Article featured in A.R.T magazine (FR) 2012.

Few facts at first: who are you, where are you from, age, years riding?

Chad Johnston. Long Beach, California. Riding BMX since 1980ish.

How & when did you first come up with the idea of reusing bike parts to interior design?

I’ve always been into repurposing things, kinda outta necessity usually. If the part or material is interesting to me, I’ll hold on to it and sometimes it works better as something else rather than the originally intended purpose. I also hate to throw something cool away, even if it’s damaged. The tables started coming together around 2008 after Amy and I bid on and won two Haro/Nike number plates from the A.R.F. Lightning Bolts auction. The plates came with a pair of bars and a stem each as way to display the art. When we got them home we displayed them without the bars and stem and those extra parts just collected dust. One day I realized I had two pairs of
identical forks in storage and when I looked at all these pieces together it was like a mirror image, they looked like a base for a table. We didn’t have a dining table at the time so it made since to make one.

What was your first "piece"?

The old school chrome table that I’m talking about above was the first.

Are you into design and recycling in general?

Yeah, I’m interested in both.

What kind of design do you like and what does recycling mean to you on daily basis?

I appreciate all forms of design. I’m really into bike design and messing around in graphic arts. I try to recycle as much as possible. Our new place has a recycle chute right next to the garbage chute so that makes it convenient. Also the grocery store across the street has automated
recycling machines; I can drop off an empty six-pack and get some change to put towards the next one at the same place.

Along all these years of riding you probably know some of the guys designing bike parts?

For sure. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some of the best riders and designers in the industry.

What do you think of the plastic bmx parts these days? Do you know if the bmx industry is working anyhow with green/recycling ideas?

Seats, bar ends, pedals and valve caps are about the only plastic I want on my bike. I’ve seen plastic pegs break off and shoot across the indoor street course at Woodward West. It was like a gunshot. I know Moeller is working on upgrading The Building to make it green friendly; he recently had solar panels installed that power the entire operation.

Do you search for inspiration some how, some blogs or designers perhaps etc..?

Inspiration usually finds me, but when I have to search for it, I Iook around my surroundings, like the neighborhood, city or state. Music is key also. Music is a huge inspiration in my life, a good beat or riff will instantly put me in a place where I can imagine being on a higher level, almost like
a dream. Music can change my mood and enhance positive vibes. It transports me. I don't always listen to music but a good song is usually in my head. I like all kinds of genre's, especially live performances. Good music makes me want to create something that others might enjoy. My
favorites usually vary, I've been real stoked on B.I.G. and early Metallica lately.

The internet is another great source, seems like endless images there. I’ve stumbled across some great blogs that I’ve added to my book marks.

So, you might find something useful from the streets...what has been the coolest thing you have found?

I’ve found all kinds of cool stuff, recently a set of old Araya 24” rims that will work perfect for a tabletop edge. I was walking home from the post office and someone set them next to a dumpster in the alley.

When you make lets say a table, what are the stages of the whole project from idea to dinner ready table?

It starts with collecting the parts, once I have a group of parts that look interesting and functional I piece them together trying to not modify them if possible. For example, I’d rather use existing holes than drill new ones. It’s always an experiment and if you try something permanent like drilling holes than when you try another configuration the holes still remain there. There are no rules though; I actually have plans to drill holes for an upcoming project. I want each one to be unique, so I won’t stick to just one technique. I’d like to experiment and learn something new with each piece.

Where do you get the building materials and do you have memories or some meaningful history to the parts you are using?

The materials come from all over the place. I really like bmx parts and always seem to have spare or damaged stuff. If I need something specific that I don’t have, I’ll search online. Ebay and the BMX Museum are good sources. Some of the pieces have memories attached to them, but most are just found or acquired.

Do you weld and work with pro painting equipment etc. also?

No, not yet. I like the survivor look, but who knows? Maybe in the future I’ll try that also. It depends on the materials; if the original finish is too far shot then I’d possibly repaint.

Maybe you know some other guys repurposing bike parts also, are there any friends doing it out there?

Leif Valin does a lot of creative stuff; he sent me pictures of a lamp he made out of forks off of a road bike. There’s other people doing this type of thing; I’ve seen bikes repurposed before but not tables like this.

You have many nice bikes hanging all over the crib. What is the deal? is there some personal history with each bike? Do you consider your self as a collector?

Thank you. We wanted large artwork to fill the wall space in our loft and bikes seemed like the natural solution. We built 5 bikes to complete the idea we had, each with a color theme. It actually grew beyond our original concept to flow around the whole upper area of the space. I would consider myself a collector, Amy also.

You own a bmx shop Neighborhood Bmx with Aaron Boström. Who designed the layout of the shop and your logos and such?

The design and lay out was an organic process, Aaron and I both contributed ideas and made decisions together; I drew a quick sketch and we went from there. Mark Maligmant designed the logo; he met with us a few times at the shop so we could vibe, a short while later he came through with a few rough drafts and we chose our favorite. He dialed it in and sent the file to Ron Plumlee at 22 who printed the stickers.

I heard you moved to new house lately, how is it looking over there? Do you have some nice new ideas for interior design?

Yeah, we’re stoked to have a live space with room to create more pieces.
Currently I’ve finished two tables and half way through a third one. I’ve got more ideas for other repurposed type things. I want to do some lamps or some kind of lighting next. Maybe chairs, end tables, desks…