surfer chic

file this under inspired by an island lifestyle. maku furniture, which is based in san diego (once my home away from home), recently launched an outdoor furniture line that would make any surfer meets design junkie's heart go aflutter. in fact, the idea for the company was born during a surf trip to indonesia when the owners realized there was a big void in stylish yet casual, modern yet accessible furniture designed with adventure seekers (or dreamers) in mind.

and they were right. if you have ever shopped for outdoor furniture suitable for a modernist home, chances are good you followed in my steps during what seemed to be a never-ending scouting expedition stopping at every mall/patio/big box/modern design shop (and then back to the beginning) only to encounter an endless array of ornate ironwork, shoddy construction, or not in this lifetime prices. add a co-decider to the mix, and it was practically impossible to find something we could both agree on without looting the rainy day fund.

perhaps it would have been a different story had maku's teak lanai furniture been a reality way back when. the collection comes to life in the company's california hq and is then crafted by local artisans in indonesia which also happens to be home to the teak plantations where maku sustainably harvests all the wood used in their furniture.

maku also mixes elements from old school longboards (see entry doors below) and old world craftsmanship (take a peek at the limited edition lounge chair which features a carved frangipani design reminiscent of the hefty koa chairs found in many island homes back in the day) in many of their designs.

the price point is appealing considering dove tail joinery and kiln dried hardwood are part of the deal. maku also participates in 1% for the planet so you can lounge around on your new furniture knowing that your socially conscious purchase is helping to make the earth a better place for all its inhabitants.

alas, no local shops stock maku in the islands yet (hint, hint), however the company's california warehouse is happy to ship to hawaii (just drop them a note to confirm shipping rates before ordering). mainland dwellers have many choices on the stockist list, or if online ordering is your thing click over to design public to score free shipping (caveat: offer is restricted to the 48 states).

learn more about maku's mission via an interview with co-founder johnny west over at hatch.