Apartment Bar...New shell lamp

What's up tikifolk! I've been lurking on the site for a while and finally decided to join. Randomly got the bug to build a little home sanctuary and decided to show some progress from beginning til now...and beyond. I thought I was done til I visited the Mugoomba bar at Tiki-Farm and found this site...now I just lie in bed dreaming of a total overhaul! Upcoming willbe new wall and ceiling covering, central lamp(to replace fan) and, well everything else that can be done in my rented apartment.

first day with stools(most expensive thing in there surprisingly!)

got a bar and went to bensons import for decor stuff...

found table at some thrift type store in san clemente






maybe some bamboo to cover "wood" corners




wish I had read how to make puffer lamp before.dremel

This is the collection that got me started somehow.

glowing

newest piece...found for less than $100...that I didn't have.
Future of my bar depends on traffic court tomorrow. Hope you like it!
Would love comments, especially on the best way to hang new shelf...the mounting hook seems sketchy at best. Thanks!

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Wow...very good start...and it looks fabulous in the green lighting. Love your fez collection. Welcome to TC...now the addiction gets serious!!! Good luck in traffic court. :)

nice work... my place is rented too, luckily my landlord is fairly "relaxed".. but i have definately "blurred the line"..

Holy Moly THAT is really nice work. Welcome to TC kahakakruzer. Great start.
Is that a schooner on the table? I've been looking for a pirate ship in that size range.

Yea I got the ship from an old Spoons restaurant. It's nice but the rigging is ridiculously dusty...and nearly impossible too clean. It adds some flavor though I suppose.

I got the bug to refurb the bar this weekend after a trip to oceanic arts. I tore it all down and started back form scratch. I think it's almost done now, just need some rope lighting under the thatch, a lamp where i took out the fan, and some more mugs. The flash shows more than is visible to the naked eye (i.e. thaching overlaps).








frame for roof












A couple shrunken heads plus the other add-ons and I'll be "done".
Oh and a name for the bar, if something good comes up. Hope you like it.

Nice work...the bar really looks swanky now and the round bamboo shelf is a fabulous addition. Thanks for the pics...they are inspiring. :)

Really nice. I lived apartment life for a while and it can be tough, but it's possible. You just proved it! Good work keeping it "right". You have a great start. It just gets better and better from here.

Fantastic!!! I"m having the rented apartment issues too. You have just given me some great inspiration.

Keep up the good work and welcome to Tiki Central!

Rick

That came up sweet! nice work :D

hey kahalakruzer, check your Personal Messages. Just sent one.

Good job. What time does the bar open?????

On 2008-02-04 14:49, Daves Not Home wrote:
Good job. What time does the bar open?????

I'm a little too straight edge to be mixing drinks, but anyone that lives in the so-cal area and wants to give it a try, just stop on by! The bar's open to anyone that will appreciate it!

Great job kahala! You've really created a nice little spot there. One can never have too many fezzes.

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Nice job & right in my backyard! Can't wait to check it out in person!

On 2008-02-05 17:45, MakeDaMug wrote:
Nice job & right in my backyard! Can't wait to check it out in person!

"Insider Trading?"

On 2008-02-05 18:56, RevBambooBen wrote:

On 2008-02-05 17:45, MakeDaMug wrote:
Nice job & right in my backyard! Can't wait to check it out in person!

"Insider Trading?"

They say that great minds think alike...and, uh, live in the same cities?

On 2008-02-05 17:45, MakeDaMug wrote:
Nice job & right in my backyard! Can't wait to check it out in person!

Fire up the Sparklets Mai Tai Fountain!

Rope lighting put up

Floats turned lamps. will probably try and frost tomorrow, I'll see how they turn out.

New addition, not tiki, but rat fink does what he wants! Thanks Holden!

Bali Hai...traditional-esque. I was broke so I had to do something with my spare time.

I must say I also like the Fezzes :P Nice! Enjoy it!

I discovered the art of the torch after looking at some of bamboo ben's work and trader howland's jungalero lounge...and it went from there. Burned all the bamboo trim and the shelves I made, and got around to frosting the float lamps and hanging some new little floats I got down in the harbor. Also, stole some more from senor howland with the memorabilia bar top. Sorry for being so unoriginal, but it looked so good I had to!

putting the girlfriend to work

all images out of the book Tiki Style...mini book of tiki that's cheap and easy to find.



just fired, stained & clear coated, finished.


Trim fired

finished floats.

I suppose there's always more to come.

Well I went down to Tiki Farm today to get a few mugs, and ended up with a cool little wall hanging by bamboo ben and the PERFECT lamp to finish off the lighting in the bar (on top of the mugs that I originally went for!) Not much else to say, the pictures speak for themselves.





Word! Can't wait to buy the new mystery bowl!

Cats ass! nice job! Hope to hang there some day!

On 2008-02-04 18:14, kahalakruzer wrote:

On 2008-02-04 14:49, Daves Not Home wrote:
Good job. What time does the bar open?????

I'm a little too straight edge to be mixing drinks, but anyone that lives in the so-cal area and wants to give it a try, just stop on by! The bar's open to anyone that will appreciate it!

A couple of Mai-Tais will take the edge off that straight...... :wink:

I like the circle shelf mounted on the wall that is way cool!

Keep showing pics!

Inspiring! So much so that I asked my wife her thoughts on doing the whole house in Polynesia style. Let's just say I'll be living vicariously through you.

