Tiki lighting fixtures

Anyone know of any good place in Los Angeles or a website to pick up a tiki lighting fixture? I want to hang up a cool lighting fixture from my ceiling so it hangs above my dining room table. Any suggestions or help would be appreciated. Thanks everyone.

~El B

WELCOME TO TIKI CENTRAL! You've come to the right place. There's quite a few people on here that make excellent lighting. Some from tapa cloth, some from bamboo, and some from redwood. What type of lighting are you looking for, and I can very happily direct you to the right person.

El Boracho, there's a place just south of you on Abbot Kinney called Cabana Joe's, a bit more generically tropical, and on the high end of the pricing range, but they have their own line of light fixtures, and some of them are pretty cool. They also have a few vintage items (like chunky resin lamps), but marked way up. If you've got time to venture outside of Los Angeles, Oceanic Arts has a rather large lighting selection, and are much more traditionally tiki. Oceanic Arts has tricky operating hours, though.

Critiki - Hundreds of tiki bars, Polynesian restaurants, and other sites of interest to the tiki traveller, collector or urban archaeologist

[ Edited by: Humuhumu on 2005-02-05 17:58 ]

Jamie-
Give me a call, and we will get you hooked up.

aloha,
if none of the other suggestions fit your bill, maybe you might be interested in some of the lamps that our very own kahaka makes?
https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10230&forum=7
His are mostly hanging lamps. Hope this helps

On 2005-02-05 16:54, Hale Tiki wrote:
WELCOME TO TIKI CENTRAL! You've come to the right place. There's quite a few people on here that make excellent lighting. Some from tapa cloth, some from bamboo, and some from redwood. What type of lighting are you looking for, and I can very happily direct you to the right person.

Just stumbled across this forum. I've already looked at and contacted kahaka. However if there are others that make them please point me in the right direction :)

Thanks

So, you've already contacted Kahaka...and checked out Oceanic arts (they're lamps selection ROCKS - they even have vintage ones occasionally that they rescue from old tiki bars), then check out:

Onatiki makes great tapa lamps. His hang at many restaurants too. Here's his thread:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=13700&forum=7&start=225&hilite=onatiki

I make Fish float lamps:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=21320&forum=7&start=15&hilite=polynesiac
or http://www.polynesiac.com for my myspace. Lemme know if you're interested.

Tipsymcstagger makes some cool lamps too:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=22270&forum=12&hilite=tipsy

I'm sure I'm forgetting someone....please post if I did.

El B!

PM sent...

Mahalos!
Kahaka

Thanks for the links Polynesiac and nice work on your lights. In particular I'm looking for wall sconces.

Kahaka has a couple really nice ones that might fit the room. I'm also considering trying to find some tiki masks with open mouths and eyes that may work as a shade in front of the wall socket.

On 2007-02-23 12:36, dhillaby wrote:
Thanks for the links Polynesiac and nice work on your lights. In particular I'm looking for wall sconces.

Kahaka has a couple really nice ones that might fit the room. I'm also considering trying to find some tiki masks with open mouths and eyes that may work as a shade in front of the wall socket.

i can make you some wall sconces if you like.....let me know.

Pictures 2,3,5,6,7,8 on page 1 are a few of the lamps I make here is a link
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=13682&forum=7

On 2007-02-23 16:15, keigs20 wrote:
Pictures 2,3,5,6,7,8 on page 1 are a few of the lamps I make here is a link
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=13682&forum=7

well....that definately trumps my hand!! ...bastard!!! i love that stuff.

This is the light over the card table in my Tiki lounge. I like the amount of light it provides for playing cards, but need to Tiki it up a bit. I was thinking about some type of bamboo shades for the bottom, maybe gluing some Tiki Heads (I like the one I have from GoTiki) on the centerpost. What can be done about the chain...although I see chains on puffer fish, I am not fond of them and wonder about threading raffia or something through it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Also, I always look at the Home Tiki Bar threads and people post pictures with the lights on and then with only mood lighting. What is the general guide on mood lighting...any particular color (like green or orange)? I will eventually be getting some puffer fish lamps and glass floats, but in the meantime I am thinking about putting just the small green xmas lights under the lip of my bar...they won't show but will glow green...does this sound appropriate? Thanks for any help. :)

Hello and welcome to TC!
I'm Tikiskip and I make tiki bar lights.

In fact one of my lights sits in Svens house.
{QUOTE Sven}
On 2011-07-15 22:24, bigbrotiki wrote:
Skip, I've been a fan of your lamps fo evva. Your love of detail, your aging techniques, the visible time spent on each piece make them the only lamps I would hang among my vintage ones. One day I am gonna get me one of those cork ones!

