Maku Planter Box!

Here's a sneek preview of a new piece that will be debuting soon. The Maku Planter Box made of 100% Reclaimed Teak just like the rest of our collection!

Sherman Poppen, The Snurfer, and the History of Snowboarding

let me introduce you to the Grandfather (or maybe Godfather) of Snowboarding Mr. Sherman Poppen.

In 1965 Sherman invented the Snurfer for his daughters to go out in the backwoods of their Muskegon Michigan home. As we all know from there on out the rest is snow sliding history with the likes of Tom Sims, Jake Burton Carpenter, Dimitjrtie Milovich, Chuck Barfoot, Mike Olson, the list goes on as the founding fathers of snowboarding.

I had the distinct pleasure to meet Sherman in the early / mid 90's in Banff Canada during a Transworld Snowboarding Industry "Conference". (Which was basically a big excuse for key snowboard industry "execs' to get together and get our shred-on.)

Since then I have ridden with Sherman a few times in Whistler BC and his home mountain of Steamboat. Believe it or not, Sherman did not start "Officially" snowboarding until his late 60's and I can't think of a person that exuded more stoke and excitement to slide sideways than Sherman.

To this day after 25 years of snowboarding, countless EPIC powder days at some of the best resorts and backcountry around the world, the times I was able to ride with Sherman are at the tops of the list. (Right along with teaching my son and daughter to snowboard and watching them link up their first turns. Then a first decent of an amazing chute in AK that myself, Billy Anderson and Wooly from Volcom all enjoyed and aptly named Lil' Bitch afterward)

So sit back and check out this killer little video and here is a link to Sherman's Snurfer induction to the Smithsonian Museum in DC.

Red Bull Rodeo Flip by Jordy Smith

Check out this insane footage of Pro Surfer Jordy Smith.



By the way, sorry for the lack of updates, been swamped shipping tons of new Maku pieces all across the country. To those that have purchased a new piece for their outdoor space a big high 5 and thanks!

More Plastic than Plankton...

So I was reading the latest issue of my favorite surf mag that features an interview with Surfrider Foundation Executive Director Jim Moriarty and an interesting fact popped out at me within the first few paragraphs of the interview.

I have talked a lot about the North Pacific gyre and the swirling pool / blob of trash and plastic that is now estimated to be as large as the USA but what I never realized was that it is now estimated to be more photo-degraded plastic in the oceans than plankton.

This is a very disheartening and sad state of our oceans and the ramifications within the food chain may now be irreversible. Plastic is not bio-degradeble in any means, it is photo-degradeable which means that it will continue to break down into smaller and smaller pieces to where it can't be seen by the naked eye.

Fish, birds, whales, and many other sea creatures that in one way or another end up on the plates of millions of diners tables around the world have potentially mistaken this plastic for plankton...

The only answer, reduce, reuse, recycle and most importantly EDUCATE!

Kini Beach

Check out these killer beach bags that are made from 100% re-purposed (trash) left on the beaches of Waikiki by inconsiderate visitors.

Designed and developed by fellow surfers David “Kawika” Watt, Kealii Mamala, and Dale Geldum, whom all saw an unfortunate abundance of "trash being left behind on island beaches and in hotels each year. These include recreational items such as “boogie boards,” straw and inflatable plastic mats, and literally any other floating device found on the sand and in the water by day’s end."

So they approached the hotels about helping them take care of this problem and here you have it - Kini Beach Tote Bags.

A pretty rad idea and everybody here at Maku are going to pick up a few of these totes on our next trip to the islands!

Mahalo to the crew of Kini Beach nice job keeping the beaches clean!

Happy Earth Day 2009!

Happy Earth Day 2009 to All. We're taking the day off to go surf and then clean up the beaches as well as cruise around to the local earth day celebrations.

In honor of Earth Day, here are 5 things you can do to lessen your impact on Mother Earth (courtesy of our friends at the Surfrider Foundation)

Vivavi sale this weekend!

We have been getting a lot of web traffic from the NYC area, not to mention some good orders (Thanks to all in NYC who have ordered some Maku Furniture for your Penthouse, Terrace, or outdoor space so far this year!)

This weekend is a great opportunity in NYC to get some really cool furniture at a great price.

The Lazy E himself will be having a clearance sale at the downtown Vivavi showroom located in the Riverhouse.

Stop by throw some high 5's and check out the latest and greatest in Eco friendly living. Vivavi has it all!

