DULUTH, MINNESOTA

CUSTOM WOODWORKING

Commission furniture and hand-carved woodwork by TJ Kuhn, designed and built to order.

  • Close-up of a walnut chair custom built by Dusty Dog Wood Work in Duluth, Minnesota, with an ornate backrest in a cozy indoor setting.
  • A custom sculptural chair, spalted maple with metal armrests and a backrest, custom made by TJ Kuhn for Dusty Dog Wood Work in Duluth, MN
  • Close-up of a handcrafted cherry wood bowl with a textured, hand-carved exterior, made by TJ Kuhn for Dusty Dog Wood Work in Duluth, MN..
  • A wooden bench with a book and a Baby Yoda toy placed on top, with natural light coming through a window in the background.
  • A vintage wooden photo album with a carved shape on the cover, resting on a table with a cloth underneath.
  • A rectangular mirror with a rustic, dark wooden frame featuring curved corner accents, placed on a wooden surface, custom designed and made by TJ Kuhn for Dusty Dog Wood Work in Duluth, MN
  • Close-up of a wooden chest with metal accents, showing a wooden board with a textured surface on top.

Services

Hardwood Furniture

Heirloom pieces made by hand from locally sourced lumber. Custom design-and-build experience.

Signs & Carvings

Hand-carved using time-honored traditional methods. Vast possibilities for business or home.

Classes & Events

I am an educator with over a decade providing project-based experiences catered to the learner.

Learn more

Projects

  • Kitchen wall shelf in elm and carved white oak

  • Wooden rocking chair with black metal frame near a window and a small wooden stool in the background.

    Spalted maple rocker on recycled metal park bench sides

  • Wooden sign with carved letters reading 'Heisel' on a workbench, surrounded by woodworking tools and materials.

    Hand-carved family name sign, live-edge black walnut

  • Naguri carved cherry dough bowl

    Naguri carved cherry dough bowl

  • A wooden flower press with a Lake Superior-shaped cutout on its textured oak surface, resting on a table with a floral tablecloth.

    Lake Superior flower press, oak

  • Close-up of a small, decorative mirror with a dark wooden, rustic frame mounted on a beige wall. Green fern leaves partially obscure the top left corner of the mirror.

    Carved accent mirror in oxidized oak

  • A beige couch with a colorful striped pillow and a custom-made wooden side table attached at the armrest.

    Armrest cup/bookholder in Ipe

  • A rustic wooden table with a live edge, decorated with plants, books, remote controls, and decorative items, situated in a room with dark hardwood floors and various potted plants in the background.

    Coffee table in sugar maple with mahogany inlays

  • Close-up of a wooden spoon head with a dark background.

    Cooking spoon in baked aspen

  • Wooden radiator cover with a top shelf positioned in front of a window with wooden trim, next to a room with a hardwood floor and a black chair.

    Radiator cover in red oak

  • Wooden sign with painted letters spelling "HILL" on a weathered outdoor wooden surface.

    Hill family sign in poplar

  • Wooden sign for Waldorf School of Cape Cod with purple heart logo mounted on two vertical wooden posts, placed in a natural setting with trees, shrubs, and a house in the background.

    Front Entry Sign for Waldorf School, hand carved, black walnut

  • Fluted accent mirror in dyed antique oak

  • Desk lamp in mulberry paper with oak, copper, brass

  • Child's name sign carved in basswood and glazed

A man sitting on a workbench in a dimly lit workshop, surrounded by tools and equipment, smiling at the camera with a warm light shining on him.

TJ Kuhn

A lifelong artist, I’ve spent much of my working life between the building trades and the outdoor industry as a guide. I came to furniture making through a desire for self-sufficiency and creative expression. I had established a foundational knowledge of how to use tools to build something solid, then started pushing the work in a more expressive direction. The more room I found for artistry, the more absorbed I became in it. I’m drawn to work that feels human — pieces with texture, weight, and evidence of the hand that made them. After years of experimenting, refining, and building, I’ve arrived at a style and standard of workmanship I’m proud to stand behind.

A black and white dog lying down on a bed of curled wooden shavings, resting its head on them with eyes half closed.

Dusty Dog Wood Work is named after my Alaskan husky sled dog, Mr. Schue, who for years kept me company in the shop—usually lounging at my feet among the sawdust and shavings. His easy presence, happy face, and love for both hard work and simple pleasures are the spirit behind DDWW.

Mr. Schue passed away in 2026 after a long and wonderful life. I’m proud to do this work, and that I still get to see his face on the logo every day.

The Dusty Dog

Have a piece in mind?

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Let’s get in touch and make it real.