Paradise Cove Home Tiki Lounge

Aloha, Ohana!

And welcome to...

Thought I'd post "Before" and "After" pics of my bedroom, which is now the "Paradise Cove Tiki Lounge".

Before...

and After...

A year of painstaking work has gone into this "Tiki-On-A-Budget" transformation, and there are a lot of details not visible in the After pic -- i.e. three fountains, basket lights, tapa and palm-leaf ceiling installations, laser star & nebula projections, etc., etc.

And, as you can see, my kitty feels right at home in her own tropical retreat!

Also, keep in mind that the After pic only shows one half of the room. So, there's LOTS more stuff to share with you in future posts. But I thought I should at least give the gang at TC a foretaste of what's happenin' at Paradise Cove, my lil' private oasis in the desert of West Los Angeles!

But I'll leave ya with a few more photos of one of the corners...

(Also -- be sure to check out my upcoming article/profile/interview on Sven Kirsten in the Summer Issue of Tiki Magazine!)

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-06-24 00:13 ]

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-06-24 09:58 ]

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2009-04-25 01:58 ]

Much larger feeling after. Are you sure that's the same room??

While I do appreciate what you've done there, I don't want Swanky getting any ideas...we're dedicating an entire room to be the new lounge. Bedroom is off limits! Looks very cool! Makes me wonder what's in the rest of your pad....

First of all, the room looks larger in the "After" photo because of the lens my wife used when she took the photo, plus the pic was taken from further away. Also, once the transformation was complete, the relatively mysterious feeling of the darker space and all the mood lighting further accentuates the feeling of size, I think.

Secondly, thanks for the kind words! And, as for the rest of my pad, the living room is done in an Asian theme (complete with more fountains and lots of paper lanterns), in keeping with the venerable Chinese-Restaurant-With-A-Tiki-Bar-In-The-Back tradition which was/is so prevalent in certain parts of the country -- in particular, the Midwest. (Think Kowloon.) The kitchen has an Art Noveau theme, and the bathroom has a New England fishing-village motif.

And now here are some more pics of 'Paradise Cove'...

First, the three different fountains:

The hanging "King Kamehameha Fountain" with misting element added...

A miniature landscape fountain I call "Tiki Lagoon"...

And the largest of the three -- the "Big Kahuna Fountain" (and fairly noisy until I added some shells to catch the water!)...

That one's a heavily augmented bamboo-style ceramic three-level (outdoor-but-I'm-using-it-indoors) fountain which has a smaller fountain added to it (bottom right, with glowing eyes, which they used to sell at Big Lots).

And here's a few more detail-shots -- one of the top section of the King Kamehameha Fountain (featuring the titular figurine)...

And a couple close-ups of the Big Kahuna Fountain...

On the left is a crocodile-wood tiki imported from Hawaii (courtesy of TikiMaster.com).

And now a few pics of the OTHER half of the room.

First, the North-East corner where I have my desk and computer...

Notice the lovely effect created by the "Laser Stars" projectio system? I nabbed it at a Spencer's Gifts in San Diego, and, though it set me back 100 buckeroos, it was worth every single penny!

That's one of those moving-waterfall pictures glowing above my PC monitor's aquarium screensaver, with a tapa/palm-leaf ceiling installation forming a hut-like canopy overhead which can also be lit separately, as in these two photos. (I just use a string of white party-lights, all curled up, lying along the center portion of the canopy.)

And now for the South-East corner...

This area doesn't actually look as bright as this, but I wanted to show all the detail of what's there. Normally it's more atmospheric. And that's one of those flickering "candle-flame" bulbs behind the primitive metallic wall-mask which gives it a nice wavering glow.

THIS is what it looks like in the room's actual lighting...

...with the majority of illumination only provided by the hanging swag lamp, the blue Caliente Tropics night-light, the red light inside the big, black Moai head, the large green float-light, and a small click-light for added illumination on one of the tikis.

See what a difference lighting makes to the mood? But, with mood, you have to give up more detail in the photos.

And now to where I do most of the LOUNGING in my lounge!...

The bed & surrounding area also looks a lot better in person -- i.e. without a flash -- but then it's just too dark to photograph clearly, so I had to compromise or you wouldn't really see what's there. Like the Tiki Lagoon fountain on the bedside table...

