What do you do when you buy your first home and need some furniture?
Most us head to our local furniture store—but not Hunter Ortuno. He decided to take advantage of his new garage space to design and build his own furnishings.
“We needed a dining table and I decided that it would be my first project for my new home,” Ortuno says. “It wasn’t my best work because I was learning, but I was proud of it. Things just kind of snowballed from there and I started creating all kinds of things for the house.”
Starting a Business
After a few years of honing his skills as a woodworker and receiving lots of amazing feedback from his friends and family, Ortuno decided he was ready to take things to the next level. He began by selling his pieces on Facebook Marketplace and most, if not all, of the money he made was reinvested into his business to buy new tools and supplies.
Both of Ortuno’s parents were small business owners and he was able to observe and learn from them. As a tribute, he named his woodworking business Pine Knot Wood Design after the street, Pine Knot Avenue, where his parents' Big Bear, Calif., businesses were located.
Ortuno now sells his functional artwork at local markets and art shows, Etsy, and through his online storefront. He has also used social media to bring attention to his brand. Pine Knot Wood Design has over 30,000 followers on Instagram, so it is safe to say that people love his work!
Rustic Refined
“I specialize in artisan home décor and my aesthetic is something I call, Rustic Refined, he says. “It combines natural elements with refined, quality craftsmanship.”
Using elements of nature and preserving them in epoxy allows Ortuno to create his signature, one-of-a-kind pieces. He uses elements such as local grasses, flowers, leaves and feathers to add a natural rustic feel.
The epoxy, available in several colors, adds another level of refined visual interest to the artwork.
Custom Pieces
Pine Knot Wood Design takes custom orders and provides several options for clients to make a piece their own:
- Engraving design, names, recipes or titles to a custom piece.
- Providing smaller objects that can be preserved in epoxy, such as bridal bouquet flowers, keepsakes, and objects such as wine corks, bottle caps, and other collectibles to preserve memories.
- Special orders such as furniture, bar tops, counter tops and wooden plaques.
Have an idea? Contact Pine Knot Wood Design to discuss possibilities.
Looking to the Future
Ortuno has some big plans for the next five to 10 years.
“I would love to work with home builders to create custom finishes for new homes,” he says. “Things like custom bar tops and counter tops would be a great selling point for builders. I would also like to eventually have an off-property shop where I can expand my operations and hire a few employees. When I think about a future storefront, I envision a gallery-like showroom to display my pieces like art.”
Website: https://www.pineknotwooddesign.com/
Facebook: @PineKnotWoodDesign
Instagram: @PKWoodDesign