Post #280953 by TikiJosh on Thu, Jan 25, 2007 2:12 PM

Well, there's certainly a lot you can do. A whole room is always fun to decorate. I'd second the comments of everyone that says just to do your own thing. Take your time with it, plan it out, and have fun. A good plan is very important. Plan out the type of stuff you want to display, and where you'll put it, that type of thing. That can go a long way to keep a place from feeling cluttered.

I try to keep my tiki lounge from feeling cluttered by using more of the wall space. I've been putting up the Ikea Molger bathroom shelves all over, putting them in between paintings, that type of stuff. It gets display cabinets off the ground so you have more space for chairs, or whatever.
I'm especially fond of these shelves because they're cheap ($5), look good (nice dark brown wood) and they're small enough that you can fit them on almost any wall.
Even one that's already got a bunch of stuff on it.

Sounds like you've got the lighting issues worked out pretty well. Using photo gels over the fluorescents is a great idea.
For other suggestions, definitely poke around the creating tiki thread. There's tons of good info in there. I actually got the idea for the Ikea shelves from someone on this board, and I just liked 'em so much I kept going with it. If you're interested in making a lot of your own stuff, chances are someone here has tried it before. It's a little intimidating at first because there's so much information, so I'd recommend using the search tool. It can narrow down all the stuff you have to look at and point you in the direction of threads on making puffer lamps, float lamps, whatever you're after.

Oceanic Arts is a must see at some point, no matter where you are in the States. When I walked in there for the first time, I thought I was hallucinating. :) It's a pretty amazing place.

Post some pictures soon!