Which looks much better under blue light -- AND with the addition of a much more appropriate bedside lamp!

And here's a few close-ups of my two home-made basket-lights with dimmers added...

And here's my Disneyland Enchanted Tiki Room Big Fig with custom lighting and landscaping added...

And, speaking of the Tiki Room, here's an ACTUAL PIECE of the real deal given to me by a dear friend whose Dad was the Vice President of Marketing for Disney...

(Now that's what I call a "Birthday Present"!)

Here's my tribute to the most well-known cover of Tiki News...

And a few more details from various spots in the room...

(Ignore the wall & ceiling behind the planter -- that was the "Before" look!)

And, lastly, more 'Laser Stars' "sky" shots, which turns the whole ceiling into one big projection screen & truly gives Paradise Cove the feeling of being on a tropical island at night!...

So just add your favorite Exotica, shake well, and... CHEERS!

And now me and my canine pal, Luau Lil, wish you a big "Aloha" and hope you enjoyed your virtual visit to my home-made slice of Paradise!

Feel free to drop by and talk story any time ya like!

Bottoms Up! :drink:

Castaway Clemens (aka KreepyTiki)

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-06-25 18:23 ]

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-06-27 21:44 ]

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-07-13 01:20 ]

Excellent Post and pic's, what a Beautiful transformation! It even LOOKS like it took a Long time to convert. I'd have a hard time getting motivated to leave the bedroom with a place like this.
JEALOUSY is Lurking!

Aaaah, the importance of lighting, and making things glow from the inside! Great job, Paul, very "special effects"/model railroad/diorama inspired and inspiring.

Nice details, I like that you have different rooms decorated in different themes. My tiki room is outside and my bedroom is Moroccan

Your entire home sounds interesting. Lets see some more of it even if it ain't tiki. Good job!!

It really looks fantastic, thanks for the virtual tour and the great photos and descriptions :) Very nice work! I would also love to see pics of your other rooms, they sound intriguing.

You got alot of 'STUFF'!

Off the hook. I love purposeful clutter.

i too am a big fan of clutter.....looks great man

Aloha & Major Mahalos for all the nice comments, everybody! MUCH appreciated! As I'm sure you can see, this was a proverbial "labour of love" for me!

And for those of you who requested some pics of other rooms in my pad, with their own individual themes -- though admittedly NOT :tiki: -- here are some new shots:

This statue -- a 50% lifesize reproduction of a bigger-than-lifesize bronze called "The Vine" -- stands in my kitchen atop my fridge. But its Art Noveau beauty becomes a lot more striking with the special lighting set-up I have on it at night...

And then, stepping back a bit, the Asian ambience that dominates the dining-area/living room starts to become visible...

This next shot, while too dark for my liking, nevertheless gives an indication of the many special lighting features and illuminated fountains throughout...

And here's a detail shot of more of my "puposeful clutter"! :)

And, as you may have noticed by now, I'm quite fond of fountains. So here's a couple shots of two of my four living room/dining area fountains...

And, to finish with that section of my place, here's a couple more decorative touches I've added, here and there, to accentuate that serene Eastern vibe...

And then, moving on to the bathroom, we have a major change of theme to New England Fishing Village...

And, lastly, same room without a flash...

So that's it for those of you who requested a peek at the rest of my pad!

And now, for me, it's back to my FAVORITE room... (And I don't have to tell YOU folks what THAT might be, DO I?) :wink:

Cheers! :drink:

Folks, I've seen this room in person, a few months ago, when it was half-way.
It was inspiring and incredible then. These pix, as good as they are, don't do it justice.
Beautiful work, Paul my friend.

Shipwreck Kelly

---

[ Edited by: Kewlava 2008-06-26 22:40 ]

Inspiring indeed...great job!!!!

Thanks again, everybody, for all the good Ju-Ju!!

It's nice to see folks getting the same vibe I do from my little manufactured oasis!

But now I find myself contemplating a more behind-the-scenes tour of Paradise Cove. Because you might be surprised to learn just how much "smoke & mirrors" is involved in the creation of that space. It really is 50% carefully orchestrated illusion.

