the restaurant from Wisconsin?” Sigh.)
The Village of Kohler (that’s actually what it’s called, how cute is that??!) is absolute perfection. You know the feeling that you get when you go to Disneyland? Everything is thought out and completely beautiful and feels like it was plucked from a storybook? Kohler is like Disneyland but real. The village was master planned by Fredrick Olmstead (who also designed Central Park). Every house, every tree, every trash can fits together perfectly. The factories sit right in the center of the town in beautiful ivy covered brick buildings. It’s hard to put into words, it just feels so welcoming. I cant even imagine the dreaming and foresight that had to take place for a town to feel like this still, 100+ years after its creation.
The highlight of the trip (well, one of them) was the factory tour. The tours are given by retired employees, most of whom have spent their entire lives working in the factories. Their love for this place runs so deep its contagious!
The pottery factory is full of unfinished toilets and sinks and everything inside is white and has a fine layer of dust on it. Um. and how about those windows?! Natural light for days.
The Foundry (where they do all of the iron work and casting) is dark and loud and full of huge machinery. The stark contrast between the 2 buildings is incredible, as weird as this sounds, its super picturesque. Its just exactly what you picture it being.
The thing that surprised me (though it didn’t really looking back) was the attention to detail. Even a pock mark on a sink made it unworthy for a customer. The standard for quality is unimaginably high. (Which I guess is how you stay a leader for 100 years.)
The Design Center is the heart of the city. Its a mix of a showroom and a museum (both history and art) I loved seeing the trends from the past century. There was so much, and surprisingly so little that changed.
Yep, that is a giant wall of toilets and bathtubs.
We stayed at The American Club (it was originally a place for immigrant workers to stay and save money so that they could bring their families to the US). Its full of long dark paneled hallways, stained glass, tapestries, and natural gardens. If it wasn’t for the state of the art bathrooms (because of course) you would think that you’d been transported in time.
I guess the reason that this trip in particular impacted me so much is because the feeling of community and the standard for excellence permeates every facet of this little town and this company. I am dying to go back and take Court with me. Its so easy to dream of what could be in a place that IS a dream realized.
Its incredible to me that Kohler can be on the forefront of innovation while still holding so tightly to their heritage. Maybe its just me, but its easy to get so caught up in where you are going that you forget to stop and realize the beauty of where you’ve been.
They are just so unapologetically themselves.
Its inspiring. Inspiring enough that I have a fangirl moment every time I spot a Kohler product (even if its in a public restroom!) Because I know that even if to most its just a toilet, that its not just a toilet. It was made in this tiny town practically by hand and has 100+ years of creation and innovation behind it.
Ok I’ll get off my soap (errr. toilet?) box now . I feel like I just need to move so that I can start fresh and Kohler-ify everything in my house. Sounds like a pretty great plan! I’m dying to know, have you ever visited Kohler? Did you love it as much as I did? Should we all go on a trip?
I’ve never been to the Village of Kohler, but it does look picturesque. I have been to Madison and Oshkosh, WI and I loved both of the those towns. There’s just something about Wisconsin.
I once dated a boy who lived near Kohler. On my first visit to his home to meet his parents, he also took me to the Kohler Design Center. We’re married now.
Hahaha Jess I mean, how can you not be?! How are you BTW?
xo
m
I live near Kohler and it makes me so happy to see it featured!
Yes, I gave been but it was so many years ago! I remember it fondly. Mandy, if you do take the trip again… Head along Lake Michigan another 1.5 hours north to idilic Door County. There are only 2 stop and go lights in the county once over to the peninsula. There are galleries, and beauty everywhere! Spend a little time getting to know more of wisconsin. Much of it has the same old world feeling! And the lakefront… And fall levels… Amazing!
Mandi… Forgive me for misspelling… Gotta love spell check on the cell!
I’m so glad that you wrote this! My grandparents have the most adorable pink Kohler tub from the 50’s and it’s still in perfect shape. I definitely will look at public restrooms differently now! lol
I grew up in Sheboygan- right next to Kohler and I totally check the maker of fixtures when I go into bathrooms. It has been engrained in me since birth. The Kohler Design Center, Woodlake Market, The Greenhouse and Horse & Plow at The American Club were some of my favorite hang out spots when I was in high school. Still are today. I only live an hour away now and when I go back to visit my parents, we often hang out in Kohler. I love that you featured this awesome little village!
Hello from Door County, Wisconsin (the thumb of the state)! I agree with the above comment saying that you should come visit Door County; it is so beautiful up here. My aunt and uncle had a small wedding reception at the American Club, and the only thing I remember (10 years ago) was the incredible bathrooms there. haha.
This post today made my heart so happy! It was nice to have a little taste of home. I grew up in Sheboygan too. I live out of state now, but I always check if sinks and whatnot are Kohler. It’s how I know I like a place 😉 The design center is also a place I take friends all the time when they’ve never been to town!
If you do return, you should also check out the art museum in town, The John Michael Kohler Arts Center. The style of work they feature would be right up your alley and the building and grounds are inspiring as well. Not sure if they still do, but they used to have an Artist in Residency program where artists would work in the factory and then the art would get featured in the museum as well as around Kohler.
Omg. I am DYING to go now! Sounds like an amazing little place. Makes me want to pick up & move & work on a factory line. No joke.
