Resident #2 at the Tiki Pub

Here is my second tiki carving, entitled "Hear No Excuses Tiki", the spirit who watches over the pub and makes people forget about things like "having to work tomorrow" and "it's getting late" when offered another cocktail.

Tiki Transformation

I bought some polished reed fencing and cut it to fit between the ceiling beams. This gave a nice illusion that we are seeing the underside of the thatched roof.


An old sliding closet mirror door will serve as the back bar mirror - notice the rollers still intact on the bottom! Hey, you gotta be creative sometimes...

THE BIG EVENT! I finally got to cut the opening in the pub. Now it starts to look like a tiki bar.

Here is the interior decor material - Java Grass from Oceanic Arts. I am trimming it to fit, but both sections will be used...

And here is another part of the interior wall covering - Bac-Bac with Sisal, a woven mat that comes in rolls 3' x 32' long. Again, from the mecca of Oceanic Arts in Whittier, CA.

The flash on the camera has washed out the look in this photo, but it looks sweet in person. Notice the mirror, a/c and window framed with old bamboo from my yard!


After a little more work, and the addition of a lamp from - guess where? Did I mention that place is a mecca?

Attack from the inside!

The interior demolition has begun on the pub.

Here are some before and in-progress shots...

The designated "bar" area:


Junk to be cleared to make way for booze:


Ceiling gets 86'd to reveal cool beams:

New resident for the SMTP

Here is the first of many tikis I'll be carving for the Swanky Monkey Tiki Pub. This is an olive tree branch from the tree right next to the Pub. Huge winds tore down a limb, but they will live on - guarding the precious rum and Guinness!

Before and after pics...

Thatcher, Rufus...

That's not really a name, I just couldn't think of anything more clever as a header for this post - about thatching my roof.

I bought these "raincape" sections of palm thatch at Oceanic Arts in Whittier, CA. Each one is about 4' square and has been treated to be flame retardant.

I mounted them to the roof using fender washers and roofing nails. This seemed to work well, after my initial plan to use an air-gun stapler failed - the staples cut right through the thatching.
I started with the fringe and worked my way back toward the top of the roofline.
So far so good... Can't wait for that first ice-cold Zombie!
to be continued...

The Tiki Pub Project begins...

The transformation of a small, detached writer's studio...
...to a swingin', swank Tiki drink mecca began on March 7th, 2008, with the purchase of some "beachin" pebbles - specifically, 3/8" Sunset Pebbles from La Canada Rustic Stone in Pasadena. This small area required sixteen 80 pound bags.
to be continued...