Vintage Modern and Tiki collectors???

I'm posting in Beyond Tiki since this is not entirely about Tiki, but anyway...

Besides being certifiably Tiki-crazy, Amy and I are huge enthusiasts and collectors of mid-century modern furniture and design. I know other Tiki Central members also collect M.C.M. and I'm wondering how you integrate your interests and collections.

When we lived in a large loft space, everything was sort of thrown in together, now we live in what is closer to a two-flat and things are more segregated. The Tikis are largely contained downstairs in the "Tabu Tiki Lounge" while the upstairs is all vintage modern. There is, of course, some overlap. We have a nice 5 1/2 foot Marquesan Tiki upstairs and a Saarinen womb chair in the Tiki room.

I'd be very interested to hear (and see– post photos!) how others with similar interests have woven them together or if you think that they are stronger and more cohesive as separate environments. I'd also be curious to hear what others who are into M.C.M. are collecting or what their favorite pieces (or dream pieces) are.

-Duke

It's only my opinion, but I don't mind mixing up styles - as long as they mix well. I wouldn't mix tiki with Early American or something like that, of course.

Me and my wahine are into M.C.M. The wahine use to own her own vintage store in Orlando for about six years back in the day when you couldn't sale the stuff. She still deals in it but on ebay. We constantly have different furniture traveling thru the house and we are always tradeing stuff out for better or just for the change. Any how we just started to plan out our tiki room and will be putting some M.C.M stuff in it like a Haywood Wakefield Hutch that we'll put our better tiki mugs in, a 70's red fur chaise lounge that we are going to redo in leopard skin, a danish modern floor lamp I just made a reed lamp shade for and some other stuff. They are things we don't want to get rid of but don't have the room for at the same time. So we will integrate them.

Off the subject. A couple of years ago I saw a tiki collector on Extreme Homes I think, is this you?

I don't like tiki creeping in elsewhere. I think it's a nice thing to have the two poles of Modern and primitive in the house.

Off the subject. A couple of years ago I saw a tiki collector on Extreme Homes I think, is this you?

Yea Flounder, That was us. That was over three years ago, in a loft space that had once been a dance hall. Right after they shot that we bought the building we are in now and moved. Good thing too, in the HGTV segment they showed our exact address. So if you wanted to rob us of our Tikis, or just wanted to egg our windows, you knew right where to find us.

Swanky, I know what you are saying. My idea when we got the new space, I thought it would look better if things were kept separate, and the Tiki room was as dense as possible and the modern space as sparse as possible. Of course, if you are a helpless collector, you just eventually start to run out of space. Plus, a little contrast accentuates the different aesthetics.

Very cool, I put two and two together from Fatuhiva's wall of tiki thread. I'm so smart. No drunk. ahhh wha

I was just listening to an NPR segment on this man's 78 record collection and I could not believe they pretty much outted him. Listened to him talk about his records that are the only ones in the world, etc. and they gave his first and last name and the city he lived in and talked about going in his house and seeing the collection. I thought, "Great, now this poor man will be clubbed over the head for his records. Thanks NPR!"

I think Danish Modern and Tiki go well together. Especially dark wood and/or leather pieces. I actually like it better with Tiki than the bamboo/rattan look. Wish I had more.

My goal (and I'm far far from it) is to have a Tiki Bar room that is almost completely Tiki, Hawaiiana, Poly Pop; and to have the rest of the place 70% Danish Modern with 30% Tiki. With a little googie thrown in for the kitchen.

Boutiki, I caught that show, your loft was absolutely wonderful! I really enjoyed seeing all your Fabulous stuff.
My husband and I own a Vintage Store in Central Florida, so like FlouderArt said we are basically re arranging and swapping all the time. We have an our favorite pieces that always stay but each room evolves as our taste slightly change and we find things that we think are cooler. So we definitely Mix it up! If we stayed truly themed through out the house it would be very hard to work in new finds. Plus I think with most people, the things that you are attracted to and truly dig tend to work together. And it makes your house look like a home and enjoyed and lived in. Like my dining if you looked at the pieces separately you would not think they could possibly work together, but I think they do (50's Modern -70's modern). Our tiki room is tiki, 50's and Danish Modern, which is pretty easy to mix. I would love to see some pics of everyone's decor too, I love looking at house pics. I will post a few in the next couple days.

