Evo Lofts L.A.

Check out these Custom Maku table tops we made for a designer that is showcasing a bunch of product at the EVO lofts in Downtown L.A. If anybody is intersted in custom projects Maku is your go to. We can do anything custom no matter the quantity.

Big thanks to Menzie and Dan for working with Maku Furniture on this project!

7 years ago today 9.11.2001 Never Forget!

About this time 7 years ago (6:00 am) I was waking up to do my usual routine of looking out the windows to check the wind and then head down to the beach for a surf. A quick log in to the computer to check the bouys and see what direction the swell is coming from so I can choose the right break to surf.

Of course, I like to flip on the TV and check the news too. My daughter was 4 yrs old and my son was 2. It was that second that I turned on the TV and knew that something very tragic had happened to our country. At that very moment everything seemed so surreal and while my children may never fully understand the ramifications of this day 7 years ago, they will know the history and reasons why our country was attacked. My thoughts go out to each and every family member and person that was directly affected by this heartless attack.

The USA continues to be and will always be the greatest FREE nation in the world!

Bill Byrne BBPR extrodinaire

Bill Byrne or BBPR the Numero Uno PR Agency to budding Furniture Guru's, Actions Sports Brands, Men of Style, and All Things Project Blue just had some amazing coverage on Good Morning America.

Project Blue is an Eco Awareness program supported by our friends @ Dakine, Billabong, O'Neill, Electric, Reef, and Nixon. As they say "it's not a charity, it's a plan of action!"

As you know we get stoked on anything that helps our oceans and Project Blue as well as the brands I mentioned above are all about bringing greater awareness to the peril of our oceans through the Surfrider Foundation which we support as part of our partnership in 1% For the Planet. Support these brands and they will support mother earth and her vast waters! Check out the coverage here!

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5758062

Junk

I came across this blog a couple of weeks back and have been meaning to post it for all to see. http://junkraft.blogspot.com/

This is the trials and tribulations of 2 guys whom are "Sailing" from So.Cal to Hawaii on a boat made entirely of JUNK! More specifically -

"Sailing to Hawaii on 15,000 plastic bottles and a Cessna 310, to raise awareness about plastic fouling our oceans."

They are currently 180 miles from Hilo HI and have transversed the North Pacific Gyre a couple of times along the way. As you may have read in the past, The North Pacific Gyre is essentially a huge blob of floating plastic in the middle of the pacific where 2 currents terminate and millions of tons of plastic congregate and photo degrade. The environmental impacts of this pollution are affecting everything in the area and making it's way back to us through the food chain.

Here is a link to more info about the crew behind this amazing voyage!

Best day of Surf ever!

The waves today were 2 ft, crumbly, and an on shore wind but I had the best session of my life and didn't even catch a wave.

Today my 9 yr old son Mason paddled outside and in to the lineup and caught his own waves! He has been surfing for 2 years but until today stayed in the safety of the shore break where he could "hop" onto the whitewash after the wave broke. Well my boy can finally say he is a surfer since he paddled out with me and caught his own waves. I'm one proud dad for sure!!

Here is a pic of him with his new "used" board that we picked up from the crew @ K5 a few months ago. (sorry for the poor quality I took it with my cell phone...)

New Vivavi showroom!

Our Buddy Josh Dorfman aka the Lazy Environmentalist has opened a new Vivavi showroom in the exclusive and super eco friendly Riverhouse overlooking the Hudson.



Check out the maku lounge chair on the inside corner of the photo above. Thanks Josh and Jodi!!

Date my Ex: Jo & Slade

Looks like Jo and Slade from the Real Housewives of Orange County are back at it again with the ever riveting and always intriguing "Date My Ex" on Bravo TV.

At least they had the good sense to feature the Maku Dining Collection on the show!

Who would have ever guessed that Slade was so environmentally conscious all the while driving that big ole Hummer... :) Good on you Slade for taking the initiative to outfit your styling pad with some stylie and eco friendly furniture!