Dates: Friday, Saturday & Sunday (April 24, 25 & 26)
Hours: 10am to 6pm

Location: Vivavi at The Riverhouse (in Battery Park City)
Suite 11N
2 River Terrace
New York, NY

(Cick Here for Directions)

Sustainable Furniture Council - SFC

Maku Furniture is now a proud member of the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC for short)

In SFC's own words - "The Sustainable Furnishings Council is a non-profit balanced coalition of industry players created to promote sustainable practices among manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike with a public tagging program to identify good choices. We are over two hundred and fifty members strong and growing fast. The solution starts with you."

I have been closely watching SFC develop over the past 18 months before joining because I wanted to see if there were any "teeth" in the projects and movement of the group. Certainly any group of manufacturers that are as passionate about Sustainable Practices as we are is a good thing. And to take it a step further the SFC really helps bring truths and realities to those brands which are doing a good job in creating sustainable products vs. those that are "Greenwashing".

Jeff Hiller and the B.O.D. are doing a great job and I think the future is very bright for the SFC and it's members! Maku Furniture is stoked to be a part of this great group!

Baja bbq firepack

Check this sweet little bbq kit from my friends Mike and Maaike! This would be the perfect compliment to a night chilling on the beach in a Maku Lounge Chair...

eco-friendly instant charcoal packaging designed by Mike and Maaike for Design Annex/ Lazzari

The Baja BBQ Firepack is charcoal packaging that lights instantly and burns away in the grille, making the barbeque experience simple, clean and chemical free. Made from 100% recycled biodegradable paper pulp, the package contains 2 lbs of natural lump charcoal and features an integrated chimney that creates perfect hot coals in 15-20 minutes without the aid of chemicals or lighter fluid. Available at gourmet supermarkets. Manufactured by Lazzari/ Design Annex - patent pending

to see how it works, visit mikeandmaaike.com

Stuctured Green

Mike from Structured Green in Savannah GA sent us these killer pics of their new store. If you are in or around the Savannah area you definitely have to go by and check them out. For all their info click on the "Where to buy" page on the Maku website. And if you want to buy some Maku pieces from Strutured Green they have the Maku Lounge Chair, Maku Side Table and Maku Chaise in stock!

Maku makes #6 on the Chicago Tribune Eco List!

Check it out, the Chicago Tribune lists Maku Furniture as #6 out of 20 ways to live green. Even our friends over at Carlsbadistan picked up on the story!

If you are in the Chicago area be sure to stop by Orange Skin and say hello and find out the latest and greatest in the world of modern design.

10 ways to better mother earth!

Best Wishes from Maku Furniture for a wonderful Earth Day 2008! Check out these to easy ways to help Mother Earth. Courtesy of our friends @ Surfrider Foundation.

10 Things You Can Do Now to Soften Your Impact on Mother Earth:

1. Reduce, Reuse then Recycle as much as possible, including paper (newspaper, office paper, corrugated boxes), glass, plastic, aluminum and steel (and water!!). Use the back of every piece of paper.

2. Be conscious of your water usage and try not to let too much go down the drain and don't let any go down the street because of over watering.

3. Conserve energy, use energy efficient lighting and ask your utility company to use renewable energy. Turn lights/TV off when not in use.

4. Find an alternative to chemical pesticides for your lawn and buy organic produce when possible to reduce pesticide use in farming.

5. Eat locally grown organic foods. Limit or eliminate meat from your diet and purchase only those brands of tuna marked "dolphin safe."

6. Join a Surfrider beach cleanup or organize a cleanup of your own!

7. Use public transportation whenever possible and, when driving, try to carpool. Bike or walk for short trips…and gain a health benefit too.

8. Get your toes in the sand! Visit and support our parks. Help teach young people to appreciate the beauties of the natural world.

9. Educate yourself on important environmental concerns and know how your elected officials stand on the issues.

10. Spend time teaching a child about the importance of a healthy environment.

Earth Day 2008 Kudos

For Earth Day 2008 I thought I would give some props to more mainstream companies that are making strides to become green.

At the top of the list is Target. Yes that's right the mass merchandiser with the funny dog, the Red Target, and The Flying Tomato. Now I can't even remember the last time I was in a Target Store but I have long admired them for the ability to re-invent themselves and almost create a pop culture icon.

The basic and most important premise's behind Target's marketing machine is never loosing site of "The Brand". For those interested in Branding and Marketing, here is a great story from Fortune Magazine

Branding / Marketing 101 runs pure in Target and that is what I like about this company.

Now to the original reason I started talking about Target. In the most recent issue Newsweek Titles "Who is the Greenest of them All" that landed on our door step and interesting 2 page spread caught my attention.

