Indoek’s First Book Shares a Glimpse Into the Homes of Creative Surfers

After visiting the dwellings of countless surfers from all over the world for four years, Indoek launched its first book that celebrates the surfing world’s creative individuals, their beloved homes, and how they live their lives outside of the swell.

Written by me for Dwell...

When Matt Titone and Drew Innis first dreamed up Indoek around 2008, they thought it was going to be a production company for a surf film they were working on—and planned to create a blog where they could post content related to the film. Fast-forward almost 10 years later and it’s now a thriving site that’s become a visual paradise for anyone who is an admirer of the creative surf lifestyle. Today, it’s run by Titone and Ron Thompson, both graphic designers who also happen to run their own Los Angeles-based creative studio, ITAL/C. 

Published by Gestalten and produced by Indoek, Surf Shacks officially launched to the public on March 7, 2017. Photo: Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017 

Damion Fuller and Fern Levack live with their son Jake in an A-framed tree house that’s nestled in a forested grove directly next to Royal National Park, just an hour outside of Sydney. This view gives a peek at just one of his quivers from his incredibly extensive surfboard collection. Photography by Zak Bush, from Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017

Officially launched last spring and published by Gestalten, Surf Shacks is a compilation of these welcoming encounters and proves that a home can mean so many different things—from midcentury abodes to Sprinter vans and shacks—but they all embody a common love for surfing. Designed by ITAL/C and written and illustrated by Titone—who also took many of the photos—the book begins by saying, "Surfers are not defined by their homes, but rather by the experiences they gather in the water and around the world." Make sure to grab your copy here! 

Though Strider Wasilewski has lived in Malibu for 14 years, he just finished building this house in Point Dume from the ground up with his wife Lily. They live here with their two sons, their dog Bear 13, and another kid on the way. Photography by Matt Titone, from Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017 

Randy Hild, a surf industry legend and founder of Roxy, moved into this midcentury home in Laguna Niguel two years ago. After searching for the right house for two full years, he bought this gem from its original owner and remodeled it to bring it up to date, while preserving as much as possible. Photography by Matt Titone, from Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017

Grant Ellis has been a photo editor at Surfer Magazine for 13 years and lives in a quaint beach shack in Cardiff, California, with his wife Julie, son Ethan, and daughter Kaia (shown here). Photography by Ron Thompson, from Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017

Known as the "unofficial ambassador of Tahiti," Raimana Van Bastolaer lives in a beach house right on the water in Papara on the south side of Tahiti. The bright details found throughout his home perfectly represent the personality that everyone in the surf industry calls up when they're looking for a good time in Tahiti. Photography by Ron Thompson, from Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017

Janna Irons (a writer, brand strategist, and member of the royal Irons family) and Johnny Stifter (a writer, editor, and producer) recently dropped everything, downsized, and took off on a cross-country adventure in a newly-converted Dodge Sprinter van. Photography by Maddie Lochte, from Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017

Raimana Van Bastolaer’s living room—his favorite part of his house—showcases a Gerry Lopez board that Red Bull gave to him. Photography by Ron Thompson, from Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017

As a photographer with an obsession with the sea, Nick LaVecchia recently finished building his new eco-friendly home in York, Maine. He spent two years researching the technical side and benefits of passive solar design. He’s shown here carrying his 5’10" fish board that he made himself. He learned directly from his brother Mike, who started Grain Surfboards in 2005. Photography by Nick LaVecchia, from Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017

Russell Brownley (a director and DP of surf films) and Brianna Brownley (a footwear designer for Reef) call Carlsbad, California, home, where they live with their newborn daughter, Magnolia. When looking for the right home base, they searched for a place that was unique and full of character, and immediately fell in love with this house that has an open-beamed ceiling. Photography by Matt Titone, from Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017

Grant Ellis’ wife Julie and daughter Kaia are shown here in their cozy, indigo-filled living room in Cardiff, California. Photography by Ron Thompson, from Surf Shacks, Copyright Gestalten 2017