FlouderArt what was the name of your wife's store? I am sure I have been there?

On 2004-01-12 19:06, HETO-TIKI wrote:
My husband and I own a Vintage Store in Central Florida,

What's the name of your store? And where are you located?

EDIT: I just looked at your profile. You're the Vintage Volka in Sanford. I've talked to your husband a couple of times but I don't think I've ever met you. Last time I was up there I was telling him about Leeteg and he was teaching me about Witco. I may have met you the first time I was at your shop. I bought a coffee table what was long curved blonde bamboo with a whitish formica type center piece. Cool shop.

[ Edited by: Kono on 2004-01-12 19:33 ]

HETO and Kono,
I agree about putting things together in a way that works visually, my problem is that we are so hung up on the idea of creating an environment that is as close as possible to an old Tiki bar or restaurant (or at least) rec.-room or basement.

We are the same with the vintage modern. We yearn to have a vintage modern home in the manner of Neutra, Koening, Rudolph, Keck&Keck... Not just to house our collection of modern furniture, but it seems like the most sensible way to organize your family, your life, to LIVE. We have grown to resent our 110 year old building, all cut up with it's tiny rooms. There is not a single load bearing wall, but it predates open plan design by half a century. We had our share of rehab, gutting the kitchen and bath and back bedroom by ourselves, so we won't be knocking down any more walls here soon.

We have also become dealers of vintage modern by default. We were avid collectors for so many years that when we moved in together, we had to decide what we really love and what we could sell in order to fund further collecting. We are actually working on a website to sell the modern stuff... we hope to have that up before too long. So we are in the same boat– we have our favorites that we will most likely never let go of, and then there are pieces that we enjoy and then replace with new favorites. The only problem for us is that we love so much we can never have a place big enough!

I'll try to shoot some photos of our place in order to give an idea of what we have done.

I would love to see some PICS of your new place boutiki.
Our house was built in 1903 and we also have small cut up rooms, which is very hard to work with. And we also kid about how we will never have a house big enough, we have only been in this house a three years and we have been looking for a new place for the last year and a half. Our store is crammed full, our house is packed and we have a storage unit full to the ceiling. It is sad, LOL ! we know your struggle.

Do you have a pic or idea in mind of what old tiki bar you are going to try and model your area after?

Hi Kono,
How cool ! I do remember that table ! I am not sure if we have met, I am out and about alot. I am so glad you like the shop, you will have to stop back by in a few weeks, we have a new load coming in.
Are you going to be going to the Hawaiian Inn get together this Saturday ?

ALthough danish modern and tiki go together well, our all white space age saarinen type chairs / stools and tiki do not, so we split up the 2 styles. Livingroom/dining is all spacey MCM, and the hallway (as seen another thread) is all tiki.

The sparseness of space age modern doesn't work too well with the clutter of tiki!

But like I said, I'm all for the danish modern/tiki combo. Wood is good.

Heto-Tiki, my wifes store was Bangarang on Orange Ave. We have stopped into your place on many occasions. Hope to see you at the Hawaiian Inn.

Kono, your going right?

Boutiki,

The only problem for us is that we love so much we can never have a place big enough!

Absolutely. That and I also have a minimalist side to me, that my wife is slowly chipping away at.

tikifish, We use to have the Saarinen set and I talked my wife into getting rid of it, I have been kicking myself ever since but it's been with her foot!

I was lucky enough to find a vintage couch and chair in a thrift store that goes well in the tiki room. It has that low slung "Danish" look:

But, I don't think this is "Modern", but a nice green rattan vintage set...

Your key to Beachbum Berry's books. Login and start concocting!