Here's a vid snipet from the show titled "The Threatening Breakfast!" Wow the tension in the air is so thick you could cut it with a knife. LOL! Anyway, check out this vid with about 30 seconds left and you'll see a great shot of the Maku dining Collection! Thanks Slade you big eco friendly Stud! Oh and tell Jo to call us, she's hot!

http://video.bravotv.com/player/?id=277325

Mod Livin - New Store!

Our Good friends at Mod Livin in Denver have opened up another location. We're talking Mod Livin x's 2! Check out the Mod Livin blog for all the great happenings in the Denver area.
And oh yeah, don't forget to stop in and check out some of the great Maku Furniture pcs they have on display.

R.I.P. Ray...

A bit of a somber post today to celebrate the life of my Friend Ray Lang. Ray passed away yesterday while racing motocross at the Loretta Lynn races in Tennessee. The LL races are the top amateur races for every level of MX.

Ray and I worked together with a number of Snowboard and Action Sports companies and he was not only a friend and incredible person but lived life the way he rode. Hard, Fast, and to Win.

While some might not agree, I would say we can all be so lucky to go out doing something we love!

R.I.P. Ray, you vibrancy, energy, and verve for living will be missed!

Arbus Magazine

The Maku LE Lounge Chair is Featured in the newest issue of Arbus Magazine. Many thanks to Shaan @ Nest Living for getting some Maku love in this killer zine!

Pics from Nest Living

Check out these shots of the Maku Lounge Chair and the Maku Side Table that Shaan from Nest Living in Jacksonville Fl sent in of his new store. Looks great and we are stoked to be represented in such a great space!! If anybody is in the Jacksonville area be sure to stop by and say hello to the Nest Living crew.

Reclaimed Wood production...

As you know at Maku Furniture we use only 100% reclaimed woods throughout our entire collection. Here are a couple of pics of the raw reclaimed wood before and during processing. It's hard to imagine that this these old beams will turn into beautiful outdoor furniture!

By the way, we have put a full analysis on the benefits of using reclaimed woods and as soon as we put a few finishing touches to it we'll post it up for all to see. Pretty much it boils down to this -
For every production run of 100 pcs in the maku collection using Reclaimed wood, Maku preserves 14.72 acres of plantation grown trees absorbing over 36,800 lbs of CO2 and toxins from the air! pretty cool eh!?!

These Beams were taken from a building that was torn down in favor of more modern construction materials.


This is the wood after it has gone through first processing and has been cut down into workable pieces to build Maku furniture.


These are slats for the Maku lounge chair and Maku chaise lounge!

Men's Health Best Life Magazine

Check out this little bit of radness! The ever sophisticated mag of all things healthy and cool - Men's Health Best Life features none other than yours truly in it's latest issue! 2 great pages with the heartwarming story of how a snowboard executive branches out and starts a contemporary outdoor furniture brand with sustainability at the heart of the DNA. Ala Maku Furniture! And how about the nice product shots of the Maku Chaise, Maku Lounge Chair, and Maku Bench.

Many thanks to my good friend Bill Bryne of BBPR for the tremendous job in helping put this story together! Here is a link to the story in HI RES from the BBPR blog

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

Yikes, 1 month!

WOW, sorry for the lack of updates! I can't believe it has been 1 month since I last posted. I guess a week in Europe (Great beers in Belgium..!) and the daily daily that needs to get done with a quickly growing business has kept me from updating the blog regularly.

The good news - We're here and we are rocking! Warehouse went from overflowing with product to dang near empty in less than a month. Don't worry, production is in full swing and the product pipeline is filling the warehouse back up so keep on ordering the best 100% sustainable furniture.

I've got lots of good stuff to update including some very cool pictures from this current round of production plus a cool analysis I did on Maku Sustainability and how reclaimed wood compares to plantation grown...

More to come in the next few days and thanks for checking it!