The Tell- Basil's Blog RSS

I’d never heard of Myasthenia Gravis before. And I haven’t heard of it since. But at the time, the MG was THE thrift shop. I don’t think I would have spent much time on the beach if it weren’t for those thrift shops. There was no South Beach in 1982. There was Miami Beach, and it was the space between Joe’s Stone Crab and the nudie beach. To some, it included North Miami Beach. We didn’t think to differentiate by area. It really wasn’t necessary, because not many people lived on Miami Beach. At least not people I knew.  ...

A story about getting lost on a Greek island

Dining Room I had the noblest of intentions when I started my career in design.  I was sitting at my dining room table in Coconut Grove. Coacoochee Street, across from a nice park. It was around 8 at night and Danny had just stopped by to drop off a home sewing machine for me to use. He'd decided that I should make clothes, being that I was such an avid thrifter who'd spent my entire teen life patiently going through the racks at thrift stores, hangers clicking as they hit each other (the sound is still filled with excitement and...

When I moved back to San Francisco in 2001 I had a couple of very clear ideas. One was to get a motorbike. The other was to go to Burning Man, a desert event that I'd heard about for a number of years but had not given much consideration. That year I went with a colleague from work. We pitched our small carport tent and set up a few Blenko glass pieces that I'd bought from a thrift shop on the way out. It was 2001, and colored glass was all the rage. I felt like I was gussying up...

Basil Racuk talks about the design elements that have inspired him over the years.