Welcome/intro

With the launch of our store on Main Street in Buena Vista, Colorado in August of 2019, Little Elk Trading Company is our first brick and mortar store and the culmination of 4 decades of experience mastering the craft of furniture design and building.

Little Elk’s primary story is the western and mountain styled handcrafted furniture, which is the beating heart of the store. It is made and sold exclusively at Little Elk Trading Company by the founder and co-owner, Jon Frykholm.

In addition to the furniture, we are delighted and proud to sell a broad collection of beautiful and high quality, locally handcrafted home accessories and original art, all of which is created by 5 members of our family; three of whom are our grown children. This collection includes Homestake Originals steel and pine slab, custom welded, metal-base tables which are created by our oldest son, Jamey Frykholm. Also in this collection are his hand turned bowls in aspen, juniper and Doug fir, and serving platters in varied wood species indigenous to the region.

Also featured are turquoise inlay coasters in aspen, hand-burned wildlife coasters, artistic railroad spike peg racks on gnarly aspen, original watercolors of local flora and fauna, botanical earrings, rings and necklaces, hand needle-felted fiber landscapes framed in custom, locally made frames, hand wood-burned serving trays, and much, much more.

Most recently, we are partnering with our son and daughter-in- law, Jonah and Bailey Frykholm, who are the new owners of Precision Peaks and will be carrying their line of CNC carved peaks and ranges that depict the iconic mountains and ranges of Colorado, the West and globally utilizing USGS topographical data.

And, new to the store is the Hayden Collection, featuring prints of renowned historic painters and photographers such as Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, Henry William Jackson, and more, also created by Bailey and Jonah!

A broad assortment of Pendleton® blankets and accessories compliment our store’s collection of “Made in the U.S.” !

History

Little Elk Trading Company is the latest chapter in a story that started over 40 years ago. Founded in 1984 by Jon and Annie Frykholm, Beaver Works Inc. began a decades’ long journey of designing and building classic mountain and western style furniture. Frequent visits to Jackson Hole, Teton National Park, and Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park, cultivated a love story with the West and inspired this collection of authentic mountain furniture. Inspiration from the “Greats” of Western furniture design including Thomas Molesworth and John Stark, among others, has contributed to this creative process.

The journey of the Beaver Works furniture company originated in Colorado Springs with its start in an artisan furniture store named Country Classics. From this beginning, Beaver Works grew by selling to other premier furniture stores throughout Colorado and across the nation for over 25 years. The trajectory of the business followed a path of producing for multiple stores, with an assembly line style business model with numerous employees, to the current model of a one man woodshop. The present day model allows Jon to be the hands-on furniture artisan/builder. This provides a superior, one-of-a-kind product with all furniture being handcrafted by the craftsman himself; collectors’ pieces for the generations!

Mission Statement

Little Elk Trading Company’s story is deeply rooted in a love for nature, a pledge to be good stewards of this Earth and its resources, and a passion for historic western design. These principles inspire us to create unique items that are beautiful, and meaningful to us and our customers.

Our methods across the board, from harvesting to building, and then to the finishing process, are sustainable and low impact, with an intentionality towards environmentally sensitive and responsible practices.