[ Edited by: Swanky 2009-02-15 06:09 ]

I also have a mid-century themed home, luckily we have a 56 Ranch large enough to accomodate all the different genres that I collect. I have a Brady Bunch kitchen (with a saarinen style tulip set of course!) a 50's Atomic Dining room and Livingroom, Swanky sleazy loungy Master Bedroom (with an abundance of slightly obcene vintage decor...won't be showing the grandparents that room LOL) a psychedelic hippie blacklight mod guestroom (my first love) and a wood paneled Tiki-den, that I also decorate with furniture more on the Danish Mod side of things. I like rattan and even had a set that I loved but it just doesn't look right with walls. I also mix and match things quite a bit, I really think everyone just has a different starting point to how they will furnish a room and thats why it can come out so differently. I have the habit of painting my walls something bold and then finding stuff that will match that, if I worried about authenticity I would have an empty house!! I will also try to post pics soon...not of the hippie room because we currently have a house guest that has filled it with those dancing hamster things you can buy at any walgreens and eckerds, and he plans to use that as decor in his new apt!! So yeah, we all do it different but maybe some better than others??

We live in a 1962 Eichler modern home. Our dining area is danish modern, rattan in the den, some Witco. Still trying to find a couch we like. Tiki stuff will be in the utility/hobby room that is just starting it's transformation into the "Rincon Room". While shopping a vintage modern store we stumbled upon 2 vintage tikis from the long gone Shelter Isle Apartments. I will try to post pictures soon.

i got this (original) re-covered just before i met/get married

now that i live in a house and the tiki bar idear is go, i am wondering how to have this in the same (~ 15' x 30') room as the tiki bar without stylistic clash. the best i have thought is creating overhead lighting that can focus one or the other side of the room. i don't want to create any dividers or block up the space...

j$

(SORRY the pics are so big, I have tried to edit, I don't know how to make them smaller !)

Okay, I finally took some pictures, well alot, once I started I figured I mine as well, I skipped some spaces didn't want to take up 3 pages with pics.
I guess my house is a lot more mixed up then I realized. Every room has a mix of 50's 60's and even 70's. The living room has 2 Vassarely prints right next to a Witco, and the dining room has a totally Space Age Saarinen style set with a 50's Lucite shelf hutch and small 50's boomerang doggie dining table, and mid century modern pottery and artwork. The kitchen is pretty much kitschy 50's with some 50's modern and all Michael Graves appliances and accessories which are new but I think work. My bedroom is all old girly romantic and deco stuff, 20's mostly. And the tiki room is just a mix of everything. So I really do think anything can work if you love it. And a lot of my friends aren't into the vintage look anyway, so even if it didn't work they wouldn't know, LOL !
I would really love to see some other peoples decor, it is great to see how other people have put rooms together. And to see all the Thrift Store and Garage Sale finds that have come from here and there make a total package.

[ Edited by: heto-tiki on 2004-01-20 16:11 ]

Hi HETO-TIKI,
That is one great house! Looks like a labor of love. I mean right out of a retro magazine. When can I come over for a Mai Tai?
Excellent!

Hi Unga Bunga
Thanks so much!!!
You can come over any time just bring a few limes !

Hey Heto!
Nice place. You have integrated all the different decades and styles very well. I like the display boxes in the nook with the Eames style lounge chair. Did you make them yourself? The Danish lamp with the built-in table is very elegant as well. I've seen the coffee table with the pivoting top and built in bar before, it looks great with your sectional. We collect Franciscan Starburst also, you have an enviable assortment!

Johnny $, we just threw our womb chair in between the bamboo furniture and the Witco corner. Not sure whether it will stay there. Of course, the color is no where near as vivid as yours. The subdued color of ours makes it blend in a little easier with the palate of our Tiki room.

That is a great place HEto! I love it!

wowie! i could only hope and dream to eventually have a place like boutiki's or heto's! i am super jealous of the starburst franciscan set you have heto! how long did it take you to collect all of it? i also love the shelving in your nook....we are thinking of doing something like that in our dining room. we just cant figure out where to go to make them (or buy them). super rooms you guys...JEALOUS!!!

I have a very cool Danish modern coffee table and it sits in front of my 50's vintage rattan couch. They look great togther! As soon as I get techno enough I'll post a picture. Anyone know any good shopping places in Seattle for mid-modern or rattan?

Those rooms are fabulous Heto and Boutiki, your style is top notch. I hope to attain something similar someday mixing primarily Heywood Wakefield furniture and Tiki.

