Hey there, DIY lovers! I’m Antonio, the heart and soul (and occasionally the wild card) behind Howl and Hammer. Let’s take a trip back to where my love for building stuff kicked off.

Picture this: I’m an 11-year-old kid in a lively Irish-Italian family, and my dad decides to open a hardware store. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by shelves stacked with nuts, bolts, and every tool you can imagine. It was like a playground for a curious kid like me. Before long, I was tinkering with plumbing parts, messing with lawn gear, and learning the ropes of anything I could get my hands on. That store was my first workshop, and it sparked something big.

From there, I dove headfirst into mechanics school, where I got my hands dirty with tractors, mowers, and engines. I was in my element, soaking up every bit of knowledge. The family business opened doors to all kinds of trades, and I realized early on that working with my hands wasn’t just a hobby—it was my calling.

As a kid, I was the king of tree forts. Not those wobbly, thrown-together shacks—oh no, I’m talking epic, three- or four-story masterpieces. With endless supplies from the hardware store (that I “paid” for with my pocket money), I had all the nails and tools a kid could dream of. In high school, I traded tree forts for woodshop and architectural drawing classes. For a minute, I thought I’d be an architect, sketching fancy houses. But late nights hunched over a drawing board showed me I belonged on the job site, not behind a desk.

That’s when I jumped into custom home building. I worked alongside old-school masons, watching their every move and soaking up their wisdom like a sponge. “Keep quiet and learn,” they’d say, and I did. From intricate floor patterns to stunning shower designs, every project taught me something new. After 20 years of grit, sweat, and lessons learned the hard way, I took a leap and started my own business. And let me tell you, it took off.

Now, here’s where it gets even better: my crew. Meet Fabio, my loyal Rottweiler, and Taco, my goofy French Bulldog. These two are my ride-or-die partners, chilling in the truck’s passenger seat or snoozing in the back as we roll to the next job. My clients love them almost as much as I do. Fabio and Taco bring wagging tails and pure joy to every site, whether we’re hammering away at a beach house reno or sneaking in some playtime between projects.

So that’s my story, folks. Just a guy with a passion for building, a toolbox full of skills, and the best four-legged sidekicks around. Let’s keep creating, one project at a time!