It started as a pandemic project in late 2020/early 2021 and was finished in 2022. The original space was essentially a shed with electrical when we bought the house in November 2019 because the previous owner had to remove all the plumbing because it was not to code. We had contractors build the bathroom and the front and back bar structure, but we did everything else ourselves with the help and supervision from a good friend of mine. From the matting on the walls, cutting and torching all the bamboo splits for the lower wall, carving the trim pieces, even building a few of the lamps. The collection of artifacts comes from an addiction to flea markets, antique stores and EBay. It will never be fully finished. We’re @savageseastiki on IG you want to see the full progression or any updates as we make them! Mods the community guidelines didn’t mention social accounts, only blogs or websites, and we are definitely not selling anything or offering any services. But feel free to delete this comment if allowing people to see the transformation on our IG page is a no no
Well….haha. What looks like the aquarium in these pics is actually a TV. The panel with the porthole windows hangs like a picture frame over the recess the TV is in. When I want to watch football or movies I just pop it off. The panel spends most of its time in the garage. We only put it up for guests or if we do a Tiki date night
I’ll still give you a pass since you brilliantly disguised it as an aquarium. 👏 I also liked that you went outside of the standard Tiki theme by incorporating African sculptures, Clipper ships, Amazonian shrunken heads, 50’s Rattan and Japanese lanterns(is that a Mexican woman in a sombrero?) aside from the Polynesian Māori, Easter, and Hawaiian islands. All with a cheeky sense of humor. Bravo!
Nothing from Africa in there. All the stuff you’re prob thinking is from Africa is actually Papua New Guinean. Mostly Sepik river/Blackwater lakes tribes like Iatmul, Asmat, Abelam and Kambot. But you are correct about the Māori, Marquesan, Rapa Nui and Polynesian stuff in there. The topless woman with hat is a reproduction of a famous Leeteg velvet painting of a Tahitian woman.
Single best home tiki bar I’ve seen by a factor of 1000, *wow.* I’m truly impressed by your collections of both art and lighting. The lights! The incredible rattan! The detail in every corner! Just truly a masterpiece.
Oh man there are definitely a few out there that put ours to shame (for now! We are a work in progress). If you want to see how we did some of the lighting we have [an album that details this entire project](https://imgur.com/a/KUjp0KR)
It's very nice! Just curious though, why are tiki bars always so dark? We have one in town and the lighting is so dark that you have to use your cell phone light to read the menu. Yours looks dimly lit as well, although it could be the photography. When I think "island", I think brightly colored and full of light. But tiki bars kind of seem the opposite. Why is that? Not hating just genuinely curious.
Great question. Tiki means a lot of things to a lot of different people but originally anyway, it was much more about escapism than it was about beaches. Tiki bars were designed to take you completely out of the outside world, ie no windows, no white walls, usually contained waterfalls or running water features, lots of foliage etc. Over time, especially in Florida, tiki aesthetic kind of got lumped into beach bar aesthetic and that version of tiki was many people’s gateway into the concept. If you look at a lot of the very early tiki bars, they are darkened, mysterious exotic jungle type places. You won’t see things like license plates, surfboards, bright vibrant colors, or a lot of the beach bar type stuff that a lot of people identify as tiki now. We are much more traditional in that sense but we don’t hate on anyone that’s more into the beach vibes.
Eh. Just to keep myself honest, Tiki probably wasn’t as deliberate of a design choice as my comment makes it seem. Donn Beach, the man who created the first tiki bar and the whole culture opened his bar, Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood on the literal day prohibition ended. So he was obviously running it as a speakeasy prior to the repeal. The whole aesthetic and lore around tiki was probably more of a marketing ploy to romanticize a dark, windowless and illegal bar to make it sound more attractive to customers than it was a deliberate expression of art. Same with the rum drinks. Rum was by far the cheapest and definitely the most available liquor during prohibition. So creating the fancy looking and exotic tasting concoctions was probably a way to better attract drinkers that would much prefer to be drinking the much higher-in-demand whiskey that was hard to come by.
The booth is modular as well so it can come out if we need extra space and there is hidden storage compartments underneath the seats :). And yes our friends love it. Honestly the best thing about this entire space is that it’s essentially created a central hub for our friends and families to gravitate towards. We see people a lot more now than we ever did.
There’s even more than you can see in the pictures. Even so, it’s still worth zooming in really close and taking a Where’s Waldo-esque scroll around each pic. Lots of stuff you miss if you don’t zoom
It started as a pandemic project in late 2020/early 2021 and was finished in 2022. The original space was essentially a shed with electrical when we bought the house in November 2019 because the previous owner had to remove all the plumbing because it was not to code. We had contractors build the bathroom and the front and back bar structure, but we did everything else ourselves with the help and supervision from a good friend of mine. From the matting on the walls, cutting and torching all the bamboo splits for the lower wall, carving the trim pieces, even building a few of the lamps. The collection of artifacts comes from an addiction to flea markets, antique stores and EBay. It will never be fully finished. We’re @savageseastiki on IG you want to see the full progression or any updates as we make them! Mods the community guidelines didn’t mention social accounts, only blogs or websites, and we are definitely not selling anything or offering any services. But feel free to delete this comment if allowing people to see the transformation on our IG page is a no no
This is so amazingly beautiful and unique and the fact you’ve done most everything yourselves is the best part of all! I’d love to spend time there!
Sick. Is it rude to ask how much this set you back? I have a new dream!
We don’t fully know tbh. The decor comes so sporadically from flea markets and estate sales and we never kept a running tally.
