Although I am afraid to go in the ocean and therefore definitely not a surf chick, living in Los Angeles, 3 miles from the beach, its hard not to get inspired by the surf culture here. This idea revolves primarily around one particular sect of LA inhabitant. You know who I'm talking about. That Spicoli- esque dude who always smells like sunscreen, usually barefooted, but pulls off that perfectly sun kissed, supernaturally lean bodied, tousled sun bleached hair and totally care free attitude with the greatest of ease, cute butt crack out and all. That live for the surf attitude, wait, it's Monday at 11 am shouldn't you be at work, drop everything for the gnarly swells kinda guy. I feel like this is a life long developed DGF-ing kind of attitude. Its not something that can be adopted over night. I'm bewildered by them but also strangely intrigued and admire them for their dedication to a sport and lifestyle that is not only a body-mind connection, but a body-soul connection to the earth and the ocean. Inherently this leads to a free spiritedness that helps breathe a little fresh air into this overtly self absorbed, superficial city we call home. Nothing like an athletic beach hippy to bring us all back down to earth.

When he or she is not chasing the surf, he's content in his home, which is small, but eclectic and collected, light, bright, airy and sprinkled with sand. Definitely co-inhabited by a shaggy dog or two, centered around a neutral hand me down sofa draped with some acquired tapestry, a plant here or there and more then likely some rattan, soft leather, driftwood or bamboo furniture, maybe even an indoor hammock for the win. To channel this surfer chic vibe, the closest thing my fraidy cat ass can do, is translate it into home design the best way I know how. A SoCal design tactic that really brings that LA beach culture in. I'm talking about surfboards as art pieces, either mounted or on the lean. For most, these are boards that are out of commission because of damage or surf boy retirement (babies, marriage, bad hips) some because they were signed by your favorite LA surf god and can't be compromised by the elements, and some just because your garage is packed and your wife keeps nagging you to get rid of them all, so you mount the pretty ones on that wall and call it art.

A clean modern twist on this idea is to go for a high sheen lacquer finish, faux or real marble, or the pared down polished vintage wood finish which I can totally get down with. That oblong shape is just so soothing and visually represents such a mellow attitude, that alone perched on a wall, transforms the space immediately and adds a certain cool beach factor that I feel nothing else really can, no dried starfish, sailboats or fishnets allowed please! I love the scale, the shape the symbolism of a surfboard and where ever you choose for it to live, I think its modern bohemian LA beach chic style at its core.