Interviews
Two Brothers Are Turning Concrete into the Ultimate Car Collector's Gift
How Oscar and Jonathan Gomez built Piedra Studios by blending automotive passion, modern design, and handcrafted concrete sculptures.
Interviews
How Oscar and Jonathan Gomez built Piedra Studios by blending automotive passion, modern design, and handcrafted concrete sculptures.
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The best gifts don't try to be gifts. They're objects that earn a place on your desk, your shelf, or your showroom counter — and stay there.
Oscar and Jonathan Gomez noticed how disposable most modern gifts feel.
Piedra Studios is their answer — hand-poured concrete car sculptures designed as minimalist objects for the modern collector. Not model cars. Something with real weight, real texture, and real presence. We sat down with the brothers to talk about launching with a single Porsche 911, why their best customers aren't traditional car collectors, and what it takes to grow a family-run workshop without losing the craftsmanship that made it work in the first place.
The Product and Audience: What is Piedra Studios and who is it for?
Piedra Studios creates hand-poured concrete car sculptures designed for the modern collector. Rather than traditional model cars, each piece is crafted as a minimalist design object that belongs on desks, shelves, offices, and showroom counters. Our customers range from automotive enthusiasts and design lovers to gift buyers, businesses, and anyone looking for something meaningful that reflects their personality without overwhelming their space.
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The Spark: When did you launch, and what made you say "I need to build this"?
The idea didn't come from a single "aha" moment. We kept noticing how many products, gifts, and home décor pieces felt generic and disposable. As lifelong enthusiasts of cars, architecture, and material design, we saw an opportunity to transform recognizable automotive silhouettes into concrete sculptures with real weight, texture, and presence. The goal wasn't to build another collectible. It was to create something people would proudly keep within arm's reach every day.
The Launch: When did you launch and how did you build early momentum?
Piedra Studios launched on Shopify in early 2025 with a single product: a Porsche 911 sculpture. There wasn't a polished pre-launch campaign or months of hype. We simply started posting on social media, launched Meta ads, and learned directly from customer feedback. Instead of trying to perfect everything beforehand, we embraced a simple philosophy: ship the product, listen carefully, and improve as we went.
The First 100: How did you find your first customers?
Meta advertising became the biggest driver of early sales. Instagram also played an important role as customers began sharing photos and videos of their sculptures online. Interestingly, many early buyers weren't traditional car collectors. They were people who appreciated thoughtful design and wanted a unique object that blended seamlessly into modern workspaces. That intersection between automotive culture and interior design quickly became our sweet spot.
The Advice: What would you tell a first-time founder in their first 90 days?
Focus on learning instead of looking established. Put your product in front of customers as quickly as possible and pay close attention to how people respond. We also stress the importance of creating simple operating systems early. Clear responsibilities, financial visibility, and repeatable processes may not feel exciting, but they make growth much more sustainable.
The Reality Check: What is the hardest part of this journey that people don't see on social media?
A finished product photo hides an enormous amount of work. Every sculpture requires design revisions, mold creation, failed pours, curing, sanding, quality inspections, packaging, shipping, and customer support. As a family-run workshop, every new idea also competes for the same limited production capacity. The biggest challenge isn't just growing. It's growing without losing the craftsmanship and authenticity that made customers care in the first place.
The Milestone: What has been your biggest "we made it" moment so far?
Seeing hundreds of sculptures leave the workshop was the first sign that the idea resonated beyond family and friends. Another defining milestone came when companies began placing wholesale and corporate orders. Those partnerships weren't simply purchasing products. They were trusting Piedra Studios to create meaningful gifts for employees, clients, and special occasions.
The AI Trend: How have you used AI to help your business grow?
We see AI as an accelerator rather than a replacement for craftsmanship. We use it to visualize new finishes, brainstorm product photography, refine messaging, organize operating procedures, and analyze business performance. One particularly useful workflow involves painting a single physical prototype, then using AI to preview how that finish would look across an entire collection before investing time and materials. Despite these tools, every sculpture is still designed, poured, finished, inspected, and shipped by hand.
The Horizon: What should we be excited to see from Piedra Studios in the next six months?
We're making our products even more personal. We're expanding engraving options, introducing new finishes like our Coffee colorway, releasing additional automotive designs, and growing our custom corporate gifting business. We're also preparing for the holiday season with an improved shopping experience and new ways for customers to build what we call their own "Office Garage."
The Recommendations: What are your favorite under-the-radar brands right now?
CPG: De La Calle
Tech: Nothing
Gear: FVRCRNRS
The Shop: Where can readers find Piedra Studios?
Shop directly at piedrastudios.com.
The Connection: Where is the best place to follow along?
Follow along on Instagram at @piedra.studios, or visit piedrastudios.com.
Hand-poured concrete car sculptures made for your desk, shelf, or office.
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