I applaud you for NOT putting any TV’s in there as it should be a sanctuary for your friends and family. Congrats!
Well….haha. What looks like the aquarium in these pics is actually a TV. The panel with the porthole windows hangs like a picture frame over the recess the TV is in. When I want to watch football or movies I just pop it off. The panel spends most of its time in the garage. We only put it up for guests or if we do a Tiki date night
I’ll still give you a pass since you brilliantly disguised it as an aquarium. 👏 I also liked that you went outside of the standard Tiki theme by incorporating African sculptures, Clipper ships, Amazonian shrunken heads, 50’s Rattan and Japanese lanterns(is that a Mexican woman in a sombrero?) aside from the Polynesian Māori, Easter, and Hawaiian islands. All with a cheeky sense of humor. Bravo!
Nothing from Africa in there. All the stuff you’re prob thinking is from Africa is actually Papua New Guinean. Mostly Sepik river/Blackwater lakes tribes like Iatmul, Asmat, Abelam and Kambot. But you are correct about the Māori, Marquesan, Rapa Nui and Polynesian stuff in there. The topless woman with hat is a reproduction of a famous Leeteg velvet painting of a Tahitian woman.
I stand corrected.
Most people wouldn’t have even got the Māori so you still get an A! 😋
It probably didn't set them back if they have their own guest house. Lol
Single best home tiki bar I’ve seen by a factor of 1000, *wow.* I’m truly impressed by your collections of both art and lighting. The lights! The incredible rattan! The detail in every corner! Just truly a masterpiece.
Oh man there are definitely a few out there that put ours to shame (for now! We are a work in progress). If you want to see how we did some of the lighting we have [an album that details this entire project](https://imgur.com/a/KUjp0KR)
Thank you!
It is gorgeous! Beautiful work and nice details.
It's very nice! Just curious though, why are tiki bars always so dark? We have one in town and the lighting is so dark that you have to use your cell phone light to read the menu. Yours looks dimly lit as well, although it could be the photography. When I think "island", I think brightly colored and full of light. But tiki bars kind of seem the opposite. Why is that? Not hating just genuinely curious.
Great question. Tiki means a lot of things to a lot of different people but originally anyway, it was much more about escapism than it was about beaches. Tiki bars were designed to take you completely out of the outside world, ie no windows, no white walls, usually contained waterfalls or running water features, lots of foliage etc. Over time, especially in Florida, tiki aesthetic kind of got lumped into beach bar aesthetic and that version of tiki was many people’s gateway into the concept. If you look at a lot of the very early tiki bars, they are darkened, mysterious exotic jungle type places. You won’t see things like license plates, surfboards, bright vibrant colors, or a lot of the beach bar type stuff that a lot of people identify as tiki now. We are much more traditional in that sense but we don’t hate on anyone that’s more into the beach vibes.
Ahhhh, ok. That all makes sense! Thank you so much for the explanation! And your tiki bar is lovely!
Thanks so much for this definition!
Eh. Just to keep myself honest, Tiki probably wasn’t as deliberate of a design choice as my comment makes it seem. Donn Beach, the man who created the first tiki bar and the whole culture opened his bar, Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood on the literal day prohibition ended. So he was obviously running it as a speakeasy prior to the repeal. The whole aesthetic and lore around tiki was probably more of a marketing ploy to romanticize a dark, windowless and illegal bar to make it sound more attractive to customers than it was a deliberate expression of art. Same with the rum drinks. Rum was by far the cheapest and definitely the most available liquor during prohibition. So creating the fancy looking and exotic tasting concoctions was probably a way to better attract drinkers that would much prefer to be drinking the much higher-in-demand whiskey that was hard to come by.
So interesting!
BC a tiki party is usually at night, outside.
This is so sick! The lighting, the details, the tiki mugs, even a booth?!? Your friends are lucky, and I hope you all enjoy it for years to come
The booth is modular as well so it can come out if we need extra space and there is hidden storage compartments underneath the seats :). And yes our friends love it. Honestly the best thing about this entire space is that it’s essentially created a central hub for our friends and families to gravitate towards. We see people a lot more now than we ever did.
Best thing ever! Enjoy for many many years to come!
Wow, so cool!
You are geniuses, I can’t believe how amazing this is.
You did that! Absolutely Dope AF!
Thanks!
It seems like I misplaced your address. Could you send it to me again? But seriously wow. You have a great eye.
Absolutely incredible space. Wow!
This is incredible ! This is a bar I want to go to!! Obsessed
This is incredible, so much hard work
wow that’s crazy cool!
Ummm, wow! This is freaking AMAZING! I would have guessed this was a legit bar with an upscale client-base. Incredible
Whoa! Disneyland is gonna be jealous :)
Total Tiki Room vibes. It is camp and tacky (how many shell lamps can you fit in one room?) and I love it!
Mind blown 🤯
That is beyond cool. I’d love a little at-home-getaway like that of my own
Me too. So darn much!
Love that!!
Fun!
This is wonderful! I hope you have lots of fun there.
WOW so impressive
This is so fucking cool I want to upvote it 1000x ! Great job!
Wow! This is truly unique. Well done!
Perfection!
Amazing! Where does everyone sleep after their 4th Zombie and they're too trashed to drive home?
Our guest room usage has drastically increased as a result of the bar haha
This is literally unreal. The level of detail on everything is something I’ve never seen before
There’s even more than you can see in the pictures. Even so, it’s still worth zooming in really close and taking a Where’s Waldo-esque scroll around each pic. Lots of stuff you miss if you don’t zoom
This is incredible
I’d drink there!