Meet Don Luttmer | Furniture Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Don Luttmer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Don, why did you pursue a creative career?
I began my career in the tech industry where I found success, but also found I was never really going to be great. My peers were passionate about what they were doing, and success appeared to be easy for them, whereas it was a grind for me. I can’t remember the instant or the catalyst, but at some point, it occurred to me that my education path and my work path were undertaken as a means to an end. That end, being a financially comfortable life. Skip forward through a lot of counseling, self-development and talks with those I love, it became clear that work “as a means to an end” was never going to be fulfilling or would ever be a way to achieve the success I also desired.
One of the common traits of those who are successful and happy is they are doing something they really like or are very interested in. I have always been more interested in doing physical things than purely academic things. I have always been interested in woodworking, and it was a hobby of mine since my early 20’s. It is something I love to do and more importantly something I love to learn more about. It is something that feels and comes naturally to me. I get asked by a lot of people how do you know how to do that? Well, some of it is a lot of reading, videos and some classes, but I believe a good part of it is just natural aptitude. So why not stop trying to fight it, take this ability and make it my career.
Doing something I am passionate about and comes naturally to me has made going to work much more enjoyable and fulfilling. I’m learning things I want to learn about, not things I need to learn about. I have heard people say “don’t make your hobby your job.” I believe that to be a wholly incorrect statement. I now have a career that I am passionate about and allows me to create a tangible legacy.
Please, don’t get me wrong, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. I am first and foremost a small business owner and have all the challenges associated with being such. I spend just as much time doing “business” related tasks as I do building furniture. It’s not easy.
I love designing furniture with my clients. Gathering their requirements, determining their style and pulling those things together into a beautiful design. I then love building it and watching their reactions when we deliver it. My furniture is not mass produced and is made to be around for generations. It is very fulfilling to know that some of my pieces will be treasured family heirlooms.
I recently finished a design for a customer who told me, after we signed the paperwork, that he has been saving for a desk like this for a decade. Well, no pressure! I really like knowing I am doing something that not many people can do and that has this kind of emotional effect on someone. I take a lot of pride in my work and thrive on this challenge.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We design and build custom hard wood furniture. It is made using traditional joinery and is produced in a manner that is durable and sustainable. We use techniques that have been around for centuries. We also finish the furniture with customer-friendly products that allow for easy repair or rejuvenation throughout the years. The clear finish also allows the natural wood to be a show- stopper with the many unique grains exhibited by Walnut, Cherry, Mahogany and more. We continue to expand our portfolio as clients discuss new pieces with us. It’s rewarding to see the excitement around some of our new designs including our bar cabinet and our older favorites within our desk line.

We are set apart from our competition by the fact we are truly a custom shop. We have the skill and equipment to make anything come to life out of wood. Since we start with raw hardwood, we have control of the process end to end. We love brainstorming with clients about their special design and being an educated voice in the room as to what may work better or offering customization to our portfolio of products. Every home is different, and we can help our customers fit a special piece into those unique, hard to fill spots.
We are really excited about our new bar cabinets and inlay design features. We have one of the only custom hand-made, comfortable dining, bar and countertop chairs. These are uniquely designed with beautiful angles and low profile to fit our Mid-Century modern style and coordinate with a wide range of table styles. We want to provide our customers with furniture that generates conversation with their guests.
Most furniture made today is stained veneer topped MDF not real wood. The moment you touch and see our products you know they are something special. We use environmentally safe finish that is easily repairable by the customer, without special knowledge, on those occasions when things get scratched.
We take pride in the knowledge that our furniture will last the test of time. Hard wood does not deteriorate, it holds its value and because it is solid it is more easily repairable from surface mishaps. We take great care in constructing each piece as we want our brand to display the quality we strive to achieve. We source quality hardware and add beautiful touches like dove-tailed drawers and handmade wood handles.
We recently moved our residence and shop to the Vail Valley and are most excited about building a local presence. We are looking to supplement our furniture business by crossing into residential construction built-ins and cabinetry. This will make us a comprehensive partner for the interior design and construction/developer communities.
How did you get to where you are today professionally.
Learning something from every job that I’ve done and bringing that knowledge into what I am doing now.
Was it easy?
No – finding a career path that I find fulfilling was difficult. The barrier to entry into small furniture manufacturing is extremely high. The knowledge barrier is also high; being a small business means all jobs need to be performed by one person for a long period of time.
If not, how did you overcome the challenges?
I do not think the challenges will ever stop because with each growth phase there are brand new challenges. Going from working out of a garage to a small commercial facility with new equipment and not enough room and rent to pay into a larger space with more equipment…employees/training/ cost of business and always chasing revenue to support it. Every challenge is a learning experience that keeps life interesting.
What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way.
Nothing ever goes as planned, but what I do makes people happy so I am going to keep doing what I am doing.
What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
That’s a very big question. Unlike the traditional furniture maker or manufacturer, we are totally a custom shop that can produce anything. We can produce something that will fit in your space, fit all your needs. Being a custom shop allows us the flexibility to do projects outside the box in addition to our own portfolio projects. We want people to know that there are small high quality manufacturers who take pride in what they do and we are one of them. There is an upfront cost to buying quality but in the end, quality outlives throw away every time. We have the knowledge and equipment to do things outside the box.
With our move to the Colorado market our story is expanding and we are excited about delving into custom cabinets, doors and built-ins, to be a truly one stop shop for our customers.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I like to take all visitors up to Beavercreek Ski Resort, a truly happy place for us. There are too many amazing restaurants in the valley to list, but here are a few – Vin 48 for their mushroom appetizer, Allie’s or Beano’s for the unique experience of taking a Cat up to the restaurant after Thursday night fireworks, the crudo at Wyld is to die for, the caramel chocolate bread pudding at Elk and Antlers. The elk migration – mountain biking- walking the beautiful mountain trails- farmers markets if it’s summer.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I was 25 or 26, right out of college and working in my first job. I worked, I went home watched tv, rinse and repeat. Seeing this, my mother decided I needed a hobby so for Christmas she got me a couple of books on making wooden model cars and a scroll saw. From that point on I was hooked. I soon had a whole shop full of tools and an all-consuming hobby. I did work in the shop with my father growing up, but this was the catalyst that really sent me down the woodworking path.
Fast forward 20ish years to when I turned this hobby into a career; I need to thank my wife. I remember sitting on the deck one evening discussing my career and she said why not just make furniture instead of taking another Tech company contract. That was the spark, or the last straw that pushed me over the edge. Since that time, she has supported us financially through the lean times and has recently been taking a more active role in the business helping us grow.

Website: https://www.dklcustomfurniture.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dkl_custom_furniture/