So, instead of "Pay no attention to that Tiki behind the curtain!", I'm prepared to lift the veil, so to speak, and let all the cats out of their respective bags, revealing just what "tiki-on-a-budget" really means!

Interested??? :tiki:

Superb!

Mahalo!!! Much appreciated!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing! I love it!!! I am feeling inspired, I need to work on my pad.

Right up front, I should say that I live in a RENTED apartment which has automatically dictated certain things I can and can't do in terms of "remodeling". So my Tiki-On-A-Budget approach has not only been financially motivated, but also necessitated by the fact I have a LANDLORD to answer to.

Therefore, I've had to be doubly creative in realizing my tropical fantasies in 3D -- having to walk a fine line between what I'd ideally LIKE to do and what I can actually GET AWAY with.

And now for some MORE 'Paradise Cove' pics!...

I apologize, up front, for some repeat pics from the previous page of this thread, but my aim, here, is to give a before-and-after demonstration of the impact and HUGE importance of creative mood LIGHTING in my lounge, and to show how proper lighting can not only hide a multitude of sins, but enhance whatever's there in delightfully unexpected ways.

The best way for me to do this is by using pics first WITH, then WITHOUT a FLASH; and since I've already posted several of my best "without-a-flash" pics already, please forgive me for re-using a few to make my point.

First up is the entry area, WITH a flash...

Then WITHOUT a flash, with the room's actual lighting...

Then the area above my bed, first with flash...

Then without...

And here's my bedside lamp, with and without a flash...

Next is my desk area which stands beneath a tapa & palm leaf canopy, and also features a moving, lighted waterfall picture which adds nicely to the overall ambiance. First seen with a flash...

Then without...

See the incredible difference lighting can make? In one fell swoop you can go from cluttered/tacky/kitschy to mystical/seductive/exotic!

And, of course, proper ambient Exotica and/or appropriate tropical sound FX can add enormously as well! So be creative and go crazy!

And here's a couple decorative touches only shown with a flash so you can see what you're actually lookin' at...

Wall fountain with mist-maker...

And the section between the entry area and the desk...

And here's a couple other random touches...

Next, a look at my aquarium with and without flash...

As you can see, cheap plastic tiki cups from a party store can become something altogether nicer with the addition of those battery-operated stick-up "click-lights"!

Just put a piece of CLEAR packing tape across the top of the cup, sticky side down (to set the light on), then place the light on top, light facing down into the cup. Then, using that sticky Styrofoam mounting-tape backing that's on the back of the click-light, just add some decorative bit of fake foliage or whatever. Works like a charm and it's cheap and no risk of fires!

Now HERE'S something I would NEVER ordinarily do -- namely, painting a tiki in bright "Disney" colors...

(When Sven saw that photo he said "Eeeek!")

But trust me -- there IS a method to my madness! For, while the original wood tones looked great in a normally lit room, they made the piece all but INVISIBLE in the darkly lit corner where the tiki would have its permanent home.

SO -- once I gave it the new paint-job, though it admittedly looked garish as hell in normal lighting (along with everything around it!)...

...it suddenly became JUST RIGHT in the special ambient "mood" lighting of Paradise Cove!

Okay -- Next up is my "Big Kahuna Fountain", first seen with a flash...

Then without...

Which do you think is nicer? :wink:

Then the room's Northern wall, seen first with flash...

Then without...

And finally here's the Cove's North-West corner, first with a flash...

...and then without:

So, fellow TC'ers, if there's three lessons I've learned in creating my home tiki lounge, it's these: LIGHTING, LIGHTING, and LIGHTING!

It even works wonders with miniatures, as with my "Tiki Lagoon" fountain...

And my Enchanted Tiki Room Big Fig...

Lastly, I'll leave you with another Before and After look at my former bedroom and its new incarnation as Paradise Cove...

Cheers and Mahalos! :drink:

Castaway Clemens

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-07-09 08:07 ]

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-07-13 01:33 ]

Wow, amazing proof that the right lighting is everything. The density and layered clutter of the room is dazzling. So after all this, what DOES your landlord say?

Major Mahalos for the ringing endorsement, BigBro!