I do sell these lights every now and then, so let me know if ya need something.
(You can PM me here from Tikicentral)
This is not how I make a living though so it is a fun hobby for me.
Thank you and please take a look at my works....
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=18485&forum=18&722

-==--==--==--==-Google "Tiki bar lights" To find TIKISKIP-==--==--==--==-

¦:-·:''"":·.-:¦:-**-:¦:-·:''"":·.-:¦

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2013-12-06 17:00 ]

in my bar area I used orange lighting as it brings out the natural colour of the bamboo etc and is like a nice tropical orange sunset..

I also used green xmas type lights under the canopy in my bar and the back-side of the bar top and they worked well for a little glow and lighting in the mixing area..

you could cover the chain with a piece of bamboo or wrap with rope which works well..

Don't let Bamboo Ben see those white walls!!!!

P.s.
I would ditch that lamp setup completely, maybe swap it with someone who has a tiki house and is trying to convert it to a castle... with all due respect...

tikiship-good idea about the dimmer...have been planning on doing that...I am going to be looking for some alternate lampshades too and if I can't find any...covering them will probably be a good option.

Tiki Trav-I knew x-nay would be an answer...LOL. Anyway...I do think I can Tikify it and when ya got a bunch of old folks playing cards we need the spotlight option. I like your idea of the orange glow on the bamboo and gonna try the green under the bar too. Ooooh. that bamboo covering for the chain sounds intriguing.

Actually those are pictures before I had my walls painted and whenever I can financially hook up with Ben...that ceiling is his to Tikify.

Thanks for the great suggestions!!!

FATIMA BLUSH: Oh, how reckless of me. I made you all wet.
JAMES BOND: Yes, but my martini is still dry.

[ Edited by: VampiressRN 2008-07-06 21:11 ]

On 2008-07-05 18:46, VampiressRN wrote:
This is the light over the card table in my Tiki lounge. I like the amount of light it provides for playing cards, but need to Tiki it up a bit. I was thinking about some type of bamboo shades for the bottom, maybe gluing some Tiki Heads (I like the one I have from GoTiki) on the centerpost. What can be done about the chain...although I see chains on puffer fish, I am not fond of them and wonder about threading raffia or something through it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

That style is decidedly un-tiki, but you can spruce it up a bit to make it fit in better. I would start by disassembling it and spray-painting it in a darker tone with some drybrushed lighter shades to give it a weathered look. See if you can find some wicker baskets to use as shades, I saw some at Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks ago that would be perfect for that and were on clearance for a couple of bucks each. Burn the baskets a little if you have a torch to give them some character and then paint amber varnish on them. If you don't like the swag chain you can remove it and install a drop rod instead. The tiki masks on the center support sound like a great idea, it would also be nice if you can find something tiki-ish that would cover those curly-Q's over each shade (although I can't think of anything off the top of my head). Good luck and post pics if you convert it!

Thanks for those ideas too Tikitres. I will be keeping my eye out for baskets as that would be a cheap fix for the shades. I'm on a mission now...might take me a while, but when I get this light done I will be back with a picture of my Tikified chandelier. :)

No problem! By the way I was just at Home Depot and noticed in the ceiling fan department that they have some cool wicker replacement shades. Those might be a direct replacement for your glass shades. Unfortunately at 12 bucks a pop it would be pricey to replace all of yours, but it would be an easy swap!

Wicker = fire.
Be careful.
If you do use wicker you need to treat baskets with
Flamex by Rosco.
Also I like those shades you found.
You could treat them like this.

Just looked at your set up again, and another thing you
could do to change over all color of the room is add gold xmas
lights to the palm tree trunk.
You know the small midget lights.
This will cast more of a warm glow and change the glaring
white look.

Thanks for all the great ideas. Well, I spent much-to-much time surfing the net but finally found and purchased wicker shades for the lamp. I will need to varnish them to more of a honey color that will match my bar, but this alone will be a great improvement....while I think about what else to do to it. There is hope for that lamp yet. :)

Just read the info on fire=retarding....great idea. Which makes me wonder...how do the Puffer Fish avoid spontaneous combustion? Is it just because of the low wattage of the lamp?

"Oh waiter, another cocktail please!!!"

[ Edited by: VampiressRN 2008-07-06 21:13 ]

Yeah, that's the one I was telling you I saw at HD today. Those will look nice on your fixture! Home Depot sells amber shellac that gives wicker a nice golden glow if you want to match your bar. You can bet that a ceiling fan light shade sold by Home Depot is NOT going to be flammable, so I wouldn't lose any sleep over that. I'm sure your fixture is designed for 60w or less bulbs anyway.

Regarding puffer fish, I think most people use a night light bulb. That's what I used in my puffer conversion, it's 4 watts and doesn't generate much heat. But today I found (also at Home Depot, guess I spend too much time there :wink: ) an LED night light that generates the same light as a incandescent bulb and is the same shape, but LEDs don't get hot. They also last nearly forever. I'm going to put that in the puffer.

Same track as skip. Reshade those bulbs with something that only lets light shine down. First rule of tiki bar lighting, you must control all light and let it out in very directed sips. Up, but better down.

