Santa Cruz natives, Chris Curtis & Paige Lea, imagine, inspire, and bring to life all designs at their home in Aptos, California, while production takes place at their 1,300 square foot warehouse two miles away. With roots all over Santa Cruz, the reclaimed wood they source (from mossy fences, old floor boards, marine wood, and anything else they can get their hands on) is 100% recycled, repurposed, and beautifully weathered. From farm tables to shadow boxes, each piece is hand crafted, carefully designed, and usually made to order.
What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
Chris wanted to be a surfer and Paige aways wanted to be an actress/singer/model/dancer! These were childhood dreams.. as we got older our career ideas changed and became more practical (paramedic firefighter & interior designer), but these were the original "what do you want to be when you grow up?" answers.
How did you guys begin making your frames?
Chris started building rudimentary frames out of old fence boards that had fallen down in his yard. At the time, Chris was immersed in the creative process of photography and was blowing up his images on a larger scale to serve as art for his home. He wanted to make frames for these photos he took of the ocean, nature, and his new girlfriend Paige :)
What do you like most about working for yourself and developing your products?
Chris likes the freedom and flexibility of working for himself and the unique challenges of running your own business that otherwise wouldn't be presented to him. Paige likes creating the boundaries of her own job- she gets to be whatever she wants to be: web & social media developer, designer, photographer, Pinterest-er, etc.
We like developing our products based on our customer response and feedback. Paige loves gaining inspiration from images pulled from magazines and online and sketching them out for Chris to start experimenting with in the wood shop.
Where do you see your business going in the future?
Chris says one word: up. He sees it growing and expanding while maintaining the small business integrity we began with. Paige also sees growth, and Alibi Interiors being featured in Sunset Magazine!
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