Here is a scan of that ad. For Target to take on such a massive endeavor as trying to reduce the number of plastic bags they use (ok, cost cutting is probably the true reason) and be able to do something good for the environment is pretty much genius in marketing and branding terms. (See initial comments...)

Or, is it Greenwashing...? I would venture to guess that despite the cost savings in reducing the number of plastic bags Target uses, at the very heart of this initiative is a desire to what is right and good.



This same issue of Newsweek had some very interesting Fixes for the planet and companies / ideas that are probably worthy of further study and investment.

1. http://www.ecocycle.org/
2. LED Lightbulbs
3. Greener Golf Fairways
4. Kiteships to offset Container Cargo Fuel Costs
5. Plastic Solar Cells
6. The Aptera

West Coast Salmon run all but gone...

Being tied closely to the ocean, I see macro and micro changes in our eco system all the time. Both good and bad.

Fortunately here in North County San Diego the kelp beds have made a comeback! They were all but gone a few years ago and then an agressive kelp reforestation program brought it back. Not only does the kelp offer a home to many species of oceanic life but it also creates some nice glassy surfing conditions inside the kelp when the wind is blowing on the outside.

What does kelp in North County San Diego and Salmon have to do with each other. Well, much like the kelp forests a few years ago the west coast salmon have now all but disappeared. As recently as 2002, 750,000 adult salmon were counted in the run up the Sacramento river. It is estimated that less than 90,000 Chinook ran last fall and that number is projected to plummet to as little as 58,000 this fall. Less than 10% of the salmon that ran in 2002 an over 90% decrease!!

While certainly I feel that some of this can be attributed to climate change and perhaps cyclical nature, there is no doubt in my mind that most of the decline in the west coast salmon run is attributed to man. More runoff / pollution / sediment build up in the Sacramento river basin from increased building, farming, and pretty much people not caring about our impact on our eco system.

There are solutions to these problems, I always talk about the easy ones such as recycling. It's not that hard to put your plastics, papers, bottles and cans in a separate container for the garbage man to pick up. Remember the North pacific gyre and the blob of plastic the size of Texas floating in the ocean...?

Eating organic foods that don't use synthetic pesticides which runoff into the river and oceans creating algae / plankton blooms and sucking the oxygen out of the water.

Conserving energy and turning off lights or electronics when you are not in the room.

When are we as an entire society going to start seeing the impacts firsthand and change the way we live to help mother earth heal from all this damage? It appears that we are willing to pay $4 for a gallon of gas and looks like we will be paying $30+ for a pound of wild Salmon in the near future. At some point society has to take a stands and say enough is enough look at what we are doing to our environment. I think that time is nearing.

Act locally and think globally. I know that's kind of a played out saying but it's true and we can each make a difference together if we take a stand and do what is right.

"Best in show" Mod Livin - Denver

Check it out: one of our newest members of the Maku Furniture family, Jill and crew @ Mod Livin in Denver are holding their 2nd annual Best in Show plastic puppy event. All proceeds from this event go to benefit the Denver Animal Care Foundation which provides low cost veterinary services to those who would otherwise be unable to afford it.

Looks like a fun time so and you can vote online for your favorite!

Top "5" Green Living Facts

Sorry for the lack of updates. As spring is quickly approaching Maku Furniture continues to gain more and more momentum in the marketplace and there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day, which is good of course...!

So while reading the Sunday paper yesterday morning while chilling on the Maku sectional in my backyard, I came across this little gem of info in the North County Times real estate section. The Article is titled "It's easy living green, eco friendly homes reduce carbon footprint"

The story goes on to talk about a new development called Del Sur in Black Mountain Ranch (as if San Diego needs more development..!). But the good news is this 1800 acre development will feature eco friendly building tactics such as Tankless water heaters, Solar Power, weather based irrigation systems. It's good to see that despite the rampant over development of what once used to be a Wonderfully small city by the beach is in some cases taking a green approach.

A big HIGH5 to the Black Mountain Ranch LLC development group for taking some initiative in green home building!

Now back to the original intention of this post. The top 5 "Green" Living facts as brought to you by the ever progressive North County Times.

