Daniel Kucan

Daniel Kucan grew up in a strict theater conservatory from the age of 7 where he studied design art carpentry and performance studies Over the next 11 years he developed an edgy and often theatrical style that has become his trademark in the dozens of Hollywood homes he has designed since After attending New York University and living on the East Coast for ten years he moved to Los Angeles where he became a partner and lead designer at Mortise Tenon where he can still be found today Over the course of his wildly inventive career he has been a designer actor woodworker finisher kick boxing teacher producer author stuntman construction foreman and circus knife thrower Having travelled extensively he has a deep global commitment to ethical building and green designs His store has been building in reclaimed lumber since before the word green had been branded to describe such a thing Back then it was simply called the right thing to do An expert in Chinese martial arts Daniel gave up a promising career as a competitive fighter when he quickly discovered that hed rather lose a bout than actually hurt somebody and this tenacious commitment to the morality of our everyday decisions plays out in his unwillingness to use animal products in either his designs or in their construction A quietly unassuming vegan he doesnt use leather or down or animal derived glues and lacquers Daniel currently lives with his longtime girlfriend in Los Angeles in a Gothic English cottage that he restored himself A historical revivalist at heart his old school design mentality works perfectly with the Los Angeles architectural landscape packed as it is with houses from the 20s and 30s that are crying out to have their former glory remembered When hes not designing he can usually be found hiking in the mountains over LA with his two dogs Prior to Sell This House Extreme Daniel appeared as a carpenter and designer for Extreme Makeover Home Edition and HGTVs Desperate Spaces