Meet Doug Turner of Turner Custom Furniture in Rex

Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Turner.

Doug, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started building furniture around 1996, while I was a student at The Atlanta College of Art. We were given a woodworking intro class so that we could build canvas stretchers and frames, instead of buying them. I found that I loved woodworking, and used the school shop a lot after that lesson. I worked on simple projects I could teach myself to build until I went to visit my uncle in New Jersey. At the time, he owned a custom furniture & millwork shop. He’s a pretty blunt guy. He told me to quit playing around. If I really wanted to learn, he said, I’d need to get a job in a real shop. I returned to Georgia, graduated from college and went to work in a high-end furniture shop here in Atlanta, which is now closed. It was an interesting experience – I learned as much about what not to do as what to do. The quality of the furniture we produced was very high, but the business administration was, awful if I’m being honest. Over the years, I worked in other shops and eventually formed Turner Custom Furniture in 2006. Owning a business is tough, as I’m sure most people know. I faced a lot of challenges, but I’m pretty stubborn, so I dug in and focused on quality. I stayed small – I never saw that as bad thing. It’s served me well over the years – I can spend a lot of time on a project, and not lose money, as I would if I ran a big shop and every minute counted. I don’t want that. My goal was never to get rich-I wanted to earn a reputation as a great furniture maker who deals fairly with his clients. I believe I’ve done that, with a lot of help from family and friends. I plan to keep designing and building the best furniture I can. I like to keep it simple.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it has not been a smooth road! If anyone reading this wants to get into a business that will earn them a lot of money quickly, the custom furniture business isn’t it. Everything is expensive – tools, space, employees, design software, materials, etc. The skill level you’ll need to stand out from the crowd takes years of hard work to attain. It’s also a dangerous business – blades and tools are sharp, boards are heavy, cast iron machines don’t yield when you bang into them…well, I think you see the picture. You can do everything right, and still fail because nobody knows about you, or you don’t understand how to price your work. You need to be good at so many things in any business – marketing, writing, design, photography, social media, client relations etc., in addition to the skills you need in your business. Of course, you can pay people to do these things for you and accrue debt. You also need to be willing to work every day. I answer emails and phone calls whenever they come in. I quote jobs and respond to client’s questions as quickly as I can. Business owners who don’t do this will fail. That’s a fact. This isn’t a big fat ad for my business – I’m stating the things I need to do in order to survive in this often-brutal business. Sounds rotten! No, not really. I love what I do. I love knowing all the things I had to learn (above) because I had no money to pay for them.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Turner Custom Furniture – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I can build furniture in any style, but no bragging intended, I’m the preeminent traditional furniture maker in the greater Atlanta area. I’ve carved out a niche for myself doing what I love. I specialize in solid wood furniture and can do amazing things with veneer (I was taught by the best in the world early on). I rarely use plywood, and even use solid wood for drawer bottoms and cabinet backs. I write “even”. That used to be how it was. I’m simply not interested in producing low-quality furniture. I’ll also take on things others won’t touch – again, I’m not bragging. I hear this from clients a lot. I built a ten-foot wide bed recently, and a table top with a very steep bevel underneath (this requires a special setup and skills). I love challenges and seek out jobs that will push my skills further and further. I’m not cheap, and I don’t mean to put people off. I’m worth what you’ll pay for the quality I’ll give you.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m working on getting my work into craft galleries – if anyone out there owns one, please contact me. I have work ready to go. I’d love to open a small showroom of my own, but it would be expensive – location is everything.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.turnercustomfurniture.com/
• Phone: 404-392-8279
• Email: Doug@TurnerCustomFurniture.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turnercustomfurniture/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Turner-Custom-Furniture-238532779544060/