I’ve never been to Wisconsin, but it looks beautiful. I’m in the process of renovating my bathrooms and I bought 3 Kohler toilets, and they are really pretty. Now I’ll think of those beautiful pictures of Wisconsin whenever I use one!
I have never been… but I am always up for a road trip- It sounds completely amazing!
Hey Mandi! This town looks really gorgeous! If you think Kohler is pretty you need to come to the U.P. (upper peninsula of michigan)- as far north as you can go! That’s where I live and it is the most beautiful place ever! We have a lot of historic places up here, and we are surrounded by lake superior. The best time to visit is in the summer and fall! The peninsula is made up of many small towns that used to be a big, booming copper mining community. There are so many beautiful places to go up here- if you ever get a chance, I think you would absolutely LOVE it!!
I actually have visited! My brother in law is a designer at Kohler and we visited this summer. Definitely a cute place!
Just be warned, if you move to SE Wisconsin you’ve gotta start calling “drinking fountains” “bubblers.” My husband and I both moved from the Milwaukee area to the Twin Cities after college and we still get weird looks from people on a pretty regular basis.
I’ve swung by the showroom once, years ago (serious drool-fest). I’d love to go back though, maybe once we’re ready to gut and redo our bathroom and then hubs can hyperventilate as I fall in love with the most expensive fixtures ever 🙂
Glad to see WI get a little lovin’ it totally deserves it!
welcome to wisconsin! we would be happy to have you! ps got brats?
If you do make it back be sure to visit the Kohler Waters Spa. It is near the American Club and used to be the stables. It has hotel rooms so that you can stay right at the spa (and the bathrooms are incredible!). I was lucky enough to get to spend a long weekend there with my mom before I moved from Wisconsin to Connecticut. We were totally pampered. Check out the website to see photos of the amazing indoor pool. One of the best weekends of my life.
But isn’t Kohler German?
Mandi,
Thanks for writing this. I love learning! My 93 yr old dad knows something about everything it seems. I can’t wait to ask him about Kohler when we have our daily FaceTime sesh today! He lives in Minnesota so chances are he’ll have a Kohler story! We drive to Minnesota from NC so we’ll have to work in Kohler somehow some way!
I *love* that you were in Wisconsin and fell in love ~ I’m a born and raised Milwaukee girl and love our fine state; she’s a beauty! Would you believe I’ve never been to the Design Center? You can bet I’ll be going now! If ever you get back to your Porcelain Disney, *do* let your adoring Wisconsin fans know ~ we’ll throw you a cheese curd filled, strudel packed party! sigh…. Mandi Gubler was in Kohler….. that’s crazy sauce.
So, am I wrong or does your desire for a brick wall in the living room results from this visit at Kohler’s?
Cheers from Germany,
Melanie
My brother-in-law and his family live in a charming home right next door to the American Club in Kohler and every time we visit for a family gathering I look up and admire the beautiful details in the brickwork of the old club building. I’ve memorized the unique features of the dormers and gables from their backyard. Wow, and this was built for immigrants? I didn’t know that. You must visit Door County if you come back to Kohler, it is so lovely and quaint .
I have not been to Kohler, but lived in WI for many years (I actually met my husband there). This town looks so much like the town I went to school in as well (Menomonie). I had a friend that did a lot of catering work for Kohler though, and she spoke very highly of Kohler.
Anyhow, based on your pictures I would love to visit the Kohler factory, as it looks absolutely amazing! Speaking of tiny Midwest towns that are adorable and make home furnishing-type items, you should check out Pella, IA…they make the windows. It is an adorable Dutch town, and I absolutely enjoyed visiting there.
Now I want to visit! Can we organize a Vintage Revivals tour?
Yes! But how could you not go on and on about the design center? I wandered through all of those bathrooms for hours one day. So much inspiration!
Mandi,
I grew up in Kohler and my parents still live there. I now live in Milwaukee, WI and it wasn’t until I moved away that I realized what a gem it is. I am an artist and to have grown up in a place that valued art so highly hugely impacted me. (Did you know the Kohler Foundry has Artist in Residents that are allowed to use the ceramics and foundry to create their art? And did you see all of the sculptures placed carefully around the village? The park by my childhood home has a museum of trees from across the globe and you can take a walking tour with headphones to learn about them.) Just this past August I got married at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. It’s in Sheboygan, not Kohler, but did you happen to pay a visit? It was one of my favorite museums on earth. It is spectacular and I am so priviledged to have been married there. Not to mention it’s only a few short blocks from the lake!
I have so much pride for where I am from and it honestly warms my heart so much to stumble across this post on one of my favorite blogs. How random!? It only endears the place to me more and your words and the way you spoke of it was so elegant, I could cry.
Thanks so much, again!
Christina
I was so happy to see this post pop up! I have all the same sentiments as you, and it really was one of the best trips to be a part of. The only sad thing is that we’re only 2 or so hours away in Chicago, and I haven’t even been back. I think that might need to change this fall, as it’s SO beautiful when the leaves change in Wisconsin.
Your blog is very nice and informative. I’ve been there too and yes I agree with you, it’s really like a Disneyland for adults.
https://www.sterlinglawyers.com/wisconsin/locations/oshkosh/