Raw Creative is a design and fabrication studio based in Denver, Colorado. Owners Mike and Breton blend a craftsman aesthetic with state-of-the-art digital tooling and automation to bring their complex wood, concrete and steel creations to life.
In a modern age where almost everyone values cheap and quick, the decision to do the opposite takes courage. Not only courage, but friendship, to endure the highs and lows of going against the grain. Meet Mike and Breton.
Mike grew up in a family of builders. Breton grew up in the restaurant industry. The Colorado natives met at orientation for graduate school at the University of Colorado and forged their friendship on the ski and snowboard teams. While at school, they teamed up on projects and even won a design competition together. Shortly after, Raw Creative was born.
Since then, these two have combined their talents and passion to bring interior and exterior spaces to life with their unique designs, craftsman aesthetic and obsessive attention to detail.
Their journey began in a small shop wedged in-between a coffee shop and a hot sauce company. After their day jobs, they would retire to their small studio and stay up late to make furniture for their friends and family.
They worked with raw materials like wood, steel, and concrete, not just because of its inherent beauty, but they wanted to make things that would last and look better with age.
As interest for their products increased, and their hot sauce and coffee neighbors got tired of the sawdust, they decided to leave their desk jobs and invest everything they had into Raw Creative.
One thing led to another and now the team works out of a 15,000 square foot shop with 18 employees. In order to oversee the entire creative process, they insist on doing all of the design, fabrication, finish work and installation processes from start to finish. This allows them to bring a new level of craftsmanship to their clients. There is an emphasis on quality and communication throughout the entire process.
Their goal is to be the resource for other designers to bring their most ambitious projects to life through collaboration. They approach every project without any preconceived notions. When they kick off a project, they try and distill their client’s story into a cohesive vision. It is a simple, yet sophisticated approach that allows the story to become more powerful and the final product more impactful.
Their team blends old school fabrication techniques with modern tooling and automation that breaks the mold of tradition and flat pack IKEA furniture. This allows them to bend, shape, sculpt and cut wood, metal and concrete in ways most people would not think possible. They’re defining a new model for craftsmanship and pushing the boundaries with deliberate rule breaking.
Their pieces invite conversation, and their interior spaces demand attention. There is intention in the design beyond beauty – theirs is a story that will be told for so much longer than that of an MDF cabinet.
As avid outdoorsmen who escape to the slopes, trails and rivers to unwind, most of their pieces take inspiration from the outdoors and some even use the raw elements themselves.
Their craft is honest, and their goal is to find more sustainable ways to make furniture with eco-friendly materials and techniques. Building things to last with rugged materials is a conscious step in that direction. Like many creatives, their journey has been one of maturation, but the mistakes that were made helped them refine their vision for success and define what mattered to them.
As licensed architects and general contractors, their minds never stop dreaming up new projects. Mike dreams of one day designing a spa, and Breton wishes to do more spec projects to bring his own ideas to life, and maybe use his skills to design his own home one day.
Their recommendation to aspiring creatives? Be prepared for what's to come; owning a business is not a perfect science. You have to be willing to embrace discomfort, admit your mistakes and keep going. Lastly, figure out how to solve problems correctly the first time, and treat your clients like friends because great relationships lead to the greatest projects.
Hire Raw Creative for your next project, see some of their work for yourself and keep up with their team on Instagram @raw_creative
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