And as to what my landlord has said about it... well, he hasn't SEEN it yet! :lol:

Anyway, I thought I'd add a couple close-up pics I just took of my 'Moai Grotto' aquarium...

Glub! :drink:

Castaway Clemens

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-07-12 04:54 ]

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-07-19 14:46 ]

WOW! So much to look at. I love all the 'stuff' you have scattered about in a organized sorta way. Very pleasing to the eye. Great resourcefulness too with your DIY basket lamps. And that's the best use I've ever seen of the plastic party city type wall coverings. It took me awhile to realize it wasn't the real deal. I'm always a fan of DIY lighting. As others have said--great lighting and layering. You definitely have an eye for detail. Now if only I could collect that much cool stuff for my place-your room makes my room look so sparse. I'd like to see what you would do with a whole house or a larger bar room--awesome!!!! Looking forward to seeing updates but what else could you do?

Cheers!,
Brad

Mahalos, Brad! Praise from someone as skilled as yourself is always doubly appreciated!

And I wouldn't go TOO far with the layering and clutter in your marvelous Jungalero Lounge, as the look you've gone for is sort of commensurate with Forbidden Island, which ain't exactly a bad thing! It has a restful, shabby elegance which the best designed, slightly more upscale Tiki Bars seem to have.

In Paradise Cove I was deliberately going for the kind of haphazard, cluttered effect of the Tiki Ti -- the kind that comes from YEARS of adding stuff. And my REASON for this (which YOU don't have) is that it would better disguise the plastic wall treatments and make them look more real -- especially in the particularly subdued lighting of my lounge.

I got a real kick out of the fact that even YOU were fooled, at first, by the illusion I created with some of the walls! Thanks again! :D

And as to not seeing what ELSE I can do with Paradise Cove -- Well, here's what I'd still LIKE to do...

I want to install a thatched, mini A-Frame with small hanging float-light near the ceiling in the NorthWest corner of the room. I'm also going to add a rattan (wicker?) peacock (plantation) fan-chair to the room, against the North wall (the one with the most artwork on it). They always add a nice touch, as the ones in your Jungalero Lounge certainly do. And, lastly -- and I'm not sure if I'd have ROOM to really pull this off or not -- but I dream of having a small bamboo bridge spanning an artificial water-feature enhanced with some kind of rippling light effect underneath!

That last bit may simply be more than the space can actually handle, but I still daydream about the possibility!

Cheers! :drink:

On 2008-06-26 22:14, Kewlava wrote:
Folks, I've seen this room in person, a few months ago, when it was half-way.
It was inspiring and incredible then. These pix, as good as they are, don't do it justice.
Beautiful work, Paul my friend.

Shipwreck Kelly

---

[ Edited by: Kewlava 2008-06-26 22:40 ]

Kelly, ole pal -- Mucho Mahalos for the kind words! Somehow I missed replying to your post until now. Your appreciation is very appreciated, especially from one as skilled, creative, and talented as yourself!

Cheers! :drink: (And Happy Birthday!)

Here're a few more pix of my latest MINI-addition to the Lounge...

This actually started out as a cute little tiki-themed bird-house I picked up a few days ago at CVS Pharmacy for just ten bucks!

I brought it home and customized the heck out of it, adding miniature foliage, lighting fixtures (i.e. battery-operated tea-lights decorated in tapa-style with a Sharpie!), a moai on the roof and a tiny glow-in-the-dark plastic pufferfish suspended from beneath the thatched roof, just over the entryway.

I still have yet to transform the offending "Pina Colada's" into "Mai Tai's", but all in good time!

And here's what it looks like with a flash...

And a close-up showing...

...the Tiki Hut's proprietor waiting inside!

And this is where I display the lil' Hut -- on top of my volcano bowl which, in turn, rests atop one of my lounge's many tiki's!

And, finally, here's a peek at ANOTHER tiki-themed bird house I got 4 cheap and customized.

Though, as yet, I haven't found an appropriate place for it in Paradise Cove. (Clashes too much with my more elaborate Enchanted Tiki Room Big Fig!) And don't you think that sign should say "ELVIS's Tiki Lounge"? :lol:

Well, that's it 4 now. More to come soon!

:tiki:

Tweety, Eeeek!

