The Story Behind RT Ranch Woodworking and Owner Rich Braunthal
RT Ranch Woodworking owner Rich Braunthal brings more than 40 years of architectural carpentry experience to every project he takes on in Monument, Colorado. Born in Chile and trained from the age of 16 in professional architecture offices across Southern California, Rich built his career through prestigious residential markets in Hawaii, Aspen, and California before planting roots in El Paso County. Today, the shop operates from a ranch tucked below Mt. Herman, combining a rigorous design-build woodworking philosophy with the kind of hands-on accountability that larger firms simply cannot offer.
A Designer-Led Shop With 40 Years of Real-World Experience
Rich Braunthal is an architect by education and a custom cabinetry craftsman by decades of hands-on practice. His background spans luxury residential work at the highest levels, including installing complete interior trim packages for Tri-Pointe Homes model residences, a credential that signals both precision and professional capacity. With 30 or more years of direct carpentry experience layered on top of his architectural training, Rich does not separate the design phase from the build phase. He handles both, in-house, from the first set of drawings to the final piece of trim. This integration is what sets RT Ranch apart from standard cabinet installers and general contractors who must pass a project between separate designers and builders before anything gets built.
30+
YEARS IN BUSINESS
One Craftsman, One Vision, From Drawing to Installation
The design-build woodworking philosophy at RT Ranch is straightforward: the person who draws the plans is the same person who builds them. Rich produces all architectural drawings and drafting in-house, which means there is no handoff between a designer and a contractor, no lost information, and no gap between what was envisioned and what gets installed. The shop works exclusively on interior woodwork, including custom cabinetry, kitchen and bathroom remodels, built-ins, and CNC-engraved wood art made from Colorado-sourced Blue Stain Beetle Kill Pine. Rich is also bilingual in English and Spanish, which has proven genuinely useful across the vendor and labor relationships that come with complex interior builds. RT Ranch accepts projects of all sizes, from small repairs to full remodels, because earning trust on a smaller job is often how the best long-term client relationships begin.
What People Ask Before Working With RT Ranch
Does RT Ranch handle both the design drawings and the physical build, or do I need to hire a separate designer?
RT Ranch handles both sides of the process in-house. Rich produces all designer drawings and drafting himself, so there is no need to hire a separate designer or coordinate between two different professionals. This design-build approach means the person creating the plans is the same person executing them, which reduces the risk of miscommunication and keeps the project on a consistent track from the first sketch to the finished installation. It also tends to reduce both cost and timeline compared to the more common model of hiring an architect and a contractor separately.
What kinds of interior woodwork does RT Ranch specialize in, and are there project types the shop does not take on?
RT Ranch specializes exclusively in interior woodwork. The core services include custom cabinetry, kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, built-in units, and CNC-engraved wood art. The shop does not take on exterior work, framing, painting, or plumbing. This is a deliberate choice to maintain a high level of skill within a defined specialty rather than spreading across unrelated trades. Homeowners looking for a single contractor to handle everything from foundation to finish will need additional vendors for those outside scopes, but everything within the interior woodwork category is handled directly by Rich.Is there a minimum project size or budget required to work with RT Ranch Woodworking?
There is no project minimum at RT Ranch. Rich actively takes on smaller jobs, including single cabinet repairs and minor built-in work, because he views them as a genuine way to build trust with homeowners before larger projects arise. Full kitchen and bathroom remodels represent the shop's larger project category, but no dollar floor is required to begin working with RT Ranch. Every project, regardless of size, receives the same level of craftsmanship, attention to detail, and direct owner involvement.What wood materials does RT Ranch use, and where do they come from?
RT Ranch works with Colorado-sourced Blue Stain Beetle Kill Pine as its primary material, particularly for custom wood art pieces. This wood is harvested locally in Colorado and carries a distinctive blue-grey grain pattern that results from a natural staining process caused by beetles. It has become closely associated with a Western aesthetic that resonates with the regional market in El Paso and Douglas Counties. Rich uses this material as both an honest reflection of the local landscape and a genuine visual differentiator from the standard wood options offered by larger cabinetry firms.Is Rich Braunthal bilingual, and does that make a practical difference on a woodworking project?
Rich is fluent in both English and Spanish, a skill he developed growing up in Chile and working across diverse construction environments throughout his career. On a practical level, this has been valuable in managing relationships with vendors and subcontractors in the Colorado construction market, where Spanish-language communication is common across the labor and supply chain. For homeowners, it means that coordination on complex interior builds is less likely to break down due to language gaps between the project lead and the people doing supporting work on site.Does RT Ranch Woodworking serve areas outside of Monument, Colorado?
Yes. While the workshop is based in Monument in El Paso County, RT Ranch takes a flexible approach to geography and actively serves homeowners in Douglas County and the greater Denver metro area as well. Rich has described the business's approach as going where the work is, rather than limiting service to a fixed radius. Surrounding communities including Palmer Lake, Woodmoor, and Colorado Springs are also within the shop's service area. Specific travel logistics for Denver-area projects are handled on a case-by-case basis.What is Rich Braunthal's professional background before starting RT Ranch Woodworking?
Rich Braunthal began his architectural career at age 16 in Southern California and has spent more than 40 years working across architecture and design. His career took him through luxury residential markets in Hawaii, Aspen, and California. One notable chapter involved installing complete interior trim packages for Tri-Pointe Homes model residences, which required a high level of precision and professional consistency. After a period away from the trade between 2015 and 2020, he returned to his core woodworking and design work, establishing RT Ranch Woodworking on a ranch property in Monument, Colorado.
