Castles Home Service

Seth Franta: Set in Stone

By Matt Solis, Editor

From a young age, Seth Franta was fascinated by the inner workings of detail and finish work, so it only made sense for him to follow in his father’s professional footsteps. “My dad, Brian, was a carpet cleaner and a fire/water damage restoration contractor for years,” he explains. “He took an interest in the stone restoration industry and worked it into his business, and for the last 30 years he’s been doing all aspects of that trade with Castles Home Service. I’ve dabbled in a lot of different things, but stone has always grabbed my attention. I just took to it and things clicked, and I’ve been going strong ever since.”

Today, as co-owner of Castles Home Service, Seth says his favorite part of his job is utilizing his expertise to help customers get out of tricky situations. “I love solving problems that people think are lost causes. When I’m able to finish something for a client and they’re blown away by the results, it’s always a good feeling.”

Seth grew up in Gilroy and eventually settled in nearby Santa Cruz, where he appreciates living in such close proximity to the ocean. “I moved around a bit when I was younger, but I never lived by the ocean until I met my wife, Rebecca,” he says. “She loves the ocean and would never move away from Santa Cruz, so I moved here and I understand why people don’t leave. We’re a couple of blocks from the water and it’s amazing.”

Outside of work, Seth dedicates most of his free time to making memories with Rebecca and their dog, Amica. “We stay busy by hanging out with friends and enjoying the outdoors on the weekend, but we also like staying home and watching movies or reading,” he details. In addition to family time, Seth likes staying active with hobbies like surfing and golfing. 

When it comes to a personal or professional philosophy, Seth emphasizes the importance of working hard to achieve your goals. “To paraphrase one of my favorite quotes, if you apply yourself to a trade and you’re good at what you do, you’ll work for kings,” he says. “I’ve found that to be true throughout my life.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: If you could retire tomorrow, what’s the first thing you would do?

A: Do some traveling. My wife and I love to travel.

Q: If you could immediately travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

A: I would want to go somewhere warm by the ocean, so either Southern France or Bali.

Q: What’s your favorite sports team?

A: The Golden State Warriors.

Q: What are your favorite movie genres?

A: Drama and action.

Q: What’s your favorite local restaurant?

A: Mentone in Aptos.