Solidio is Julie Graf and Mitch Richardson.

We are a young vibrant couple who have decided to make our home base in Western Pennsylvania and pursue a craft we are both passionate about. We believe in producing a product that intertwines the elements of form and function with beauty and elegance to create truly distinctive items. Our inspiration wells from a reverence for nature and its simplicity, which has instilled in us a respect for our world. We feel like many products that are currently mass produced and readily available are not built to last. Our products are a small step towards fighting the disposable economy by providing items that can be treasured and passed on to future generations.

As individuals we have a variety of experience that provides a basis for the methodology of Solidio.

Julie is a former award winning interactive designer featured in ID Magazines 2002 Interactive Design Review as a Gold award winner, beating out web sites like Nike. She won over 40 industry awards during her five-year career and left interactive design on a high note in 2004. In search of something more tangible, she discovered woodworking through an apprenticeship with Pittsburgh furniture maker and craftsman Jim Ladner. In the fall of 2006, after convincing Mitch to make the move to Western PA, Solidio was born.

Mitch has maintained a love for the outdoors throughout his life. He has been working outside in various forms since 1994, with roles as varied as trip leadership, tracking, trail building, and logging. He has been metalworking for three years and is excited about some upcoming products that will combine the elements of metal and wood. Mitch recently moved to Western PA from Vermont where he had been living “off the grid.”