Mauna Kai Lounge

I've been babbling about & drooling over everyone else's Tiki Bars & Lounges for way too long. It's time to get my butt moving on my own. The name comes from the Mauna Kai poly-pop restaurant & lounge that was down the street from where I grew up in Marlboro Mass. I don't remember eating there more than once or twice, but we always got take-out & I vividly remember going in with my dad to pick it up. The place burned down when I was in junior high & never re-opened. I have yet to find any artifacts from it in my hunting, but I'm always hoping. This is my pathetic starting point, after I removed the maggot-infested rotting squirrel carcasses from my dropped ceiling. I 'm a big Hot Rod/Kustom Kulture guy so the room will be split between that & Tiki. Here's the mess I'm starting with!:





I'll keep you posted!

Youv'e got a lot of stuff to work with there, now get to it. Keep the pics coming.

Zulu

On 2008-09-22 19:00, Big Kahuna wrote:

Is that a Schwinn Sting-Ray there in the corner?

Aye, Aye Zulu!
LOL, that is The Blue Devil! It started life as a swap meet find, mustard yellow, Colombia 3-speed. My son & I, with the help of many friends, converted it into The Blue Devil. He rides it at all the traditional Rod & Kustom shows that we sell at & it's always a big hit.

Okay, I cleaned up the mess made by the squirrel carcass extrication, found a new home for my goalie equipment, & generally made the place livable for the time being. Now that the holidays are over, I really need to buckle down & get to work. Here's a few shots of my starting point & my collections & raw materials.






This last pic is of the ceiling. I really like the fake pressed-tin look of these tiles & think it will blend well with the tiki theme. It'll be kinda like someone in the fifties built a Polynesian restaurant in an old main street building.

That's it for now! I'll keep you posted!

OK, I've been going through my raw materials, flotsam & jetsom and everything tiki as I plan my lounge. I'd like some opinions on a couple of things, please. The first is a print that my mother-in-law received as a wedding gift in 1960.

The second is a WWII era bomb. I was thinking of maybe painting the name of my lounge on it & hanging it from one of the dropped ceiling supports.

I'd like to know if you folks think either of these items belong in a Tiki Lounge.
Thanks for your help,
Rick

I think the most interesting thing about a tiki bar is the odd stuff you chose to put in them. That's your personality in the room! You have some amazing stuff! Put what you love in your room and it will be great. By the way, where did you get the silver Christmas tree? My grandmother had one and I would LOVE to have one now! Have fun building your room!

Ceiling is Tapa.

A lil' paint and bam!

Geez, Ben! It's about time. I've been trolling to get a rise out of you with all of my white, dropped ceiling comments! Leave it to you to actually come up with a solution. I'm actually removing the dropped ceiling on the tiki side of my room because I have all of this stuff to hang.

I plan to start working on the ceiling tomorrow. Hey, Ben! What do you think of the bomb & the "Mystic Galleons" print? I'll keep posting as things progress! Don't be shy about expressing your opinions, folks. I really am counting on everyone's input.
Mahalo,
Rick

I love that print AND the bomb!

I think nautical things like that print work well in a Tiki Lounge as long as there aren't too many of them.

I'd definitely paint something on the bomb, a hula girl in the style of those classic paintings on the sides of bombers.

It's funny, I thought of you Tonight while watching the Barrett-Jackson Auction on TV.

[ Edited by: The Granite Tiki 2009-01-14 21:00 ]

The Bomb and Ships rock!

Kelbos had keys!!!!

Anything works!!

( just not white!! :wink:

Thanks for the input,guys! Kiki, I "stole" that tree at a local antique store about 15 years ago for $22.00. They typically sell for $300-$400 now. Granite, one of these days, I'm gonna go to that auction & come home with another car, if it kills me. Well, it looks like they're both gonna be included in the initial version of the Mauna Kai Lounge. I'm definitely gonna go "bomber art" on the bomb. Being in the Rod & Kustom biz, I have a lot of talented friends that could do the job. The print may only be up temporarily. It's huge & I only have so much wall space, so when I acquire more Tiki art, it'll probably come down. Don't worry, Ben. No white anything!!!
Mahalo,
Rick

Hey Big Kahuna, This is going to be a cool space!
For sure the bomb works!! Check out Bahooka!! Does a jail belong in a Tiki Place?? Fit's right in at that joint!
Old school bomber graphics would be the way to go on that one! I wouldn't do too much though. Might take away the 'Bang' of it you know?

I saw a picture of an old WWII plane on Ebay and it had the Don The Beachcomber wooden plank and name on it. Both him and Vic were big into supporting the Military so it will go good!

