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Issue 46

The Food Issue

Make a meal to die for
Make wine crate cabinets
Learn to screen print

Surf Shack USA

by Mimi Zeiger

Photos by John Granen

Hartman Kable shacks up, beachside, in a shipping container converted into a pint-size shelter.

Who: Hartman Kable
Day job: Designer and general contractor
Hometown: Seattle
Maker of: Surfshack
Square footage: 160 square feet
Site: surfshackbox.com

For years Hartman Kable would load up his van and drive two hours south of Seattle to his favorite surf spot in Westport, Washington. He’d catch waves during the day and camp at night. But the rugged Pacific Northwest coast is no Beach Blanket Bingo. It can be bleak and cold. And Kable craved a few comforts of home: a shower and, more importantly, heat. So he placed a 20x8-foot shipping container he bought from an independent container company on a small lot in Westport, just blocks from the beach.

A Cor-Ten steel shipping container may not be seem like cozy weekend retreat for most folks, but for Kable it is a tiny dream home. As both designer and general contractor, he insulated the metal walls and used recycled aluminum and glass doors (once part of a mall in Bellingham) for the front and back. Industrial on the outside, the shack is streamlined inside. Everything in the narrow space tucks neatly away: the stereo, bed, bench. There are racks for holding surfboards, and even a kitchenette and tiny shower. (Which right now works when Kable hooks it up to the neighbor’s garden hose. “It’s an impractical love affair,” he shrugs.) And everything is white, an homage to George Lucas’ cult film THX 1138. It took nine months of working on weekends to complete the project, and even though it’s done, Kable can’t yet kick back in the shack after a day at the beach. “I had involvement with every intimate detail of it. I know the space so well, it is almost anxiety-inducing to be inside.” Good thing he surfs so much.

Surf Shack Fold-Down Table

Choose a 1½-inch-thick tabletop. A wide variety of countertops are available at Ikea for under 100 dollars. Their standard is 25 5/8 inches wide, but the length varies. Cut a 1½-inch-thick countertop to 40 inches long.
For the table leg, cut a 2-inch diameter aluminum pipe to 31 1/2 inches. (Aluminum cuts with the same tools used for wood, so use a circular or miter saw.)
Drill a 2-inch-diameter hole in the underside of the table through half the thickness (3/4 inch deep) of the table to accept the single pipe leg. Position the hole in the center of the board, 4 inches from the edge, to the center of the hole. Forstner bits make drilling clean, flat-bottomed holes easy. Use the same drill bit to bore a corresponding hole in the floor, ¾ inch deep.
Attach a piano hinge to top edge of table. Open hinge and lay flat on laminated board. The rounded section should just fit over the edge. Mark screw holes with a pencil before drilling and securing in place.
Mount the table to wall with the top of table at 30 inches above finished floor. Hold the countertop at that height, open the piano hinge, and mark drill holes on wall. Drill, then screw into place. You may need a second set of hands to hold the boards while installing.
Fold down your table and fit your aluminum table leg in the holes you drilled. When done, just fold the table back up and store the leg.
To hold your dining set in place when not in use, Hartman recommends touch-release magnetic closing hardware. Use two magnet closures on the tabletop to make sure it stays up when stored.

To Flush-Mount Your Table:

To create a space odyssey interior, Hartman pocketed all shelves, benches, and tables in the Surfshack. The fold-down table can just as easily mount on top of a wall, but to replicate the sleek design, you’ll need to notch out a pocket in your existing wall large enough to accommodate its 11/2-inch-thick depth.
To notch out an alcove in drywall, hold the tabletop to the 30-inch mark and trace the outline. Allow an additional 3/4 inch per side for the drywall to wrap the shallow sides of the new alcove. Cut an opening 27 1/8 inch wide by 41½ inch high. Notch the framing to 2¼ inches deep, leaving space for the drywall on the back.
Once the opening is cut out, some blocking may be required to assure the corners of the alcove are sturdy enough to support the drywall. Use plywood instead of drywall to wrap the bottom edge of the alcove. Tape and paint as needed. Attach hinge screws directly to the plywood.