A Man of Many Planes
By Gina Dostler
Dan Luna first got his start working with wood, tinkering in his dad’s upholstery shop when he was just 12. By the time he was 15 and enrolled in his high school woodshop class, he was obsessed with it. Expanding what he had learned in his father’s shop, high school and several mentors, he has been doing woodworking ever since. All his work stems from ideas that involve creative problem solving, evolving into beautiful pieces of art.
Q: One of your mentors was Tres Converse. How did that start?
A: Tres’s legacy is stellar and I am so lucky to have worked with him. I met him through my high school woodshop teacher, John Rush. John asked me one day if I’d like to come work for him at his shop, which of course I said yes. Tres would stop by John’s shop and saw what I was doing. By the time I was 18, I was working for Tres. It was difficult pulling away from John, he was unique and a really great mentor. But when Tres asked, it was an opportunity I just couldn’t miss. I was really honored he noticed my work. He was talented in so many ways and a huge influence in my work.
Q: How long have you been working on your own?
A: I opened my shop in Laguna Hills in 1992, and from 1993 with Tres’s passing, I have been on my own. The 10 plus years I worked with Tres taught me to think out of the box. That anything is possible, that yes, it can be done. I worked on a lot of crazy projects with him. We built a waterwheel, the kind that turns in water to generate power. Another time we built the interior of a yacht, first a scale model, then the actual size, all in his studio and had it transported to Florida. You name it, we did it.
Q: And you are still creating custom work.
A: That’s what we do. Tres taught me to be fearless when it comes to construction, cabinetry and woodworking. He also showed me how to work with other items such as metals or plastics and be something more than just a cabinetmaker. And through him I established a strong relationship with other designers and fabricators. If a designer or architect has a far out idea, yeah, I’ll figure it out and make it happen.
Q: What is one of your favorite projects you’ve done?
A: One of my coolest projects was for Suzanne Mellor’s home in Montage. She is such a pillar of the art community. I first worked on one of her houses with Tres. Then years later due to a certain chain of events, and having worked on her home before, I was awarded the project. And from day one it has been an incredible experience working with such an amazing and talented client. I think because she is an artist herself, she allows me to fully engage in the create process and do unique, one-of-a-kind things.
Q: An example?
A: Suzanne brought 600-year-old doors from India, literally falling apart. It was my job to assemble them back to life and integrate the century old wooden pieces somewhere in the house. They were two very narrow pair of doors, 20 inches wide. Once side just wasn’t functional to use as a proper door. I ended up joining all the doors together to make them as one with a hidden hinge. It now opens up as one door with a 40-inch opening. I’ve done many other carvings and designs for her. It’s so cool because I can be over-the-top creative without worrying about budget. Basically if I could dream it up and she liked it, I could do it. Right now the project is winding down and I’m finishing up on her floor.
Q: I imagine it’s a pretty unique floor.
A: It’s hardwood flooring for her art studio. I had this idea utilizing the end grain from leftover reclaimed lumber. So 2.5” x 2.5” pieces of little wood squares, 4500 of them, with nooks, crannies and crevices in them were placed on the floor. Then I had a crazy idea of pouring melted pewter over the top of it, filling in all the little cracks in the floor. I first tried it out on a sample and it looked fabulous. It’s going down next week or so.
Q: If you had your pick of any project in the world, what would it be?
A: It has been a long-time dream to be involved with a restoration project for a castle in Europe, like a centuries old Italian villa or a place in France, or even somewhere in the U.S. where old, significant architecture needs finesse and problem solving. I came close when years back working with Tres there was an opportunity to do a project in Mallorca, Spain, with a well-known architect, but it never transpired. Even so, I’m still dreaming.
Dan Luna Woodworking
23400 Peralta, Suite I
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
949-859-3631
dan@danlunawoodworking.com
www.danlunawoodworking.com