On 2008-07-19 10:17, teaKEY wrote:

Tweety, Eeeek!

Sorry! I agree that there is NOTHING remotely tiki about Tweety!

But two things in my defense: 1)With the room's ACTUAL lighting, Tweety becomes all but invisible in that particular spot, and 2)Tweety has a particular personal significance connected with a dear friend who gave it to me, so it's there purely for sentimental reasons.

:drink:

Here's a couple new lighting touches...

This shot was taken with semi daylight, so you see more than you normally would (and, yes, I PhotoShopped Tweety OUT! :lol:), but I added little lights behind the hanging plant because, at night, it all goes just TOO dark over there.

Also: A LITTLE SECRET...

You know how damn expensive float-lights are, right? Well, my Tiki-On-A-Budget solution works like a charm and it's SO simple. I just slide one of those little battery-operated Stick 'n Click lights between the criss-crossing ropes and the glass float on the side that faces TOWARD the corner (and which no one really SEES) and -- voila! The perfect ILLUSION of a real float-light!

I used that technique for ALL the float-lights in Paradise Cove, and no one's ever noticed they weren't the real (and PRICEY) deal.

The pufferfish-light is REAL, however! (THAT I could AFFORD!) :D

And now for illuminating a wall-mask, which I've been WANTING to do ever since I got it, but just never wound up actually DOING until now!

That's what it looks like in normal lighting.

And then with an appropriately devilish glow...

That's crumpled aluminum foil inside the mouth which creates the reflected-light effect of glowing embers, just like the interior of the smoldering timbers in the fire sequence in the 'Pirates' ride at Disneyland. But it looks better in person than it photographs, unfortunately.

Anyway, I think it adds a necessary balancing touch.

Okay -- that's it for this latest up-date.

Cheers! :drink:

I DID once have plans to transform THIS corner...

...into THIS:

But I have since changed my mind. Overkill is possible even in MY overcrowded lil Shangri La! (Aw, who am I kidding? I've just gotten too freakin' LAZY! lol)

Cheers and Mahalos! :drink: :tiki:

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2015-04-11 07:49 ]

Paul, I'm just plain stunned! How awesome your Paradise Cove is!!!! I can't wait to see it in person! Oh my god! See you on August 31st!

First, thanks for the kudos, Enchanted Tiki Guy! (And once your cold is better, we'll re-schedule your visit to the Cove!)

Secondly, thought I'd share two new acquisitions which now have found a home in Paradise Cove...

The first is this new peacock chair:

An essential element in almost all the classic Golden Age tiki restaurants & power spots, I think you'll agree. Even the newest power-spots like Forbidden Island proudly feature these. And yet I'd been searching in vain for one of these babies for over a year!

And then Mr. Noname (bless his lil beachcomber's soul!) informed me (while at the Bali Hai for the opening of Oasis '08) of not one but TWO of those chairs he'd just seen at a local Salvation Army! Well, needless to say, I was there bright and early the next morning and BOTH were excellent! So I quickly grabbed the one that was in the best shape -- bought it for half price (a whopping $13.00) as it was on sale that morning -- and found that it fit PERFECTLY into my little Suzuki hatch-back! (This factor had been a major concern.)

And the rest is history -- and a beautiful finishing touch to my lounge! (Though, of course, I'll ALWAYS be adding new little touches here and there and making various improvements.)

Then there is my favorite souvenir of "Zombie Island" (Oasis 2008) -- the amazing Munktiki event mug:

Gotta love it!

Well, that's it for now. Though I'll soon be posting 20 additional pics of my lounge from a new photo-session I recently did which incorporates about a dozen changes/additions made since the last pics were added.

Cheers & Mahalos! :drink: :tiki:

Castaway Clemens

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2008-09-06 12:08 ]

Aloha, all!

Okay -- here are the tropical fruits of my new photo-session -- starting at the entrance area in the rooms' South-East corner and basically moving clockwise from there...

Enjoy!

That Chinese-lantern style light-blue hanging lamp is one of the many new additions to the Cove in recent months/weeks/days.

And, yes, that IS a COMPLETELY (and deliberately) out-of-place Tweety Bird you see affixed to the upper-right corner of the door. It pleased me to perversely include a totally inappropriate WTF element in my otherwise poli"tiki"ally correct lounge! So -- call me weird. Ya wouldn't be the FIRST!

