The Lavish Lounge

Aloha from Weston Super Mare here in the SW of England , not exactly a Tiki hotspot so I decided to change that and here are the fruits our our labour so far.
The previous owner had let it all go to hell over the last 6 years including this hot tub/Sauna/bar area which by now was past redemption and a health hazard so it had to go.

After much hard work and digging out tons of concrete we got i back to something like a garden

Rita wanted a water feature and the idea was to turn this end in to a kind of secret garden

with cascading conch shells,ceramic Gaudi type structures etc which would have been lovely but then I had a rare moment of clarity...... TIKI BAR!
from then the idea snowballed and the plan was to build this spring to have it ready for summer , well the plan is on track despite the weather ,so here goes.I've been lurking here 6 months and finally have something to post .

I came up with this design based on practicality/budget etc ,We live close to the sea and the garden is very ,very windy at times so I figured a decorative thatch roof would take a battering so I went for the practical option and sloped it backward so as not to see any ugly roofing and spend more time and money on the interior ceiling - heres a rough sketch up of what fitted into the trapezoid shaped end of the garden.

Building Regs limit it to 98 " within 6 feet of a shared wall so that put a limit on height - its 97.99 inches high at the moment , in retrospect maybe it should have been lower but lets see when its finished.

First thing was Rita's idea of putting down a fake lawn which we did with the help of her grandson Dylan and his army of dinosaurs.

Then assembling the walls and bar front and finally the roof structure , was a bit tricky on my own levelling everything as it slopes 3 inches left to right and 2 inches back to front but managed it in the end.

As i'm doing this on my own a lot of the time things had to be in bite sized chunks so I split the roof into 5 panels which I was confident of fitting myself with underslung bracing etc and then to cover over the joins with bamboo poles .I added a bitumen sheeting roof and three coats of weatherproofing which was time consuming as it rained most days in April with the odd hailstorm for good measure.

I went up to Cheeky Tiki in London to choose the matting for the walls and ceiling and got their last two sheets of wide Lauhala which was what I wanted and after three days in the back of my car there were a few issues with getting it to flatten out but once rolled out and left in the sun this turned out fine.

I had Ritas help for a couple of days so we started with the small bits on the columns

Its the first time I've worked with it so was a bit nervous but it worked fine with spray contact adhesive and a roller to flatten out plus an excellent tip I found on here of putting duct tape on the back of the cutting line so it doesnt fall apart when cut.
Roof panels were cut and clad off site.

and then screwed in to the roof joists whilst the bamboo for the roof was being sanded, stained and burnt .I used a spirit based stainer and varnish in light oak and it turned out fine

Rita built a raised bed with sleepers and planted bamboo to add to the vibe , many more plans for planting , a friend also donated 20 bamboo poles, 5 inch diameter and 8 feet long so I'll use them in this space eventually.

I drilled the bamboo and fixed the front to back poles with 6 inch bolt screws and left them hanging down so I could lash on the underslung poles and then screwed the whole lot hard to the ceiling to hide the matting joins, I'm pleased with the result and it all went to plan.

I've added bamboo to the front and sides and am also staining up the back bar shelves and bar tops every day weather permitting .

Sadly work will take me away from all this fun for a few weeks but I'll try and update when I can .
As someone with basic woodworking skills and no experience of using bamboo/matting etc I really couldn't have got this far without Tiki Central.
Thank you all for the knowledge and inspiration.
Regards,
Mark.

PS The Lavish Lounge is a work in progress name , it will have to incorporate mine and Ritas when we final come up with something less obvious than 'Mark and Ritas Tiki Shack' ....no rush on that though.

[ Edited by: lavish88 2016-05-10 02:29 ]

[ Edited by: lavish88 2016-05-10 06:19 ]

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[ Edited by: lavish88 2016-05-10 15:20 ]

Nicely done sir! I've also been toying with the proper name for my space. Have you looked at a Hawaiian to English translator?

Thanks Yoshi - i did look at a translation site but didn't run it past the other half , I will run a few things by her next week and try and design something in time for our opening in about a month.

Looking good Lavish, keep the pics coming!

I managed to get a full day in today starting with the back of the bar , went for two cupboards to store barware etc , doors will be clad in bamboo so I'll start thinking about a pattern .

I also assembled the first part of the shelving which a friend routed for me in kit form so I'll play around with the configuration tomorrow.

And as the sun was going down couldn't resist a bit of fluffing.

More fun tomorrow and maybe a cocktail or two.....

Great space!

