Surf Shacks 089
Mike: I commute to San Clemente every week for work and to shoot and surf.
Lara: I go with him a few days every other week or so to keep the marriage on good terms.
Lara: We were only in the van from September 2016 through March 2018, and then we leased a commercial space and opened our gallery near Joshua Tree. It had a shower, so we were like, “We’ll take it!” We slept in the back a lot of the time. But we didn’t move into an actual residence until January 2020—so nearly three and a half years.
Mike: We went cross-country to Florida right after the 2016 election. That was surreal. Then we did a trip up through the Pacific Northwest, Montana, Idaho, and Utah. We’ve been up to San Francisco countless times, and we hang out in Baja and San Diego a lot too. A lot of times we stayed close to home in Orange County though, both for work and for climate reasons. Plus it helps to really know a place and the people there.
Lara: I would say that one highlight was the feeling, which was maybe an illusion, of self-reliance and low commitment to anything outside of our relationship and our living situation—both of which were, of course, huge commitments! But there’s a certain lightness to living life without a lot of stuff and on your own terms.
Mike: The highlights for me were being able to be where the waves were and having friend groups in all different places, and shooting anything and everything around us, from an editorial piece on Tijuana to Trump rallies that popped up out of nowhere, to nature.
Lara: Obviously there were low points as well. Being sick sucked. Never feeling like you’re on level ground. In the winter, it gets dark super early, and if you don’t have the best electrical setup, there’s nothing to do but to go to sleep. There were definitely new lows with hygiene, eating out of the same cast iron pan every damn meal—I’ll spare you the details. And we had to coordinate with each other whenever we wanted to participate in things. So you have to prioritize aspects of your lives together. But I think it was strengthening, to see Michael 100 percent there for me when I had dance projects, and being there for him when he needed to surf or shoot.
Lara: I love the community of friends and artists we’ve found in the desert. And San Onofre feels like home after so many years of coming here in the van.
Mike: The ocean is definitely home, but I love the light, the scents, the people, and our house out in the desert. We’re still adjusting to being there and just having nice dinners together.
Lara: We use plates now!
Mike: There’s a renaissance of shapers right now. I’m inspired by craftsmanship and seeing people incorporate hints from the past with modern ideas.
Mike: The commercialization and competitiveness of it.
Mike: Be careful of herd mentality.
Lara: Don’t live in your van if you can avoid it.
Discover more creative surfers’ homes in our books; Surf Shacks® Vol. 1, and Vol. 2 available now!
A goofy-footed graphic designer who hails from the first state, Delaware. After attending Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL then graduating from SCAD in Savannah, GA with a BFA in Graphic Design and Illustration, Matt moved to NYC and found work as a freelance designer and art director. In 2006 he moved west to Venice, CA where he co-founded ITAL/C Studio and now resides a bit further north in Oxnard.
Order our “On Surfing” book today.
Buy Now