Keep em coming as it's always good to see the changes!!
Mahalo, TabooDan

Lookin good Kahuna!you gotta keep some of that Kustom car stuff up,like the Larry Watson print,mines been up since 96 and i aint never takin it down,have fun!!!.

That bomb is...well, the bomb. It would look extra killer if you could find someone to do a pinup on it along with your bomb name, or even decoupage one on there.

Once again, thanks for all your input guys. This is why I love TC. Don't worry kustomtiki, that print isn't going anywhere & once I move the tiki stuff to the tiki side, you'll see a lot more of my kustom stuff including the Barris & Roth print that Robert Williams did, autographed by both.

Wow, you have got a lot of cool things in this space. I spy, a lot of interesting pieces! I'm loving those lamps and can't wait to see all the progress photos. I have to say the bike was the first thing that caught my eye. And to think my brothers and I use to ride those back in the day. :lol: And we were thinking about how cool we were back then. I can only imagine how great your son feels riding his blue devil around. He's going to remember that bike and how you had it upgraded for him for a long time. Nice work. More photos,please.

Thanks for the positive feedback, Tikipaka! I think my room is one of those that you will see something new everytime you look at the pictures. All of my tiki stuff is in the room, but half of my Hot Rod & Kustom Kulture stuff is still packed away. I will start on that side of the room after the tiki side. I'll post pics of that side on Beyond Tiki when the time comes.

[ Edited by: Big Kahuna 2009-01-16 18:05 ]

Great space to work with Big Kahuna. Believe it or not I have a 250 lbs bomb also. I have had it for years and wondered too if it could fit into my lounge. The pinup art work is a great idea. Here are some great examples to work from. Keep up the good work.

Nice! I really like Hula Honey. Great nose art.

On 2009-01-17 19:26, Big Kahuna wrote:
Nice! I really like Hula Honey. Great nose art.

Her Tits rock too!

Can't wait to see what you do with the place.
Nice before shots!

On 2009-01-17 19:31, RevBambooBen wrote:

On 2009-01-17 19:26, Big Kahuna wrote:
Nice! I really like Hula Honey. Great nose art.

Her Tits rock too!

Tits and Tikis go together without a doubt.

Ben!!! That was not very PC! That woman has lovely breasts that would be perfect for nursing babies.

[ Edited by: Big Kahuna 2009-01-18 06:25 ]

Bump!

Progress photo's please.

The room is showing great promise. I love the idea of the Hawaiian pin-up art on the bomb. Another option would be to paint a Japanese flag on it and mount it bustin' through the ceiling like your lounge is located in Pearl Harbor 1941 (it that even less PC than BooBen's "tits" comment?)

Still looking for artifacts? Tikisgrl found a matchbook for the Mauna Kai, posted here. Maybe you can acquire it from her? (bottom of the page)
http://tikiroom.dreamhosters.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=1099&forum=5&start=3120&PHPSESSID=c76280159428fb074dcb23cf81255151

Never even came across this post before but I like your style there BK.

I am loving the mix of items you have accumulated and I can't wait to see how it all comes together.

That bomb would look great with some pin striping for sure and of course the obligatory hula honey .

Keep posting updates.

any updates or are you Frozen!!?

Frozen solid & flat broke! I've got next week off, so there should be some progress. I'll post pics. Once the swap meet season starts up, I'll be able to make some extra dough & really get to work. Until then, I have to rely on fleabay. I've been poring over the pics of everyone else's lounges, as well as BOT & the classic Tiki bars taking notes & stealing ideas. The overall plan is becoming clearer each day. I can't wait to finish it & throw my first shindig!

PROGRESS! Nothing Earth shattering, but I got the dropped ceiling down on the tiki side, which is threatening to take over the whole room, & finally hung the $5.00 swag lamps I scored last Fall. I still can't believe I scored those lamps for $5.00 apiece!







I also got the bright idea to put a red light behind this guy:


I would like some input on finishing the ceiling. I've had a couple of thoughts. I'm definitely using real fishnet on the whole thing, but I'm not sure what to do underneath it. I was thinking of painting or staining everything dark brown or covering everything with burlap. Your thoughts & input would be greatly appreciated.
Mahalo,
Rick

P.S.: Settle down, Ben! The white walls will be the next to go!

Any bright ideas?

Hi Kahuna!
I'm planning to use this stuff on mine. I recommended to palapala and they used it with a great result.

http://bamboohardwoods.com/items.asp?Cc=WOVEN&amp

Where in the room are you going to use it, PuPu! May I call you PuPu?

