Mapping out tiki in Orange County, Calif. - General Tiki

S SpaceAgeCity Member Orange County, CA Joined: Nov 17, 2002 Posts: 89	S SpaceAgeCity Posted posted on Tue, Jun 19, 2012 9:52 AM My thought was to identify place where one could see that the architects or builders were significantly influenced by the Mid-Century tiki trend. (Of course, I also threw in a few more recent sites, for fun.) Much like identifying Googie architecture, I don't think tiki architecture can be defined by any one trait -- although sometimes that's all it takes. But often, it requires a mix of several traits, and sometimes they're a bit subtle. For instance, having a little peak at the top of the house doesn't make it "tiki." But do the ends of that peak cantelever out at an angle that mimics traditionl Indonesian buildings? That might be an indicator. Is there an outrigger beam, cut with a longer-on-the-top/shorter-on-the-bottom notch? That's another indicator. And so on. Is flagstone less "tiki" than lava rock? You bet. But often, developers used whatever was least expensive. Remember, during the early 1960s (the peak for tiki tracts in O.C.), homes were being built at a truly unbelieveable rate. We shouldn't be surprised that the ideal materials weren't used in many cases. In any case, I've seen some very cool tiki-style buildings that incorporated Palos Verdes stone. Also complicating matters is the fact that so many people have (like that Newport Beach realtor) tried to disguise their tiki-style homes as something else, or at least to downplay the tiki elements. But often they are only partially successful, and the home's "tikiness" would be relatively easy to restore. Folks, we've come to the point where a lot of our classic tiki architecture now qualifies as historic. (Really!) We have to start looking at it the way preservationists look at Victorian homes or Craftsman bungalows. The question is not just, "Does this all look original and pristine," but rather, "Does enough of the building's original design and structure remain that it could be thoughtfully restored?" Hopefully, some of us tiki fans will seek out these homes (when we're in the market) and nurse them back to health. If we don't, who will? Chris P.S. -- Thanks for the kind words, Sven. And yes, Mike's excellent research (and yours) has certainly informed some of my thinking.

My thought was to identify place where one could see that the architects or builders were significantly influenced by the Mid-Century tiki trend. (Of course, I also threw in a few more recent sites, for fun.) Much like identifying Googie architecture, I don't think tiki architecture can be defined by any one trait -- although sometimes that's all it takes. But often, it requires a mix of several traits, and sometimes they're a bit subtle. For instance, having a little peak at the top of the house doesn't make it "tiki." But do the ends of that peak cantelever out at an angle that mimics traditionl Indonesian buildings? That might be an indicator. Is there an outrigger beam, cut with a longer-on-the-top/shorter-on-the-bottom notch? That's another indicator. And so on.

Is flagstone less "tiki" than lava rock? You bet. But often, developers used whatever was least expensive. Remember, during the early 1960s (the peak for tiki tracts in O.C.), homes were being built at a truly unbelieveable rate. We shouldn't be surprised that the ideal materials weren't used in many cases. In any case, I've seen some very cool tiki-style buildings that incorporated Palos Verdes stone.

Also complicating matters is the fact that so many people have (like that Newport Beach realtor) tried to disguise their tiki-style homes as something else, or at least to downplay the tiki elements. But often they are only partially successful, and the home's "tikiness" would be relatively easy to restore.

Folks, we've come to the point where a lot of our classic tiki architecture now qualifies as historic. (Really!) We have to start looking at it the way preservationists look at Victorian homes or Craftsman bungalows. The question is not just, "Does this all look original and pristine," but rather, "Does enough of the building's original design and structure remain that it could be thoughtfully restored?"

Hopefully, some of us tiki fans will seek out these homes (when we're in the market) and nurse them back to health. If we don't, who will?

Chris

P.S. -- Thanks for the kind words, Sven. And yes, Mike's excellent research (and yours) has certainly informed some of my thinking.

Post #641010 by SpaceAgeCity on Tue, Jun 19, 2012 9:52 AM