Notice the new green mini-spot I added just behind the blue Caliente tropics night-light illuminating the grinning face of a tiki that got completely lost in the shadows before?

I'm really enjoyin' the recent addition of this red-glowing tiki wall-mask! (Would ya believe I nabbed that sucker at OSH!? Just shows -- you can find tiki almost anywhere if ya keep yer peepers peeled!)

Just for this photo I got a little pin-spot to illuminate Tretchikov's "creepy blue-skinned Chinese girl". (Have you ever noticed that that's almost ALWAYS the way that painting is described?)

Though hard to spot amidst all the other clutter, there's a new set of thatch n' tapa bamboo wind-chimes here and a new hanging glass lamp as well.

That's a new swag lamp (with chain) hangin' from the ever-starry ceiling!

Beneath all those hibiscus blooms are three beautiful white porcelain nudes, only two of which are barely (pun intended!) visible in this pic. And I've hesitated posting any pic closer than this because one of 'em is being particularly naughty ('Nuff said! :lol:), and I'll probably catch some kinda flak for it! Why are some folks on this site surprisingly prudish? Ya'd think the tiki-vibe, by its very natural nature, would sorta cancel out that kind of closed-minded attitude, wouldn't you? But I guess ya just never know!

And the two lovely metal signs I just got from my dear friends at Mainlanders (aka Tropical Tikis, aka Culbertson Imports --c'mon guys, pick ONE name!) make a very pleasing addition to the shoreline of the Cove, along with the new orchid lights!

Naturally, I'm pleased as Planter's Punch re. the proud new addition of my peacock chair -- a throne fit for King Kamehameha himself!

Yep, that IS Bali Hai's infamous Goof now crowning my Big Kahuna fountain -- thanks to Holden, Squid, and Tiki Farm!

That bottle of Santiago Bay West Indies Rum proudly sports a red devil-head bottle-stopper (topper?) courtesy of me pirate-pal Thor as a tribute to all his wonderful new rum paintings! Also, underneath the illuminated Ku, is a vintage outrigger model-kit I got on eBay which, once assembled, will eventually hang from the ceiling. I mean, I'd love to have a full-size one like so many classic Poly-Pop restaurants, but in THIS lil' place? Good luck!

I enjoy how the glowing black-lit crab here seems to be about to attack the kool pendant I got at Oasis from my pal Tiki-Al!

MAN I wish there was a way to have the lighting come out just as it is in this photo WITHOUT my moving waterfall picture being WAY OVEREXPOSED!

Oh well, I guess ya can't always get whatcha want! (Haven't I heard that line in a SONG somewhere???)

Okay -- well, th-th-th-that's all, folks!

Cheers & Mahalos :drink: :tiki:

Castaway Clemens

Okay -- I finally caved!

The "Eek! -- Tweety!" comment has really been getting to me...

But rather than remove the deliberately perverse and offendingly non-tiki Tweety from the Cove, I decided to effect a little ("wittel"?) transformation on him (her?) -- or rather on three of Tweety's accoutrements...

And so -- Ta DA!

Introducing "Tiki Tweety", complete with souvenir Mai-Kai cap, I Heart Tiki sweatshirt, and War Club!

Cheers! :drink: :tiki:

A few more pics of some new additions/touches to the Lounge...

Looks like a lot of love went into this place. I sure love the mood.

Kreepy, great job, I haven't done an inside space, but I imagine it is hard to capture the essence and get it right, you certainly have done that. I love the bamboo frames where you have all the wall art. It is all done so well! Congrats!

Thank you both!

High praise indeed, coming from YOU guys!

And, yes, a WHOLE LOT of love went into this place (Not to mention a fair amount of BUCKS! But it was worth it!)

