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WoodPickers: Not Your Ordinary Northwoods Boutique

December 8, 2022

WoodPickers: Not Your Ordinary Northwoods Boutique 

There’s something interesting tucked into every nook and cranny of Lakewood’s newest gift shop. WoodPickers features a diverse blend of resale, vintage, and handmade items, plus home décor. Cori and Kesler Frisch opened the store in September 2022 in a historic home built in 1896, believed to be Lakewood’s oldest residence.
 
“It’s a very historic place, family owned and operated small-town business,” Cori said.
 
The store’s distinctive name is a spin-off of the America Pickers TV series, which depicts the hosts traveling across the U.S. searching for rare American artifacts. WoodPickers offers the same type of search for customers, with so many gems just waiting to be discovered.
 
“A lot of people enjoy the variety,” Cori said.
 
Every room of the store has its own charm. WoodPickers sells antiques and new items, seasonal décor, baby gifts, Christian-themed merchandise, and of course, wood crafts – many made by Kesler - plus other handmade items crafted by Kesler and Cori. There’s also a resale man cave.
 
“You never know what you’ll find in there,” Cori said.
 
Hot sellers in the wintertime are memory mittens made from a deceased loved one’s sweater. Cori makes these by the dozens for families who want to remember Grandma or another special someone. Like everything else in the store, the memory mittens are reasonably priced, selling for $15 per pair.
 
Basically, WoodPickers isn’t your typical Northwoods gift boutique.
 
“I think what makes us different is it’s very much not a boutique atmosphere, and it’s very much not boutique prices,” Cori said.
 
In addition to the retail store on the first floor, the Frisch family operates an Airbnb on the second floor. The historic and quaint two-bedroom, one-bath apartment sleeps six and has a private entry and self-check-in. At $80/night, the Airbnb has been popular since it opened in April 2022. Cori and Kesler also operate a cozy cabin Airbnb in the Sunrise Lake neighborhood in Mountain.
WoodPickers, located at 15421 Highway 32 in Lakewood, is easy to find. Just look for the festively decorated 1950s truck on display in front of the store.
 
“We strive for an inviting, relaxed, and friendly atmosphere and love to see people taking photos out by the old WoodPickers truck which is decorated for each season,” Cori said. 
 
WoodPickers is open from 11 am-4 pm Friday and 9 am-4 pm Saturday.