Freitas was raised in Galicia, Spain, by his grandparents and moved to the Twin Cities from the East Coast with his wife in 2007. “I was inspired by my grandfather, who had tools and was always making and fixing the house. He was a mason as an immigrant in America. He was always working on anything—motors, cabinets, and so on. I just hung around and watched, asked questions, and learned. I love tools. Working with them is an amazing thing for me.”

Of the Twin Cities, Freitas says, “There are a lot of super-talented people here and it’s great to meet some of them when I am out.” When he first arrived, he worked as a maintenance manager for apartment buildings. Then he bought tools and began working out of his garage. Finally, after suffering rising rents and a few expensive moves, he purchased his own workshop in Minneapolis. It was tough finding a niche in custom work, says Freitas, who has built interiors for upscale hotels and restaurants around town, such as Argentinian steakhouse Porzana and Japanese restaurant Kado no Mise. “That’s why we do woodwork, welding, glasswork, and machining. I try to keep as much as possible in-house to keep busy. We can adapt to any changes as needed in the project to save time and money.”

marvinfreitas.com | @marvinfreitas

ARTISTS FREITAS ADMIRES:
Interior and fashion designer Talin Spring of Spring Finn and Co., who designed Alma hotel and restaurant in Minneapolis and is now working in Paris; clothing designers Emily Freitas and Susan Kim, who founded Estella; chef and restaurateur Daniel del Prado; clothing designer and maker Benjamin Kelly of Dinosaur Hampton; and visual artist and sign painter Forrest Wozniak.