Love seeing what someone else in the UK does :)

Thank you SufferinSimon and AdOrAdam , I think we are in quite a small minority here in the UK Ad ?
Anyway I didn't achieve quite as much as I wanted today ,I'd bought a bamboo framed mirror months ago with the intention of incorporating it in the bar , mostly for reflections or lighting effects after sundown but I feel I got the proportions / placement wrong or it just didn't look right ,don't see many mirrors in Tiki Bars I guess ?

Maybe it should have been portrait rather than landscape ?

Anyway it didn't work so I blew it out .

Grandson's birthday party in our garden tomorrow so spent the last hour or so making it safe from 15 six year olds.

Good weekend to all.

[ Edited by: lavish88 2016-05-13 14:57 ]

I like what you're doing and like "The Lavish Lounge." My husband named our bar "Lori's tiki bar." Clever, huh? We also have a hut which I named the Gator Hut after one of our kid's nicknames. I like it but it needs some more gators!

Keep the pictures coming, I love watching the progress.

Thanks Lori , progress has been slow the last few days but finally got around to fitting the bar top today , a job I'd been dreading as the 4x4 wooden posts didn't quite turn out symmetrical in relation to the bar so cutting the mitres was a nightmare given my pitiful skill set where joinery is concerned ,anyway I'm happy with the colour but had a change of heart regarding the front edge , it was to be large diameter bamboo but now think routed / burned motif may be better , all suggestions gratefully accepted.

Ta,

Mark.

[ Edited by: lavish88 2016-05-17 13:18 ]

Ill echo your pains with mitring - it ain't easy.

I first did skirting about 7/8 years & ago - I used a lot of filler!

Having watched a professional do it more recently, I thought it was about cutting the wood as close as you can, shaving the last little bit off & gently tapping the wood into place.

I think it is... I'm slightly better for a bit of age & experience but I still don't have a pros knack.

I went to a few tiki bars & looked at the decor in preparation for doing mine - the skills on display aren't always better.

Don't beat yourself up, you are examining it close up - a guest to your bar will be wowed by the whole thing not the individual parts.

Still, if you can, use trim to cover the bits you don't like :)

The front of the bar looks great! I got my carved trim from Cheeky Tiki & it's pretty reasonable prices.

Keep up the good work!

Looking awesome so far!

Pretty good. I can imagine Captains Bligh and Cook stopping in for a libation.

Great progress so far. You are wise about how to bring your vision to life. Looking forward to watching your progress.

Bad ass rum shack you limey bastard-cheers!

Thank you all for the kind words , AdOrAdam,Kungaloosh,JackLord,VampiressRN,Tiki Roa .
I've put in a lot of hard work this week mostly on the back-stage stuff , guttering , gravity fed sink ,electrics etc etc all too boring to photograph but I am about to put on the first coat of two part lacquer on the bar top so lets see how that goes... photos to follow .

Regards,

Mark

The two part varnish worked a treat .
As yesterday was my last day at home for a couple of weeks we put a spurt on and had our first night in our Tiki bar, it started at 8 and to be honest I remember looking at my watch around 1 am and thats all i remember, much tweaking to be done and the lighting needs sorting on my return.

The whole area looks so relaxing. You did nice work.

Superb! It looks right at home surrounded by all the greenery.

Is the gravity-fed sink similar to what you might find on a camper? Sounds like an easy way to set up a wet bar without having to run plumbing.

Thank you MaukaHale and Bam Bam , it is a very relaxing garden despite the proximity to our neighbours, they are all very quiet which is a real bonus, they probably don't say the same about us however.
The gravity fed sink is just a 4 gallon cold water tank mounted to the back of the bar some plastic piping down the back and a flexible hose to a basic tap ,we use the garden hose to fill it , the pressure is very low but its better than having to run 100 ft of plumbing down the garden.

Super great job, the lighting always makes a huge difference, doesn't it? I hope the weather does not take a toll, over time.

I agree...great job. The counter top is beautiful and your back bar is very nice.

What a backyard retreat! No way you look at the photos and see destination UK. The bar turned out fantastic. Especially the look of the shelving with the matting. I'll remember the tip about the duct tape. I love the red lighting on the front of the seating area. How did you get that white/red wash effect? We've been landscaping our backyard and your design is amazing. It really focuses your eye on the bar as the centerpiece while adding a lush green feel. How cold do,you get during the winter? Enjoy your hard work and thanks for sharing.

Thank you all for the kind words ,I'm afraid that the white/red gradation was nothing more sophisticated than a bad iphone photo , it is actually all red, I'm back in a fews days so will carry on the work and take better photos.Our idea was based on the quintessential english garden but with a Tiki twist at the end, all going to plan so far.

Regards,
Mark.

