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MEET THE MAKER | BREHM BROTHERS

In this edition of Meet the Maker, we caught up with Brendan and Casey of Brehm Brothers – the skilled craftsmen we collaborated with on our beloved California Collection. The Half Moon Bay brothers told us all about what inspires them to create, how they approach design in their own homes, and how they got their start.
Tell us about your craft. 
BREHM BROTHERS: We design and build a range of custom woodworking projects, including furniture, built-in cabinetry, commercial fixtures, and other custom millwork items, such as doors and countertops. We are typically involved with each step of the process, beginning with design meetings and drawings, and continuing on to material selection, fabrication, finishing, and installing. For us, it is the chance to thoughtfully string all these elements together that makes our chosen career path so rewarding.
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How did you get started? Were you always an artist/maker or did it come to you later in your career?
BREHM BROTHERS: As brothers, we both grew up in a house under constant remodeling. Hands-on experience working on our own home led us to general construction jobs during and after our college years. After working in the home-building and remodel sector for many years, we both tired of the disconnect between designing and building typical on big, chaotic job-sites. We decided instead to build a company that focused on smaller craft projects in which we could provide a seamless integration of design and execution.
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Do you have a favorite treasure or piece of art?
BRENDAN: A series of watercolors my grandfather brought back from Tehran when he was stationed there in 1943.
CASEY: My garage holds my favorite pieces of art including my 1957 Chevy truck and time-piece memorabilia to match.
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What inspires you to create?

BRENDAN: The opportunity to solve practical problems with aesthetic solutions.

CASEY: Respect for the materials and processes.

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We’re interior designers, so we have to ask: what’s your design style at home?

BRENDAN: Books and records are my main decoration items. Never enough time to build furniture for myself.

CASEY: Modern to rustic. Generally clean spaces filled with hand made pieces. Sometimes eclectic

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What is your guilty pleasure or vice of choice?

BRENDAN: Chile relleno burrito with a michelada.

CASEY: Sunset hill skateboarding.

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What’s your favorite way to unwind?

BRENDAN: Surfing or playing guitar.

CASEY: Hike, walk the coast. Surf.

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Travel is a major source of joy and inspiration for us - tell us your favorite place you’ve traveled.

BRENDAN: Hard to pick a favorite since everywhere offers something unique, so I’ll say my most recent trip to Lummi Island off the coast of Bellingham, Washington. I never tired of sitting on the porch at our rental house and staring at the San Juan Islands.

CASEY: Costa Rica really holds a place in my heart because it was the first place I traveled outside of the country. I was really nervous because I was traveling alone and I didn't know what to expect. I had an amazing time and my experience was heightened because of how new and different everything was. 

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Tell us something surprising about yourself!

BRENDAN: I wrote my senior thesis on the influence of Proust’s writing on depictions of time by modern film makers while studying English at UC Berkeley.

CASEY: I received my bachelor degree from UC Berkeley in Architecture, but chose to work in the trades to get a hands-on experience.

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Love their work?

Come visit us in Mill Valley and see the Brehm Brothers' incredible craftsmanship for yourself, or head to the online shop to view the California Collection.

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