10% for for Chile Earthquake Relief!

Survival Mode...

The newest product on the Maku EcoShop is something that we can all use, just in case... These survival kits are outfitted with everything you need to sustain you and your families lives for a few days after a major disaster or catastrophic event.

While we are most certainly not doom and gloom type people, we definitely believe being prepared and able to take care of those closest too us.

As part of the launch of our Survival Kits on the EcoShop, we are going to donate 10% of all sales in the Survival Kits to the Red Cross Chile Earthquake Relief!

Check out all of the goodies in this Deluxe 5 Person Family Survival Kit!

Deluze 5 Person Home or Office Survival Kit

All items are packed securely in a 5 Gallon Bucket with Toilet Seat Lid

The kit includes the following:

Food and Water:

5 Boxes of Aqua Literz – Equivalent to 30 packets of emergency water (5 Liters) and each box has a 5 year shelf-life

5 – 2400 Calorie Food Bars (12,000 Calories) – 30 Individually wrapped bars with a 5-year shelf life

50 Water Purification Tablets – each tablet purifies 1 liter of water

Light and Communication:

Dynamo Radio Flashlight 4 in 1 – AmFm Radio, Siren, 3 LED Flashlight, Cell-phone Charger with adapter included (NEVER NEEDS BATTERIES)

Rechargeable Squeeze Flashlight – 3 LED flashlight which generates and stores power by squeezing the handle (NEVER NEEDS BATTERIES)

30 Hour Emergency Candle – can also be used as a stove

5 – Green Emergency Glow Sticks – lasts for 24 hours

5-in-1 Survival Whistle – loud shrill whistle (travels over 1 mile) containing a flint starter, signal mirror, compass, and lanyard

Box of 50 Waterproof Matches

Shelter and Warmth:

5 Emergency Survival Blankets – Retain over 90% of the users body heat

2-Person Tube Tent with Rope

5 Emergency Ponchos with Hood

Tools:

10´ x 10´ Blue Tarp

7-1/2" Flat Pry Bar

16 Function Knife

Leather Palm Working Gloves

Duct Tape – 2″ × 10 yards

5 – N95 Respirator Dust Masks – NIOSH approved

Hygiene and Sanitation:

Toilet Bags with Chemicals – Sealable, leak proof outer bag sealed to inner waste bag containing Bio-Gel waste gelation

5 Hygiene Kits- toothbrush, toothpaste, bar of soap, and 9 wet wipes

5 Tempo Pocket Tissue Packs

Air Freshener

First Aid:

2 – 42 Piece Portable First Aid Kits – contains 42 pieces – 10 spot bandages, 10 sheer junior,5 sheer medium, 5 sheer strips, 2 antibacterial, 3 clear strips, 2 fabric strips, 1 extra large, 2 alcohol pads, and 2 gauze pads

2 Guardian First Aid Essentials Kits – 1 Trauma Dressing (5″×9″), 3 Sunscreen Lotion Packs, 1 Sting Relief Prep Pad, 1 Burn Cream Pack, 4 Non-Aspirin Tablets, 4 Antacid Tablets, 4 Ibuprofen Tablets, 1 Lip Ointment Pack, 1 Antibiotic Ointment Pack, 1 Pair of Vinyl (non latex) Gloves, 2 Finger Splints, 10 Cotton Tip Applicators, 1 Roll of First Aid Tape, 1 Roll of Gauze Dressing, and a First Aid Instruction Guide

Other:

Deck of playing cards for entertainment

Emergency Survival Kit Information:

This survival kit was designed using advice from experts in the emergency preparedness industry. It follows guidelines given by government agencies and non-profit preparedness organizations. This 5-person deluxe office emergency kit has a retail value of $195.

KOR ONE Hydration Vessels

The hottest eco friendly water bottles to hit the market have just landed on Maku EcoShop. KOR ONE Hydration vessels are not only cool but eco friendly and motivational at the same time.

Made of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester, the KOR ONE is completely BPA free and offers beautiful glasslike clarity with excellent impact resistance

Customize your vessel by inserting an inspirational KOR Stone™ message into the top; KOR Stone messages are visible when the cap is flipped open

KOR donates 1% of all sales to a select group of non-profits that focus on water-related issues and we do to so that is 2% of sales on this bottle going to help make the world a better place!

Available in 4 cool colors all with their own Non Profit



- Orchid Pink sales benefit Blue Planet Run, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing the global community together to provide safe drinking water to people in need around the world

- Sunrise Orange (my favorite!) sales benefit The Container Recycling Institute, a nonprofit that studies and promotes policies and programs to increase recovery and recycling of plastics

- Sawgrass Green sales benefit The Wetlands Initiative, a nonprofit working to sustainably restore wetlands in order to improve water quality and increase wildlife habitat

- Ice Blue sales benefit one of our favorites the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, a nonprofit focused on the protection of the marine environment through research, education and restoration, in particular studies of the North Pacific Gyre / Blob of Floating Trash...