Heto, way to go!
boutiki, you're right, your neutral color womb (sorry) works well in that setting. thanks for the visuals both of you!

j$

Thanks so much everyone. I only have a few friends that actually dig the vintage thing, so it is nice to find some others that are also into it.

Boutiki, the boxes in the nook area my husband made, and they where actually not to bad to make, and super cheap. Your Tiki Bar / Room is amazing ! What great pieces and carvings ! The room is just awesome !

Tikifish, the pics I caught of your place looked super cool, we actually have a few of the same pieces, LOL ! And seems like the same taste.

Tikicleen, Thanks ! And the best way to start your collection of Franciscan is ask for it for Christmas, we told my husbands family that was all we wanted a few years back (they always want lists for Christmas), well that Christmas started it for us. I did also luck out on a huge lot on ebay that the chic didn't spell anything right, LOL ( I did feel bad for her though and sent her extra money) !
And make your own shelves, you will save alot and then you can make just the right sizes for your dining room, it really is not hard.

Took me forever to get these dumb photos posted on the shutterfly, and they still don't look quite right to me, but I thought it would be faster and easier to scan through. You can skip the boring repetitive ones.

Anyway, here is the Tabu Tiki Lounge:
http://www.shutterfly.com/os.jsp?i=67b0de21b34720174520&open=1

and here is the modern collection upstairs:
http://www.shutterfly.com/os.jsp?i=67b0de21b347202ac42d&open=1

heto tiki.... wow - i second all those compliments... you look a fashion shoot straight out of Modernism Magazine! WOW! Love the Franciscanware Starburst kitchen!

I collect that too... Check out some of my paintings inspired by your dinnerware :) http://www.megorama.com/atomic_repast.htm

And hey fans of Mid Century Modern - don't forget the sister-message board to Tiki Central... Lotta Living.. I could use some posts by Modern fans over there, especially in the collecting forum! We need some livening up there...

[ Edited by: Futura Girl on 2004-01-29 01:42 ]

I don't think you could get me to leave if I ever visited either place.
Wonderful spaces.

On 2004-01-29 01:42, Futura Girl wrote:
heto tiki.... wow - i second all those compliments... you look a fashion shoot straight out of Modernism Magazine! WOW! Love the Franciscanware Starburst kitchen!

I collect that too... Check out some of my paintings inspired by your dinnerware :) http://www.megorama.com/atomic_repast.htm

And hey fans of Mid Century Modern - don't forget the sister-message board to Tiki Central... Lotta Living.. I could use some posts by Modern fans over there, especially in the collecting forum! We need some livening up there...

[ Edited by: Futura Girl on 2004-01-29 01:42 ]

hey futura girl, i saw your post yesterday to the Society for Commercial Archaeology... has there been any cross-pollination between SCA (not to be confused w/ soc for creative anachronism...), Lotta Living and TC?

j$

has there been any cross-pollination between SCA (not to be confused w/ soc for creative anachronism...), Lotta Living and TC?

I'm a member of SCA as well, and I lurk on Lotta Living.

boutiki - Thanks for sharing the pictures. Next to mrsmiley's "ugh" house that's the most impressive collection I have seen!

Speaking of dinnerware, I like the Metlox Poppytrail patterns like California Aztec

California Freeform

California Mobile

and California Contempora

I don't find them too often so they trickle in, and the rare pieces like the boomerang shaped serving dishes are a bit pricey for me. Check out some of these great designs:

This is not my collection!

_ _
/
/
/
_

[ Edited by: thejab on 2004-01-29 12:09 ]

These posts have been sooo interesting to me...

My parents thought I was crazy when I painted my bedroom 1950's turquoise with white trim at the age of 15(10 years ago)

The other night I had a dream of being in my Grandmother's house, finding her old turquoise flour/sugar canisters. For some reason they had little white tikis all over them! I was in heaven!
So now I'm on this big hunt to find a mint set of turquoise canisters, just like my grandmothers(but without the tikis of course)

I'm definitely going to be mixing styles in my house too, the dining room being 40's-60's, the kitchen has a lot of brushed stainless and of course the tiki room which will be housed in an adjoining greenhouse or sunroom.