Got the bug last week and went up to Oceanic Arts...Got the mug (one of the nicest mugs I've ever seen, and definitely own) and some other cool stuff, but was bummed that they didn't have any bamboo in the 1/4 to 3/8 inch size to frame out the 2 inch bamboo. I bought some bac bac braid and went that route, but would still like to find some smaller bamboo pieces. Here's some pictures for now.

but would still like to find some smaller bamboo pieces.

Try Bensons in Huntington Beach - they've got good prices
http://www.bensonsimport.com/pages/wholesale/bamboo_poles/Page1.html

Black bamboo @ frank's cane and rush HB .

I still see,

"White Walls!!!"

Dang. With everyone so influenced, I got to get a cable show!

Build Out w/ Bamboo Ben.......

It's funny because I bought all my original bamboo from Bensons and it was really cheap, but there's a minimum order of $100. I only need like $20 max. So I found out about Frank's and was going to go up, but they're only open weekdays the same 9-5 that I work. Then, being in the tiki mood this weekend with no supplies, I figured I'd make a trip to Bamboo Ben's shop on sunday and maybe get lucky finding something cool for the bar or some small bamboo, but he was closed when I got there. This weekend was a bummer, but today I found a peacock chair for $69 and two smaller chairs for $30 at 2 thrift stores within 5 minutes. I'll post some pics soon. BTW, anyone need two dining size wicker chairs for $30?!? My house is entirely too small now.

Oh and...

On 2008-02-26 21:46, RevBambooBen wrote:
I still see,

"White Walls!!!"

They're only white with the camera flash! I swear! With the green lights on it actually absorbs the light a little into the walls and makes it look real nice.

???

You must continue into the next realm......

On 2008-02-27 19:44, RevBambooBen wrote:

You must continue into the next realm......

My bar is in a walk-through dining room,and although something could maybe be done in the kitchen, it might be too tumultuos of a task for me to take on...and I do still have to share this place with a roommate. I guess thats why my name's not BambooCraig! But you might like the trim I'm planning on doing this weekend. I got myself a router. Hopefully it turns out!

the chairs

I drew up a design the other night and on sunday router-ed..hmm.. it onto my trim. I also made a witco-esque spear that turned out pretty cool for costing less than 5 bucks. Put the trim on a post and on the ceiling. I also had an extra special guest come to the bar.....





trim routed and spear assembled

fired and stained



The King!

The new bartender and I.


Finished spear. Fired, stained, clear-coated and painted.

Shaka zulu the Nubian Princess, I mean girlfriend.

Man you're working hard. Looking good.
Did you get hold of my pal Al in Oceanside?

Looks like Elvis is spinning a couple of records back there. lol.

Yea Elvis is back there killin it!
Thanks for reminding me Jungle Trader...I just checked my messages the other day and had totally forgot. I'll try to get a hold of him.

got the idea from the painted gourds, coconuts don't have as nice a skin though to paint on.










Oh yea...I really want to make a clam shell sconce, or conch sconce(not as cool, but would be cheaper and easier)so that'll probably be going up this week. If anyone has made one before, I'd be open to suggestions on how to do it best. I also want a couple bamboo door curtains for the corners to close in the room a bit from the kitchen if anyone knows where the cheapest place for plain ones is.
Until next time...

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Man, K-Kruzer--your pad is looking LUSH! (or plush?) I'd have to kick yer ass if I were your landlord, though (Then boot you out and move myself in :wink:)--I can't believe this is all in an apartment---WOWZAZOWZA! Glad I could provide inspiration for your bar top--you guys did a FINE job! What's next now that the tiki bug has it's teeth firmly latched into you?

From one Elvis fan to another, when do you plan to invite us TC'ers and give it a proper break in? Really like the Elvis cutout. I own 40+ statues of Elvis that I hope to show off this years OC Fair.

Looks like you've been channeling Bamboo Ben.

Was it like last week I saw white walls and plain pad? Very cool example of what you can do when you try to all of us in the tiki community. A lot harder when you don't live within driving distance to OA, but still doable.

Just read that renter's agreement. Most say, leave no nail holes. A little spackle fixes that!

Looks awesome all lit up!

Great work on routing that trim. I'm going pinch that idea.

The whole bar looks great lit up.

Mahalo

[ Edited by: Kon-Hemsby 2008-03-11 05:57 ]

Thanks to all for the kind words, and the inspiration from those that have already done what I'm trying to acccomplish! I'm glad everyone seems to like it! What I would really like to do now is make a little A-frame entrance that runs at the same angle as the vaulted ceiling in the living room. I'll have to figure out how to make it all work and how to knock out my roommate so he doesn't try to tell me not to...ok, that fool weighs 140, im about 225, so that won't be too hard. Hmm, but about that roof...

Well I finally found an affordable clam shell, to make one of the wall sconces out of, at one of the stores that I work for. I just cut and burned some plywood, put some tapa on it with a clear coat and made a rope border. Pretty cool little accent if I may say so myself.



I also decided to try my hand at pinstriping for the hot rod folks out there...I've found it definitely helps keep things steady for tattooing and such. Turned out pretty cool for my first.


I'm still working on my A-frame entrance...

I've been busy. I made a few new lamps (one is still in progress), built an A-frame, and gave myself a new tattoo. Not much more to say, the pictures speak for themselves.








Conch sconce and 21" puffer lamp. I got the fish for $35!

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