Cheers! :drink:

[ Edited by: KreepyTiki 2009-04-30 06:25 ]

Well Paul, it may have taken until July 2nd, 2009 to see your Paradise Cove but it was worth the wait! Fellow Tiki fans, words cannot express the AWESOME tiki environment my friend Paul has put together! He is a truly imaginative, creative artist in many ways. I layed down on his bed and looked up to the purplish blue star nebula sky projected onto his ceiling and took in all the colorful lights and tiki adornments. I drank in all the wonderous tiki statues, fountains (all with running water) mists, lanterns, nets, etc like a good tiki drink! I begged him to let me rent Parasise Cove for a week, but he wouldn't budge! How can I blame him! I hope other Los Angeles tiki fans can contact him for a visit perhaps, for photos cannot do it justice. Thank you Paul my friend for taking me to Paradise Cove for a truly cool visit!

Mahalo, my friend!

It was my pleasure! Your appreciation is much appreciated!

And you're welcome to a return trip any time -- just be sure to book in advance! (You know how looooong it takes to get all the lights and fountains and other stuff goin'!" :wink: )

Cheers! :drink: :tiki:

Wow Paul, the place is look'n sharp.

So much to look at and atmosphere up the wazoo.

Great job!!

Your lounge looks awesome. You've got quite a collection going there.

KreepyTiki - wow! This is a stunningly impressive room you've created.
Have you ever considered being part of one of the 'home tiki bar' tours (such as the one being discussed for 2009)?

It'd be great to see this in person as it looks like the ideal place to enjoy a cocktail or 10.

Cheers, mate.

Very well done, I can practically hear Quiet Village playing in the background. I wonder what the TiPSI is for that room? (considering the amount of tiki I changed it from 'tiki per square yard' to 'tiki per square inch')

Aloha Ohana!

It's been quite a while since I last posted any new pics of my Paradise Cove Lounge. But after the long illness and eventual passing of my dear mom, I've gradually gotten back into the tiki loop again and I've been hard at work renovating and adding vintage treasures such as some Florian Gabriel mugs from The Luau (and chuckin' some old stuff out), as well as adding new treasures (Trader Sam's anyone?) and adjusting lighting, etc.

And after a recent (and expensive!) trip to our beloved Oceanic Arts, as well as making some nice purchases at the International Tiki Marketplace (Bosko, Trader Pup and Monkeyman Design to name just a few), I have added new layers of mystery and exotic magic to my lil' semi-private island! And aside from new float lights, new puffers and ornate swag lamps, wall-carvings, standing tikis and paddles, etc., I've also added some koolamundo new rippling aquatic reflection FX on the ceiling.

But rather than enumerate each addition photo by photo, I'll just let the following images speak for themselves....

I should make mention of one interesting lighting problem I encountered and how I solved it.

If you happened to notice a nice big sandblasted purple float light, I got that at Oceanic Arts and fitted it with a lamp socket and cord. Simple enough. But I then got quite a surprise when I added a 25 watt bulb and switched it on -- instead of the lovely rich purple of the non-illuminated glass, the color was now an awful Pepto-Bismol pink! Eeeek! And that would just not DO!

So, beginning to experiment, I next tried a clear purple party bulb. Almost no difference. Hmmmm... Strange... Next I tried a blue party bulb which, to my surprise, made the whole float light a uniform blue, with no hint of purple! Curiouser and curiouser... Becoming exasperated, I began looking around my lounge searching desperately for other possibilities. And that's when my gaze fell on a fluorescent blacklight twisty-bulb I had illuminating one corner of the room. And, remembering I had another put aside just in case, I put that one into the float and -- VOILA! EUREKA! YES! The PERFECT rich, mysterious PURPLE float-light I'd been dreaming of cast its ultraviolet beauty on the ceiling and the wall behind it!

So I hope my little experiment may save others some time and trouble should you also want a proper purple to float your boat!

And, lastly, I recently was delighted to find a Disney collector's pin featuring Jiminy Cricket with the exact same Tangaroa Enchanted Tiki Baby that was given to me years ago by a dear friend whose dad was the Vice President of Marketing for Disney. And here you see that actual painted fiberglass Tiki Baby still hanging happily from the bottom of a shelf in Paradise Cove! (You can see a clearer flash-pic of him/her? earlier in this thread which nicely shows the whole body and the original, NEVER-to-be-altered Disney paint-job.)

Cheers and Mahalo! :drink: :tiki:

wow...really nice. Amazing attention to details. Kudos!

This make me want to get working on my tiki dining area! You've done such a great job!