Realtor Beach House Sense, Cents, and Scents on the Maku EcoShop

Check it, a friend of Maku EcoShop is a Realtor here in North County San Diego and loves the Eco Candle Company Beach House soy candles. So much in-fact that she bought our entire stock of Beach House candles to give to her clients for the holidays and to use during open houses to add a little something special to the ambiance of the homes she is selling. (But don't worry we have more coming before the end of the week!)

Soy candles by Eco-Candle Co. are cool and clean burning and will enhance your home or make the perfect gift for environmentally conscious friends. Burn time for a 16 oz. Eco-Candle is an amazing 90-100 hours.

Aside from saving some Cent's, have great Sense to give an Eco Friendly Gift, and the amazing Scent of these candles here are Six great reasons why to buy an Eco-Candle Co. soy wax candle:

1. Eco-Candles are cleaner burning – no toxins, carcinogens or pollutants which means they are less likely to trigger allergies and unlike petroleum-based paraffin candles they give off no petrol-carbon soot.
2. Eco-Candles last longer – soy wax burns cooler which means in general they will last 30-50% longer than a paraffin candle.
3. Eco-Candle Co. soy wax is certified kosher and contains no herbicides or pesticides.
4. Eco-Candle Co. uses only the highest quality scents and dyes.
5. Eco-Candle Co. uses only cotton, paper or hemp wicks.
6. Best of all — These soy candles are made in the USA.

Measuring the growth of your Keiki

"Keiki" in Hawaiian means child and the Ecotots Surfboard growth Chart on the Maku EcoShop is a super cool accessory for any growing Keiki.

Measure your Keiki's growth by recording his or her height within the two stripes (which are intentionally left unfinished) for easy marking.

Like all ecotots products, the growth chart is made from 100% formaldehyde-free, FSC Certified real wood and has a non-toxic, water-based finish.

This eco-friendly longboard hangs on the wall and also doubles as a coat hook when rotated 180 degrees. It’s certain to become a cool keepsake when your ecotot becomes an ecoteen.

Available and in stock at the Maku EcoShop in 4 different colors and is a great way to bring a little beach lifestyle to any room during a long winter!

Meet "Fred" from the Maku Ecoshop

Check it out, one of the coolest new products we have on the EcoShop is "Fred" by Cardboard Safari. Fred comes in 3 great colors including "Camo Fred" so he can hide on your walls...

Cardboard Safari’s Moose Trophy “Fred” is laser-cut for precision fit and easy assembly using slotted construction. Fred is available in native brown, bright white or camouflage and can be decorated with paint, glitter or other craft material.

Fred is a fun accent for home, office or kid’s room and makes a great gift for dad.

Each trophy is made in the USA from non-toxic, environmentally friendly recycled cardboard. Fred measures 24" wide by 20" high by 19" deep.

Check out Fred and all of his Friends on the Maku Furniture EcoShop and get something cool for the holidays!

The Maku EcoShop is now OPEN!!

Check it out, The Maku EcoShop is now open. Featuring the finest in sustainable and eco friendly products for your household, pets, and lifestyle!

EcoShop represents the next level of our commitment to living a sustainable lifestyle. The products represented within EcoShop not only follow the same mantra and philosophies of Maku Furniture but more importantly are products we believe in and use.

Keep checking the site as we are adding new products daily. And if you have any product suggestions let us know by emailing to - info@makufurniture.com

http://ecoshop.makufurniture.com/

Summer time summer time sum sum summer time...

sorry for the lack of quality updates, summer time is go time for Maku furniture and there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the days lately. An NO we are not surfing the summer away, if there were waves we probably would be but it looks like the worst winter for waves on record could turn into the worst summer. The water is a chilly 58 degrees and blown out... BRRRR!

So I'm on my way to NYC for some east coast luv and meetings on various projects. And as I sit in the red carpet club at SFO waiting for my red eye to take off I found some interesting facts regarding purchasing habits and eco friendly product that I thought I would share with you.

- 28% of Sports participants say they would be more likely to buy a product if it "Stated" it was sustainble... (sounds like a greenwashing opportunity)

- 27% women vs 21% men say they would buy a garment that is made of sustainable fabrics. Come on guys get with it! One of my favorite pairs of shoes is the Grun by Adidas that is 100% recycled materials.

47% of the population said they would buy a green product if they also liked the style and function of that product.

Off to NYC I go, more to come from the road and don't forget to check out Maku Furniture on Twitter.