Big Kahuna,

Here's a couple of ceiling ideas from Bob Lee's Islander for a ... well more mod look.

DC

Wow, :o I'm liking this idea myself.

Here's a couple of ceiling ideas from Bob Lee's Islander for a ... well more mod look.

That mod look kind of reminds me of the new fabric we just put on our rattan set. Think maybe I'll steal this one. :lol:

Big Kahuna, I loving those lamps you got for a measly $5.00. What a score.

More pics soon, please..

Yeah the lamp with the fish on it looks real purdy like when its lit.

$5.00 you cant go wrong you lucky guy!

On 2009-03-08 19:37, Big Kahuna wrote:
finally hung the $5.00 swag lamps I scored last Fall. I still can't believe I scored those lamps for $5.00 apiece!

I'll give you double that!

I've got 2 of the fish lamps. Not sure what I'm gonna do with the other one.

You should send it to me. I will love it like no other :wink:

Hang it of course. You can always jam more stuff into your tiki room/bar. The more the merrier!

:o :o Woooooooooo there, i just read that last comment. Extra fish lamp, not sure of what you're doing with it? I'll see that doubling price and raise it another fitdy! :lol: :lol: Damn it all to hell. I'll probably never coming across one of these lamps up here in my neck of the woods. But, I'll keep on looking and searching. Any more work done in this lovely room of yours there? I just don't see anymore room on that ceiling for that little old extra fishy lamp. :lol: :lol:

Hey there, come to think of it, that extra fishy lamp would look great hanging in my living room. The colors are perfect for it. Don't you think... You see, my now living room, use to be my old dining room. So right smack in the middle is a hanging lamp that has to be moved to the current dinning room.

That lamp would just look great! :lol: OK now I'm making a wish... Let's see if it comes true.. :lol:

Sorry to get everyone excited. I didn't mean I was looking to get rid of it. I think I'm just gonna sit on it for now. I'm sure I could make a kool trade with someone here or I could put it on fleabay & generate some much needed dough to finish the room, but I may end up using it & I'm not ready to part with it just yet. Honestly, guys, I never thought I would come across such a thing around here, either. I do a lot of hunting, waste a lot of time & gas & sometimes get lucky. I scored a Polynesian Pigeon mug from the Mauna Loa for $15.00 & these lamps for $5.00 apiece, as well as, a great pair of rattan chairs for $90.00. More often, I find nothing or maybe a common mug. I truly enjoy the hunt, often driving around on my day off, by myself, with a cold Mountain Dew & some kool tunes playing in my truck. The day I found the lamps was a Sunday when my wife & kids had gone away for the weekend to visit my father-in-law. I had been meaning to hit this flea-market for 20 years, but never got around to it. I guess I picked the right day. I spent about 8 hours on the road that day & found nothing else the rest of the day, but my first stop at the flea-market made the whole day worthwhile. So, keep looking. this stuff is out there. I've found some of my best scores in unexpected places. Happy hunting & don't forget to post your treasures in Tiki Finds & Beyond Tiki Finds.
Mahalo,
Rick

Not a problem, I really wasn't expecting you to give it up.. I wouldn't.. :wink: :lol: Just keep posting progress pictures on that tiki room of yours.. I can admire the fish lamps each time they show up in a photo.. :D :D

Bump! Progress? Update photos please..

Did ya get anything figured out for the ceiling?

I might go the burlap route myself. But I also toyed with the idea of stuffing styrofoam sheets that look like lava rock (or are at least painted black) between the joists. However, that may take a long while...

Your ceiling looks just like mine, so I'm curious to see how you resolve this.

I'm going burlap & then fishnet. I've got the fishnet, I just have to find the burlap, ( and the $$$ :lol: ). I'm shooting for the end of this month to have the ceiling done & the walls painted. I've got a car club meeting on the 27th & I'd like to surprise the boys with a bit of progress.

[ Edited by: Big Kahuna 2010-03-03 17:48 ]

WE HAVE PROGRESS!!!! Nothing Earth-shattering, but progress, nonetheless. I decided, instead of waitng 'til I had everything to do the complete job, that I would do it in phases, as time & money allowed. This is the start of phase one.
Painted the green basecoat on the walls. Got the color from page 17 of "Book Of Tiki". Stapled burlap over the exposed ceiling, as well.


Added the fishnet to the ceiling & began to fill it with flotsam & jetsom.






A few shots without the flash,



Moved part of the collection back in.

I'll be working on phase one until it's done & will post updates as things progress.

that is one of the coolest tikis i've seen in a long time