Thanks so much for these directions. I will find some different lightbulbs (the ones in there now are hidiously glaring)...even a little too bright sometimes for a wicked card game. I have been perusing the board and checking out everyone's Home Bar pictures to see the light fixtures...so know the effect that needs to happen. :)

If you want to spruce up those wicker shades a bit, the ol' patented TC torch and stain technique works pretty good! Here are a couple of pics of a lamp conversion I just finished a couple of days ago. This was a wicker shade I bought off of eBay, the seller wasn't even sure what they were for but thinks they were supposed to hold candles. Anyway, I burned it with a portable propane torch, put two coats of amber varnish on it and wired it up. The torch and stain technique is very easy and a lot of fun, who doesn't like playing with fire? :wink:

Finally got the wicker shades and had them stained and fire-proofed. Then went to the lowest watt energy bulb I could find. I was going to do a few more things to the lamp, but have decided to leave it like it is. It blends into the environment now and doesn't stand out like a sore thumb. Thanks for all the suggestions. Excuse my bare walls, lounge is still under construction.

BEFORE

AFTER

[ Edited by: VampiressRN 2008-11-29 14:59 ]

The central part of the lamp still screams out 'classical' Roman / Greek.

Why not wrap it with hessian then varnish it to give it a bark effect?

On 2008-11-30 04:02, Pikeys Dog wrote:
The central part of the lamp still screams out 'classical' Roman / Greek.

Why not wrap it with hessian then varnish it to give it a bark effect?

Pikeys Dog is right. Something more has to be done. If you were serious about it you would just replace the whole thing, but since you are not, further modification looks to be required. Beyond hessian wraps and varnish, you could encapsolate portions in bamboo and wrap with reed/cane binding.

..being a guy that has an affinity for lamps and has designed quite a few this topic hits close to home and i gotta say that hanging lamp is god awful.....it took alot of guts on your part to even post pics of it to say nothing of the courage it took you to actually admitting you owned it to us.....and then to ask for help on what to do!!!! LOL

..okay, i was just having fun with you.....i had an old fan in my kitchen that i used those same wicker shades for....below is a picture. My advice on the lamp is..return the wicker shades if you can and get your money back...than get rid of the lamp....it will cost you more time and aggravation to try to salvage it. As with anything else, the secret is knowing when to stop......pier 1 imports has had some great rattan style hanging lamps and i'll bet that now that summer is over they are all on sale.....you can pick them up for less than $49.....if you need more light, why settle on just one lamp?? i would swag three nice hanging basket lamps over that table at various heights....and when the card playingis over, you can put three different colored bulbs in them and let the party begin!!......

there is a way to gang up all the lamps so that you only have to turn on one switch...it's a lamp part designed as an inline junction box made for swag lamps.....simply run all three chainsto the loop on one end and only one chain to the other end...this end is where you will run the chain down the wall and have an inline switch for on/off....in the juction box, all your wires will be connected and hidden.....and then you are set.....if you like, i can even scan a pic of it for you and tell you where to order one if you are having a hard time finding one....they are not sold in any ol store....you have to go to a store that deals specifically in lamp parts.....don't let them soak you on price...if it sounds expensive get back to me....i order my parts from a lamp wholesale place here and they charge less than stores do....i can hook you up with them if you want to go that route....

Thanks for the feedback...obviously some time in the future (no money now) I will have to replace it with a more traditional Tiki light. In the meantime, I will pay closer attention to lamps that get posted in various threads. It can't just be a mood light, it has to be functional. I guess a glass chandelier is out of the question. :lol:

Here are a few I found that I like, once again, feedback on the appropriateness of these would be appreciated. I will keep looking, but these styles would work well in my lounge.

In my price range for the future.

Absolutely not in my price range @ $24,000

[ Edited by: VampiressRN 2008-11-30 11:00 ]

those are better.....i bet i can duplicate that last one for less than $50 in parts!!!...i just might have to make me one....

On 2008-07-09 22:00, TikiTres wrote:

Thanks for posting that lamp!
I will be making one of those this summer for sure.
Oh I make lamps too if anybody needs some.
PM me here's a link to some I have made.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=18485&forum=18&245

true, true. i'm sure we all could use more sunglass and fez wearing elvis tiki lamps.

Thanks goodness I do have my little Elvatiki Lamp in the lounge!!!

I love this pool table lamp you made tikiship. I am thinking something similar to this only built in a square or triangle for over my table. I also am fond of the lantern style too. I'll be broke for the next few months so it will give me time to ponder a design so maybe you can help me, I'll pm ya.

Thank you.
I will help if I can.
Shipping a chandelier may be tough.
Have been wanting to do a chandelier for some time now.
Still think you could paint the light you have a bamboo
color and be fine.

Some faux painting in this thread.
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=6800&forum=7&start=0&hilite=faux%20bamboo