Tikiwahine, my house, built in 1960, came complete with the original turquoise metal kitchen cabinets. They won't do a thing for the resale value, but I like them. Actually only the insides are still turquoise, the outsides had been painted white, but I repainted them turquoise, white & gray to match the formica, also original.

Thanks Futura Girl & Susane!
and Futura love your paintings! Looks like they are very popular, all sold out!
I will definitely check Lotta Living out !

WOW Boutiki, just so so so much stuff! Great stuff ontop of it! Thanks for all the pics.

J$ and thejab,
i helped out with the SCA Suburban Metropolis Tour in L.A. way back in 1996. It's actually what got me involved with the Modern Committee. Alot of SCA members are active in Modcom. Alan Hess, John English, Chris Nichols to name a few... so cross pollinization already happens abit.

While the SCA and Recent Past listserves work for certain things, neither offer the easy to access flow of a message board. So both these group webmasters have agreed to adopt Lotta as their unoffical boards.

I have tons of lurkers, but it would be nice if people reacted more. For instance Chikitiki posted some nice pics of his work and no one said responded... http://www.lottaliving.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=4716&highlight=#4716

MidCentury Modern lovers have a friendly home online - now they just have to participate! I'm hoping by inviting SCA and other groups to see more discussions developing.

On 2004-01-29 22:23, Futura Girl wrote:
MidCentury Modern lovers have a friendly home online - now they just have to participate! I'm hoping by inviting SCA and other groups to see more discussions developing.

Good point. I sometimes get a bit depressed lurking on LL because so many posts have bad news about closings and the like. It would be nice to see more posts about places that are still open, such as bowling alleys, bars, restaurants, coffee shops, motels, etc. (like the post Futura Girl just placed on TC about the Cave bar).

I posted an announcement about a museum exhibition a while back on LL. It would also be good to see more posts on these types of events.

post away :)
we got the mai tai set here... i'd like to see more martini meetings hapening as a result of LL, too.

I have a Danish modern looking stereo console made by Zenith about 1956, it's a vacuum tube phonograph. An early 60's Broyhill Brasilia Dresser/wardrobe of mahogany which is also danish-modern looking and a weird craftsman/deco wood bedroom set and plenty of tiki/ african sculpture, jungleplants, mod clocks, mod tablelamps, lava, glitter, octopus lamps, japanese lanterns, black velvet and assorted kitsch. It's a bit crowded at present but the two styles definitely work together.

On 2004-01-29 22:23, Futura Girl wrote:

While the SCA and Recent Past listserves work for certain things, neither offer the easy to access flow of a message board. So both these group webmasters have agreed to adopt Lotta as their unoffical boards.

The SCA Journal Vol 16:1 (Spring 1998) had excellent articles on the Kahiki Restaurant and SoCal Tiki. I have a copy somewhere that I considered digging up and asking SCA if they would mind if we scanned and posted. Haven't gotten around to it. Does anybody know Dan Hershberger or anyone else involved with the SCA Journal? Thx j$

Speaking of dinnerware, I like the Metlox Poppytrail patterns like California Aztec, California Freeform, California Mobile
and California Contempora

Jab,
Those are great patterns! I have a fair sized collection of the Aztec, and I pick up the other patterns when I find them cheap. We have a pretty good collection of Starburst, Salem Northstar, Russel Wright American Modern and Iroquois Casual, Ben Seibel, Eva Zeisel Town and County, and Denwar. I know, it gets ridiculous, our cupboards are stuffed full and a bunch of my favorites are packed up, but I love the stuff! The colors, the shapes—there is so much wonderful mid-century dinnerware!

Anyway, we have been dealing in vintage modern for a while now at a couple of the antique malls here in Chicago and at shows in the summer, but we finally got organized and put together a website of some of the stuff we have for sale. So I'm thrilled announce the debut of Pegboard Modern. You can check it out at: http://www.pegboardchicago.com
A couple of the catagories are a little thin right now. There will be more stuff added soon as we take additional photos and make a couple of updates.

If you have friends into vintage modern, please let them know we are out there. Futura Girl, I'd love to talk with you about doing something in conjunction with Lotta Living.

-Amy