Post #361627 by Murph on Sat, Feb 16, 2008 8:10 PM

In today's Freelance Star:

Tiki Anyone?

Tiki-themed home and garden d�cor is making a loud-and-clear comeback. Its origins as a hybrid of Polynesian, Pacific and American cultures make it distinct on its own while remaining open to personal interpretation, including choices like a lit-up puffer

By Jeff Schnaufer

Has your backyard got the blues? Does your patio lack pizzaz? Maybe you need a pufferfish.

And lobster traps, conch shells, a bamboo-covered wet bar and a few carved wooden idol can transform your back patio into a little slice of paradise.

Although tiki-themed home entertaining has been around since the 1960s (when it was referred to as Polynesian or Islander), experts say the trend is enjoying an increase in popularity. Just ask Otto von Stroheim of San Francisco, publisher of �Tiki News� and a producer of Tiki Oasis '07, an annual conference of tiki enthusiasts. When the event started in 2001, he says, only about 50 people and a handful of vendors showed up. This year's event attracted more than 40 vendors and nearly 2,000 tiki aficionados coming from as far away as Australia, England and Japan.

"Tiki popularity is rapidly rising," von Stroheim says. "There�s a lot of businesses that have popped up to supply people with stuff like bamboo and thatch for home bars and custom-made lamps and blowfish."

So what do you need to get in on the tiki trend? First, you should know a little about tiki style and attitude.

"Tiki is influenced by Polynesian culture, but is not the same," says James Teitelbaum, author of �Tiki Road Trip: : A Guide to Tiki Culture in North America� (Santa Monica Press, 2007). " There are over 20,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and these islands are home to hundreds of unique cultures. Tiki borrows imagery from some of these cultures in order to enhance the escapist ideal that tiki exemplifies. Tiki is an American hybrid, sort of an idealistic mishmash of all of these various Pacific iconographies."

As such, the selection of tiki-themed decor you can choose is virtually limitless, although experts recommend a few staples to get you started.

"The first thing of course would be a carved wood or stone tiki," says von Stroheim, referring to the American style image of a Polynesian god. "If you've got it in your yard, it's good to have it 3 foot or larger, or put it on a pedestal or rock to look like it's 6-feet tall."

Tiki god carvings range in size from a few inches tall to the mini monolith referred to by von Stroheim. Unfortunately, some artists say, they also vary in quality.

"The quality has not kept up with the popularity, so you get all kinds of awful designs by people trying to capitalize on the trend who really don�t understand what they are making," says Bosko Hrnjak, owner of Tiki Objects by Bosko who designed the tiki lounge at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. "Suddenly anything carved in wood (for instance) is a �tiki� and a whole new generation perceives this as a "tiki."

To add a taste of the seashore to your landlocked home, von Stroheim suggests hanging nautical artifacts from your rafters, including fishing floats, fishing net, sea shells and blowfish, which are puffed up and stuffed with colorful lights. To save money, some of these items might be found at a local shipyard or yard sale.

Then there's the famed tiki bar. Although vintage bars once were the only resource for tiki afficionados, today there are a growing number of tiki bar builders and books to help you build your own. While constructed mostly of building materials, bamboo or thatch gives it that tropical feel. If you use bamboo, though, keep it out of excessive rain or sun, which can cause it to deteriorate. Fiberglass bamboo may be an option in Eastern or Northern climates.

As for where to sit, the options range from bar stools to lounge chairs, whichever makes you feel most like you are on vacation.

What to stock in a tiki bar? Von Stroheim suggests mixers such as orgeat (for use in a Mai Tai) and grenadine (for a Singapore Sling), plenty of rum (light, gold and dark), fresh fruit (pineapple, limes, lemons and oranges), an ice crusher, straws and swizzle sticks.

�If you have an outdoor tiki bar,� von Stroheim adds, �it would be nice if you were just growing mint wild. You could just pick it.�

Other plants such as elephant ear, banana trees and bird of paradise can top off that tropical feel. And sometimes going tiki means helping save the planet, too.

�Since getting into the whole outdoor Polynesian style, we�ve met rare palm/plant collectors and I have been able to cultivate plants which are extinct in the wild,� says Bosko. �I have several varieties of palm from Madagascar [and] cycads from South Africa. The only hope many of these plants have in being reintroduced to their native habitat are with hobbyists like myself.�

Decorating your backyard in tiki style is nothing to sweat over financially, either.

�You can make it as cheap or expensive as you like,� says von Stroheim. �You can spend a couple thousand dollars or if you do a lot of it yourself, you can save a lot of money.�

Best of all, experts say, tiki style knows virtually no boundaries.

�You don't always need a yard. I have turned my dining room into a tiki wonderland,� says Teitelbaum, who lives in Chicago. �Lots of people in colder climates have done basement rec rooms.�
http://fredericksburg.ctwfeatures.com/home/home_20070903_tiki.html

[ Edited by: Murph 2008-02-16 20:10 ]