Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Mariani.
Joshua, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Ojai Oaks studio opened out of a garage woodshop on Pueblo street in Ojai, CA. My girlfriend and I were invited to a dinner party in Hollywood, CA. We were tasked with bringing a cheese and charcuterie board. At lunch a day before the party, I went to all the local stores in Ojai and Ventura that offered cheese and charcuterie boards or a nice cutting board we dress up for the party.
After a day and a half of searching for something decent. I never found an acceptable board. While searching, I discovered none of the wood species or boards were made locally or from wood grown in California or America. Lots of cheap bamboo options tended to be the standard offering available. Every board was a “cookie cutter” version of traditional breadboards. While I was venting at work the day of the dinner party, my Best friend (brother from another mother) called me out for saying I could do better myself. We then took the rest of the day to attempt to make a cheese and charcuterie board. The board I made was the talk of the party. The people were genuinely impressed with my work. I gifted the hosts the board be for the night was through. Over the next week, my girlfriend and I were invited to three more dinner parties.. over the course of the next couple parties, we brought charcuterie boards to people began to commission me to create other One of kind boards I was creating with fallen wood from the Ojai valley.
Instantly I knew to brand our art/boards with an old logo we had from a clothing company a friend had started in high school. Ojai Oaks Fallen wood Studio was created. For the first few years, we taught ourselves to mill the largest trees available to us in Ojai. Predominantly grandfather Oaks, and the occasional elm, avocado, ash or California rustic black walnut and olive. We bought new tools for the shop. As well as an Alaskan chain sawmill and the Stilh magnum 880. The Beacon coffee company was our first large scale, full cafe project. John and Jenn Wheir had Josh Rood and I (the other Joshua) that built all of the furniture and custom woodwork in the Ojai Location with me. The response and support after they opened was immediate and overwhelming. Flattering and intimidating.
The last three years have been so rewarding. The local community has allowed us to be involved in some of the most important (in my mind) projects/farmers market/and milling of ancient trees that fell. Chelsea Sutula owner proprietor of the Sespe collective gave Martha White of Martha Blanca design, and I the space and opportunity to design create and install some of the most unique wood I have ever worked with. The Sespe collective build-out provided My Business partner Martha White (Martha Blanca design, custom cabinetry, and woodwork) and I the opportunity to work together and showcase our business’s. Josh, who I started the company with, was starting to get to busy with Ojai Termite and pest control, and gave me his blessing and encourage me to partner with Martha. Martha is the most talented designer/artist I have ever worked with. Ironically enough, she too learned on the job at a lumber yard in Santa Barbara. As I did doing Construction. I, too have never had any formal training in a wood studio or class outside of grade school.
When I was at ASU, I studied business and economics. Then the recession hit during my last year at the university. Needless to say, the job market in my chosen field was completely on hold, I tried to grow medical marijuana in Los Alomos, CA. I moved back to Ventura and found work with Josh at Ojai Termite and pest control. The rest is all Ojai history. Without all the support, and opportunity we were given, and still receive, I found my calling was listening to, and honoring the trees that lived decades sometimes centuries in this valley. My goal and purpose has always been to save this beautiful old growth wood from the wood chipper or fire pit. To show everyone what we pay to throw away. To give the adult a piece of the childhood tree, we climbed to paradise.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We started Ojai Oaks Fallen Wood Studio with the intention of making Functional art out of the wood people pay a fortune to dispose of. It was a hobby we wanted to make money off of. That has been the biggest and only struggle. Internally. Money finance. Overhead. Immediately after moving to make Ojai Oaks a legitimate business, the Thomas fire began in upper Ojai. Financially that three months I was depending on (holiday season is our bread and butter) the strong sales I had the same time the previous year. We had no business for four months after taking on the new workshop in Ventura. Just about every time I begin to gain a little momentum and start to feel comfortable, another disaster hits. This COVID pandemic may be the financial set back we may not be able to recover from. We shall see. I was hesitant to write this because of depression and insecurities I have been dealing with. I guess the stress got to me. But it’s always a financial hurdle. The clients are difficult occasionally, but only because I was poor at design. Martha solves most of that.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Ojai Oaks Fallen Wood Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
Ojai Oaks Fallen Wood Studio is an art studio that creates functional art out of discarded trees from the Urban Jungle. Basically, we are known for our turquoise laced wood. We filled cracks voids imperfections with crushed turquoise in resin. But also we are known for Milling wood on site where eve the tree fell or had to be removed. The furniture in Beacon coffee company is our most recognized work. We are also known for the furniture, floating shelves, and everything else we did there (Martha White designed and provided the custom display cabinets).
Those projects and displays of our work really legitimized and solidified our studio as the premier live edge Fallen woodshop/art studio in Ojai. Three other artists are in the Ojai valley now involved in the urban lumber movement. Joshua and I are still the only artists that mill, store, fumigate, flatten and create furniture and art for private clients. I am flattered that so many woodworkers are working with local Fallen wood. I think we are best known for the cheese and charcuterie boards. We used crushed and stabilized turquoise in resin to fill cracks and voids in the wood. That’s our most requested item. But most people want to have a custom commissioned board. I am proud that we are still the premier gift our clients/patrons desire to give to their closest friends and family.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Ojai Oaks has survived as a company because of all the support we get from the community, and word of mouth. Truly I am blessed. I am not sure if I believe in luck per-say. That said we have had the most fortuitous ups and downs along the way. Chance encounters. Our bad luck always seems to be an opportunity. I am truly blessed.
Contact Info:
- Address: 11584 north Ventura Avenue Ojai CA 93023
- Website: Ojaioaks.com
- Phone: 805)509-4621
- Email: [email protected]
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