• The U.S. Residential sector is only 2nd to Chinese heavy industry in terms of INeffecient energy use ((McKinsey Global institute)
• If every home replaced the 5 most used bulbs in the house with efficient compact fluorescent bulbs over 1 trillion lbs of greenhouse gases would be kept out of the air over the course of the bulbs life. (of course it can be debated that the process for manufacturing fluorescent bulbs outweighs the benefits...)
• Green Building, design, and construction drastically eliminate the V.O.C. that we are all potentially exposed to over time.
• Landscape irrigation accounts for nearly 1/3 of all residential water use. If these were replaced with Weather based systems over 24 billion gallons of water annually could be saved according to the EPA.
• An average 2000 sq ft home generates an estimated 4 tons of construction waste. With a little planning and prep it is possible for 90% of that waste to be recycled! (Hello, Any home builders listening...?) Think of the financial savings...
  

Big time media coverage!

Just finished an all day photo shoot with a top Men's lifestyle magazine. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag until the issue comes out but it should be a killer story on Maku and myself.

Many thanks to PR guru and all around nice guy Bill Byrne of BBPR for setting this up. It has taken well over 6 months for this to come to fruition and I couldn't more stoked right now!

Further proof that Maku continues to grow and garner more attention despite the challenging economic conditions. Look for more details around June when this issue debuts!

Yeah Keir , 1st place Nippon Open!

Way to Keir, 1st place at the Nippon Open in Japan!! Sweet! Keir of course rides for Maku Furniture, Burton Snowboards, Gravis footwear, a bunch of other cool companies, and is a Carlsbad loc!

Check out all the results and good stuff here.

Welcome Orange Skin to the family!

WOW, 2 new Maku Furniture partners to announce in 2 days!

Chicago is one of my favorite cities in the world and home not only to many great pubs and of course my favorite mother-in-law (ok, she's my only mother-in-law, but she's super cool!) But also home to one of the finest modern furniture retailers in the country - Orange Skin.

Graunk, his partners, and the rest of the Orange Skin crew not only hold down the title relating to all things hip and modern in Chi town, they are also involved in many design projects throughout the midwest.

We are really excited to have Orange Skin representing us in Chicago and welcome aboard!

Somebody is getting it!

I've been meaning to post this for a while and just now getting around to it. Thomas Prais is the editor of Furniture style magazine and a while back he did a great little article on marketing to a younger more affluent and vibrant demographic. Of course this article included some commentary on Maku's strategy and a few quotes by your truly. In the world of Baby Boomeritus old school furniture marketing it was refreshing to see that Maku's strategy was starting to resonate!

A few months later he followed it up with a small online piece talking about the power of email / electronic communication as a form of branding. Those of you industry types that are on our mailing and get our newsletter know what I am talking about.

Here is a link to the online story that Thomas wrote

And here is some brief commentary at the end of his segment. Thanks for the great words Thomas it is refreshing and I am really glad that what we are trying to do is starting to resonate in a fairly stagnant old school market place!!

Thomas 2.0 Responds: I think Maku has put together a pretty smart marketing strategy. Other than, perhaps, at the very highest end of the furniture price spectrum, the furniture industry seems to be highly committed to hobbling along with small marketing budgets, and advertising strategies from the 1950s. Most furniture marketing seems to be flyers and commercials featuring uninspired product shots and a promise of low, low prices. Which I guess is fine, IF the key to commercial success is waiting for a consumer to decide she wants to buy something and then making sure she knows that your company sells that said something, and IF she even notices your commercial sandwiched between their favorite TV show and far more compelling, entertaining commercials (and that’s assuming she doesn’t TIVO past commercial breaks entirely). What I like about Maku, which reaches out to Gen X and Y consumers, is that they’ve picked up on this lifestyle branding thing pretty well, going out to Extreme Sports venues, sponsoring competitions, etc. In other words, they’re connecting their product with something their intended audience cares deeply and passionately about (and, in this case, the consumerrs have the scars to prove it). If your selling something to sit on, I guess a price story is the only one that makes sense. But if you can transform your product into the locus where a consumer’s life intersects with her desires, passions and self-image, well then you’re creating desire, not just waiting for it to happen. I don’t think a lot of people in the industry understand how important brands are in the lives of my generation (I’m a Gen-Xer). I don’t particularly like that aspect of my generation, but there it is. We Gen-Xers carve our identities out of the stuff we buy. We Gen-Xers love our IKEA, our Starbucks, our J. Crew. When we get together we talk about the stuff we’ve bought and how great (or awful) a brand is. Shopping becomes our master narrative, consumption is how we change the world. So we especially love it when a brand is associated with things we either (a) care about or (b) like to think that we care about. In addition to its Extreme Sports angle, Maku also associates its brand with art, travel and saving the environment. I think they’ll do well in the long term. Thomas 2.0, Furniture Style Magazine 12/20/2007 at 10:50 AM