London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 28, 2025

Too Cool: This Boho Surf Shack Has a Half-Pipe in the Backyard

Too Cool: This Boho Surf Shack Has a Half-Pipe in the Backyard

She curates, he builds. You'll find handmade industrial-modern pieces, vintage treasures, global goods, skateboarding memorabilia, and out-and-out Southern California cool.

Family-and the namesakes that go with it-means a lot to Dusty and Julia Wheeler. Gunn is Dusty's grandmother's last name, and Swain is the maiden name of Julia's grandmother. Together, they form Gunn and Swain, the online shop run by Julia, with its collection of handmade and curated home goods and clothing meant for bohemian, beach-loving people - like the Wheelers themselves. Then there's Dusty's middle name, Rael, which comes from the seminal 1974 Genesis album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - and also where Rael Made, his custom wood and metal fabrication studio, comes from.



The midcentury living room is perfect for family movie night and dance parties.

The couple's two businesses reflect Dusty and Julia's shared aesthetics, which extend to their 1959 ranch-style home in the College East area of San Diego. There, you'll find handmade industrial-modern pieces, vintage treasures, global goods, skateboarding memorabilia, and out-and-out Southern California cool. She curates, he builds. "There is almost nothing in this house that we haven't done ourselves, scored on a vintage hunt, or on our travels," she says. "Everything in it feels like an extension of us with so many memories attached."

It didn't start out that way. When the Wheelers first bought the home in 2010, it was a foreclosure, and almost unlivable, rife with questionable design choices (think bright red wall paint or fireplace bricks painted black). There had been squatters on and off as well. But Julie and Dusty could see the potential. "When we walked in and saw the untouched, original wood ceilings and cabinets in the living room, we immediately fell in love," Julie explains. "The rest of the house was a total disaster." There was the half-acre of property, a garage where Dusty could work, and enough room for their growing family.

Now, with two kids, Gram, age 4, and Lizzy, age 1, the Wheelers' home is a family affair. There's a half-pipe out back and a midcentury living room perfect for family movie night and dance parties. "We aren't the type of people who want to flip their house and move on to the the next project," says Julie. "We want to have our grandkids play in that backyard someday."



Gram helps in the garden.



Dusty built the half-pipe for their son Gram's first birthday. It's the cornerstone of the large back yard.



The teepee is also handmade, and reflective of the earthy, bohemian, and yet kid-friendly style the Wheelers are all about.



Inside, the playfulness continues in Gram's room. The custom closets and bookshelves are Rael Made.



The custom Lego table reflects a lot of Rael Made designs - clean, simple, modern.



Dusty also built the table and custom industrial bookshelf in the dining area.



The home is filled with skateboarding memorabilia and art made by friends. The velvet painting is by a Tijuana artist.



Textiles and warm, bohemian hues are important to Julia. She styled a vintage army cot with pillows from friends at Campaign Living.



There's also a global aesthetic to Julia's design choices.



The on-trend macrame hanging in the bedroom is by Las Vegas artist Veronica Torres-Miller.



The breakfast area features vintage chairs and an Ikea table - a classic high-low mix.



Before Gram's little sister arrived, Dusty built him this custom bed to help him let go of the crib. In addition to the slide, there's a secret hideout.



The nursery, with its muted, natural tones and textures is filled with wicker and macrame accessories.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
×