Surf Shacks

A look into Surf Shacks Vol. 3 with Matt Titone

Words by Matt Titone

I never thought I’d have a second book in this series, let alone a third, but here we are — Surf Shacks Volume 3. New faces, new places, same heart. These are creative surfers who inspire me not just because of how they ride waves, but because of what they build, grow, shape, write, and care about when they’re back on land.

After photographing well over a hundred surfers and their homes, I’ve learned it’s never about square footage, ocean views, or design trends. If you’re looking for architectural or interior design inspiration, you may find some here, but that’s not the point. It’s not always about being inspired by a beautiful home or the stuff people own. Some of the most inspiring people I’ve met live in small spaces far from the coast. What matters is that they live fully — working hard, creating wholeheartedly, staying close to what moves them. 

Yes, surf is the common thread — but the real story is what happens in the spaces between swells. The shaping bays, kitchen tables, art studios, farm fields, garages, backyards, and borrowed corners where ideas are born and passed on. These are the characters who help define our little surfing world and push the culture forward.

The word “community” is overused, but that’s what is still at the heart of this project. This book — like the two before it — is my way of documenting and contributing to the creative surf community as I know it: humble, generous, curious, and deeply alive.

My hope is that somewhere in the pages of these books you feel a spark, an invitation to follow what makes you feel most alive, to shape your own version of home, and to build a life — wave by wave, brick by brick — that is entirely, unapologetically your own.

Hanalei, Hawk, Canyon (and Patrick out of frame) Gudauskas at their San Clemente, California, midcentury modern hillside home. Could you even imagine a more stoked surf family?
Photo: Matt Titone 

Daniella Manini's studio space in Ventura, California, bursts with colorful art, inspiring objects from her worldly coastal travels, and Peruvian heirlooms from her home country. 
Photo: Matt Titone

The groovy, coastal dream home of surf-centric artist Andy Davis in Leucadia, California. Andy's home is his art brought to life in a physical space — or rather a beautifully designed container to compliment or display his art. 
Photo: Matt Titone

The eclectic, creative dwelling of Oscar "Ozzy" Wright in Byron Bay, Australia. Ozzy is the epitome of an inspirational subject for this book series: As a former pro surfer, painter, and musician, among many other creative talents, he is dripping with original style both in and out of the water. 
Photo: Kat Parker 

Views from the carefully curated, creative home of Kim Amos in Byron Bay, Australia. Kim is a renowned tastemaker when it comes to surf shack styling, and she cofounded The Atlantic, an iconic Byron Bay hotel. Her home, nicknamed "River Hawk Ranch", is filled with the artworks (and surfboards) of her three sons. 
Photos: Kat Parker 

A custom built backyard mini ramp at the Ventura home of Lachlan Leckie, cofounder and creative director of outdoor furniture brand Business & Pleasure. Lach moved the family to Ventura from Byron Bay, Australia, and has brought some of that upscale, casual beach aesthetic to the southern central coast of California. 
Photo: Matt Titone

The bedroom in the jungle abode of fashion designer, Jesse Kamm. Her handcrafted dwelling in Panama is the ultimate surf shack. Mosquito nets and surfboards, what else do you need?
Photo: Jake Naughton

Grab your copy of Surf Shacks Vol 3. to read the rest here. 

Feature image by Matt Titone