‘Surf Shacks’ Is a Book That Belongs in Every Home in Southern California

A peek inside the myriad peaceful abodes of LA's surfing elite

April 4, 2017 9:00 am

Location, location, location.

No one takes the three rules of real estate quite as seriously as a surfer.

The proof is in Surf Shacks, a new linen-bound book from the man behind local surf blog Indoek that takes you inside 42 of the coolest humble seaside abodes ever built. The project began as a series on their website years ago, and they’ve since documented more than 50 different homes throughout California, Hawaii, New York, Australia and beyond.

SURF SHACKS SLIDESHOW (6 images)

“It started out as just friends whose homes and careers we admired,” says Indoek founder Matt Titone. “Then we got referrals, and photographers hopped on board, too.” There are some guiding principles at play within these pages. Surf shacks aren’t a design type, per se. Rather, they embody an ethos that is distinctly Californian, where sunshine is always welcome, proximity to the beach trumps square footage, and there’s always time to throw on a wetsuit and paddle out.

But it’s also a book for people who read, enjoy nature and have a need to — as was the case when Titone made the book — “dust off the camera and get away from the computer.” The 42 homes range in size and style — clapboard Northeasterners, retrofitted vans, A-frames, ready-made shelters, cabins — but all are shot beautifully and soulfully by Titone and co.

Just be forewarned: by the time you finish, you’ll likely be itching to quit your day job and build one of your own.

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