Post #582667 by jokeiii on Thu, Mar 31, 2011 7:27 AM

OK. Here's the latest.

The former winecellar thing has been rigged up to be functional. Not IDEAL, mind you. But functional.

As you can see, it came with a upholstery-ish grapevine fabric panel lining thing that's more Napa Valley than Rapa Nui. So, regrettably, it's gotta go. (If, for some bizarre reason, while you are on a Tiki forum you're also in the market for some grapevine fabric panels...I will trade them for something cool. Then I'll be Trader Joke. All sales final, offer void where prohibited.)

I removed the X-shaped wine bottle storage shelving and installed (screwing in things more-or-less-level is pretty much the uppermost limit of my DIY skill set) a couple of glass shelves rescued from a Craigslist fridge, and a sliding shelf -- you can see it in the fully extended position above -- from a cannibalized computer desk and a (temporary) light. These shelves are framed with suitably sized wood frames, from a frame guy...who looked at me VERY weird when I made this request.

And, most elegantly, I tucked in my old dorm fridge which my wife had been begging me to jettison for epochs. (I covered up the space with some spare grape fabric. It's a complete jury rig, but looks fine from 3 ft or further, and besides this isn't permanent.)

The flooring on this beast is an unholy mess. Some ancient sort of parquet that probably began to dissolve its bonds sometime during the Ford Administration. That one's easy...bamboo flooring

This is the outside, in its current state. Remember that.

Besides rattanizing the front, which is likeliest the Tiki aesthetic path of least resistance, I have been toying with the idea of covering the outside with [I have no idea what, just go with me on this, will ya?] to make it look like a big steamer trunk of yore. Then I'd slap a lot of the same travel stickers as I threatened to do to those Tiki hand-luggage pieces from 2-3 posts ago.

I am not sure what I'll discover once I excise the grapey fabric. Assuming it's merely fabric and padding, I was thinking of replacing the fabric with something suitably Tiki. Maybe reconditioning some past-their-prime shirts, or some tapa cloth or...something.

Since I know you guys have all been on pins and needles as re. the back window of the proposed Tiki habitat, here's what I have struck upon. (Tell me where I am making a blunder, before I start taking out implements and making changes.)

The eventual window-behind-the-bar in question is +/- 5ft (call it 1.5m for those so inclined) by +/- 3ft (.9m) and immediately to the outside there is enough overhang that my projector could be placed -- I didn't say "installed" did you catch that? -- and it'd still be protected and sheltered. That projector would then (duh) project, all rear-projectionlike, assorted images suitable for an Immersive Tiki Habitat. The temptation to steal, without the slightest chemical trace of shame or compunction, the idea of a diorama is very great indeed, but this simply won't meet the spatial requirements and it'd look all squashy and flat. I MAY use an approach similar to Walt Disney's "multiplane camera" (Oh, just Google it.) but now this is starting to sound ominously like work.

There is also enough room under that overhang (6ft/1.8m) to plant suitable tropical foliage to add suitable depth. Unlike our cousins in chillier climes, all of the usual foliage will grow outside just fine.

Also!

I had been musing about a waterfall oustide that window. Which led me to...think of playing with the rain gutters so that, immediately behind this window, all the water from a given rainfall (it's been known to rain here in Miami...no, really, it does) can be channeled into a serious rainfall.

Anyway, this is the room that will eventually become the Immersive Tiki Habitat. You can see what I'm talking about.

Its current purpose is to serve as a homework station, which is why you will spy all sorts of shelfy, computery things. Incidentally, the desk on the right came THISCLOSE to being comandeered as a bar. It's from Broyhill's "Fontana" line. The size is right, and with some very minimal work (a couple of bamboo-ish wood appliqués, some matting and tah-dah) can be turned into a Tiki bar very happily. Those are going for $200 on CL, on average. Just saying.

Anyway, that's it for this report. Feel free to chime in with suggestions or impassioned cries of warning.

Mahalo in advance.

-J.

[ Edited by: jokeiii 2011-03-31 08:40 ]