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.

Pics from Alt Build 2009

Here's a few pics from Alt Build 2009 that took place over the weekend. Great event with a tremendous turnout and some very very cool green products!

Dan and the Vernare crew outdid themselves with the booth this year!


Maku Lounge Chairs with Sunset and White cushions


Maku 48" Spa bench with the Maku 72" dining table and if you look closely there is a sneak peek at the new multifunctional Silent Spring piece that will be in the new DV collection that is due out soon...!

GoGreen Man!

So check out this rad 12 year old grom that is wise beyond his years. Jonathan Lee is a wrecking crew of Eco Friendly passion and resource that is looking to knock out Dr.Pollution!

Jonathan's projects range from trying to reduce waste that Fast food restaurants generate to a really cool project called One Chile, One Tree, One Year.

Keep up the good work Jonathan!!

Greensburg Kansas - the Greening of Middle America

2 years ago today the little town of Greensburg Kansas was devastated and totally destroyed by tornadoes. Virtually every building in the town was leveled. Those that weren't leveled sustained some serious damage...





The next thing that happened is nothing short of SPECTACULAR! The towns goverment decided this was the perfect opportunity to build the countries first green town. A showcase for eco friendly and sustainable building. Very cool indeed! From a wind farm to Silo Eco building, and even a TV show on Planet Green, Greensburg and it's fine citizens are truly eco heroes!

Kudos and congratulations to each and every member of Greensburg Kansas, I'm for sure stopping by and throwing out high fives the next time I happen to be in Kansas. And if anybody in Greensburg Kansas wants some Maku pcs for their outdoor space just let us know and we'll hook you up!

The Past and the Future...

I found these 2 very interesting articles this evening while perusing the world wide web.

The first asks the question: "Was George Washington Green?" and the second explores the ideals of "The Green House of the Future"

From yesteryear the use of native plants and landscaping, efficient use of space dependent upon season, and lightweight / movable furniture to the philosophies of the next generation of green homes that interestingly enough have a keen throwback to the early days of our country.



George Washington's "Woodlawn Plantation" (pictured above)


(BRANCHING OUT William McDonough + Partners envisions its house like a tree. The "bark" of the house is made up of thin, insulating films that would self-clean and self-heal if damaged. A curved roof with large eaves provides shade, which lowers the heat load in summer. The "trunk," or the frame of the home, consists of carbon tubes, while the "roots" are a heat-pump system buried in the yard.)

Is this a case of history repeating itself? Getting back to basics? or as the age old proverb goes "if it ain't broke don't fix it..."

Check them out and decide for yourself!

Article 1 - Was George Washington Green

Article 2 - The Green House of the Future

I wonder if our esteemed First President would have appreciated our designs?

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!

Huffington Post - I SPI top 10 Great Green Designs

A Big high 5 to Sarah and Alison from SPI Design for calling out the Maku Chaise Lounge as on of their top 10 picks of Great Green Design in their Earth Day article in the Huffington Post.

Check it out here.

And definitely check out the SPI Design Portfolio, Sarah and Alison do some amazing work!

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!

Welcome Bambeco.com

A quick high five to the crew at Bambeco.com! Check out the site and products, they are just starting to ramp up for the spring / summer months and will be adding new products weekly.

Of course they have a bunch of Maku Furniture ready to go!! Check out the Maku Coffee Table, Maku Side Table, and Maku Chaise Lounge that are featured front and center!

Not The Answer

So Check it out, as you know I am an avid (perhaps addicted is better) surfer and my life and everyday activities are tied very very close to the ocean. There is just something very special about spending time in the water almost daily. Some call it a greater spirit connection, Ijust love being outdoors...



But I am also a realist and understand the needs of the "greater good" in an effort to maintain commerce and all things that go with living in this greatest country in the world. As such I always try to look at the most viewpoints possible and asses alternatives. In short there are always 2 ways to the same answer...

So when the offshore drilling ban was lifted, I became very concerned (and still am) that we will see the beautiful coastline covered in offshore oil rigs. Not only detracting from the natural beauty of the ocean and those terrific So.Cal sunsets but more importantly adversely affecting the eco system from fish kill to pollution to sea bed damage the list goes on.

Sure Fossil Fuels are the easy answer and the technology to drill for them is readily available. I hope we can all agree that fossil fuels are also not the answer to a longer term problem.

With the advent of Bio Fuels, Natural Gas, Electric, and even Hydrogen engine vehicles (that run on water!) it seems silly to want to continue to exploit our coastlines in hopes of greater corporate profits for companies such as Exxon.

Check out Surfrider Foundations blog on off-shore drilling and decide for yourself and if you want take action and let you congress person, Secretary Salazar, and the president know what you think!