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Having a weird past can actually be an advantage -- just look at Barack Obama, who was born in Indonesia, or something. Isn't that right, 30% of America? Using his odd past to the advantage of your pad, Mike Z Design.

MZD's a one-man custom furniture-and-more operation from a local guy whose dad was a Greek immigrant, and who spent his early years winning architecture contests, serving in the Marine Corps, DJing club nights, and finally ending up as a Hollywood set designer, where his creations helped win an Academy Award for the Robert Downey Jr. period piece Restoration, so you know he can handle Hardware. It works like this: call Mikey Z up and let him know what you're looking for, and he'll talk you through the whole thing on the phone, then at your pad, then via sketches, and finally (after about a month) showcase the final project, usually made out of mahogany, oak, and cherry, with traditional joinery or heavy bolts, making it "the kind of furniture that'll save your life in an earthquake", which previously was merely the province of NOT LIVING ON A MASSIVE GEOLOGICAL FAULT LINE. Past pieces have included everything from a deco-looking, padded recliner/ottoman, to a wooden "mission lamp" outfitted w/ a pebbled base and tinted-mica lampshade, to custom shelving for the movie trailer company the Ant Farm, which has nothing on its rival production company, Packet Full of Sea Monkeys.

Though the designs on the site are mostly traditional, Mike Z's also been making stuff that looks a little more modern, which's nice, for 70% of the country, at least.

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Check the pimpiness at MikeZDesign.com