Where Time Adds Value
A husband and wife. A design problem nobody could quite name. And a belief that the best interiors aren't decorated—they're cultivated.
Billions of dollars of furniture ends up in landfills every year. Meanwhile, skilled artisans can't find customers who value their craft.
60-70%
of designer time consumed by manual tasks, not creative work
Where It Started
“It started, as most good things do, with a problem nobody could quite name.”
The Designer's Dilemma
"They have incredible taste," Leah would say. "They know exactly what they don't want. But the moment I show them a piece, they can't see it. Not really. Not in their space."
The Technologist's Itch
Kody had spent years watching how technology could either enhance human experience or bulldoze it. When AR started becoming viable, he felt something shift. But every app he downloaded missed something essential. They felt like technology demos—cold grids and clinical interfaces.
The Aha Moment
"What if the technology came after the design thinking?"
Building Together
They made rules: No sterile SKU grids. Stories over specifications. The technology should feel like a friend, not a robot.
Patina
/pəˈtēnə/
noun
The surface appearance that develops through age and exposure, adding depth, character, and value.
"It was everything we wanted the platform to represent. The opposite of disposable. A celebration of things that grow more valuable with time."
The principles that guide every decision
Listen First, Design Second
Mirror Middlewest Studio's consultative mantra. We understand you before we show you anything.
Craft Over Mass
Every piece in our collection is made by human hands. The subtle imperfections of handcraft add character.
Time Adds Value
Great furniture, like great wine, improves with age. We select pieces designed to become heirlooms.
Stories Over Specs
Lead with provenance and craftsmanship, not dimensions and SKUs.
Heartland Roots
Born in Madison, Wisconsin. Midwestern honesty and heritage craftsmanship.
A partnership built on complementary visions
Leah Kochaver
Co-Founder | Design & Experience
Founder of Middlewest Studio. Believes the best interiors are cultivated, not decorated.
Madison, Wisconsin
Kody Kochaver
Co-Founder | Technology & Product
Former Starbucks Corporate. Previous startup CEO with Microsoft seed funding.
Madison, Wisconsin
“The foundation is solid. Built by two people who saw the same problem from different angles and realized they could solve it together.”
Born From Real Design Work
Patina didn't come from a business plan—it came from years of real interior design work at Middlewest Studio. Every feature solves a problem Leah encountered with actual clients in Madison-area homes.
Visit Middlewest StudioBuilding layer by layer
- 2023
The Spark
After years at the kitchen table, sketching on napkins and arguing about user flows, we decided to build it for real.
- 2024
First Lines of Code
Kody started building while Leah defined what 'good' actually meant. Every feature had to pass the question: Would this help my clients?
- 2024
AR Comes Alive
The moment we placed virtual furniture in a real room scan and it actually looked right—we knew we had something.
- 2025
Building the Marketplace
Now connecting consumers, designers, and heritage manufacturers who share our belief that time adds value.