Lots of fiddling about to fit the underlit shelves but worth it , many RGB colours available on the remote control but red is our favourite , blue was too bright , good from a distance but too harsh close up.
I think I need a source of low level front light to reduce the drama a bit.
Regards,
Mark.

[ Edited by: lavish88 2016-06-21 01:53 ]

[ Edited by: lavish88 2016-06-21 05:09 ]

I've not had time to post any updates recently as we have been working on the landscaping and interior house but a lot of progress has been made and the Tiki theme has spilled over into the garden .
I added a mini bridge and also a circular section of (plastic) grass to the entrance and then kept the circular theme going back with round grass clad stepping stones through the herbaceous borders back to the deck .
I think the transition from the Mediterranean themed deck area though English cottage garden to Tiki bar works well if not a bit mad but thats the fun of it , we've never had a decent sized garden before , or a Tiki bar so intend to make the most of them now most of the work is done and maybe summer will arrive sometime soon.
We are having some neighbours round tonight for cocktails and fun and so they can see what the cause of all the cutting, banging and cursing was !Lets see how it goes.....

Regards.

Mark.

[ Edited by: lavish88 2016-07-16 10:43 ]

Very well done?

Looks awesome!

Its nice to see other outdoor bar projects.

[ Edited by: jimsflies 2016-07-17 05:01 ]

Looks really nice. You need some tikis.

I think I see some tiki masks hanging on the fence. Am I right? Wendy

Thanks all ,sadly GROG I am missing Tikis but they are only available from a few places here in the UK and tend to be bespoke and therefore pricey ,I did get a few masks from Ebay , the large one on the bar pillar was a result as it fitted perfectly but the others are just generic fair trade stuff I got from the bay and better in the background than front of house I feel.
Im up in London for a couple of weeks and will hit our main supplier all things Tiki, cheekytiki.com and see what they have , but their stock changes and not everything is online so a visit is needed.
i have a few more ideas but will have to wait until Sept as now its the fishing season and will have to concentrate on that for a while, also the need for a sign will have to addressed too.

Regards,

Mark.

[ Edited by: lavish88 2016-07-18 04:00 ]

[ Edited by: lavish88 2016-07-18 04:01 ]

Love your place, keep us posted.

Thanks Hiltiki ,the trip to London was worth it as I bagged a couple of Mini Tikis for behind the bar and one to sit in the RHS in the Bamboo and Mint.I also bought some Cogan grass thatch for the roof to soften the ugly edges on the Nippa thatch which we dont really like , when it stops raining we'll put some up and decide whether or not to get rid of the Nippa. Also lobster pots which I will use as overhead lights , pics to follow.
Regards,

Mark.

Its been a while but a few additions have been made - the Cogan grass on the front to soften the edges which I couldn't manage with the Nippa thatch .

I found a couple of Lobster pots and bought some LED bulbs which you hang from a string and pull to operate and painted them green with glass paint , not a massive amount of light but a nice glow

§

And finally got a copy of Smugglers Cove which we are drinking our way through in no particular order , last night it was Saturns,Tiki bowls and then Mai Tais before we got our swerve on and it was time go.

Its been a wonderful summer with friends visiting and some lovely long evenings,the rewards of having your own bar are too numerous to mention but anyone thinking about it , just go ahead and do it , you won't regret it , I haven't.
Cheers,

Mark.

Awesome!

Greetings again from the UK , summers here and its time for refinement.The bar wintered well apart from the cogan grass that I applied last summer so it had to go and we will have to live with the Nippa thatch for now.

We finally arrived at a name after much deliberation a friend carved me these Hibiscus flowers which I painted

I then stuck them on to the sign and TIKI WONDERLAND was born

The chair is a temporary home and this weekend it will get fixed to the cherry tree in the foreground .

We acquired a lobster pot for the bottom of the ever increasing Bamboo

And I left my OCD at the door and built a higgledy piggledy wall

We have also planted some giant grasses in front of the wall which will be about 6 feet tall hopefully next year.

the whole garden has matured this year and will only look better and better and we are happy to sit there every night and gawp at what we have done.

Also some red cherry lights around the tree and in the bushes to the right of the bar,plus some bamboo candle holders that sit in the gravel with tea lights in to guide guests back to the rest rooms.

Anyone finds themselves in the west of England pop in for a sundowner.

Regards - Mark.

[ Edited by: lavish88 2017-08-03 02:36 ]

Love the bar!!! All the work you put into it has really paid off!! I may use your shelving idea for the back of our bar :)

love your little yard and tiki space! outstanding! it must be tough being in a temp zone thats not friendly to so many tropical plants and the cost and difficulty it must be finding anything tiki in the UK! how do your neighbors enjoy your bar? i know from being there back in 2000, you all have to have short fences due to the lack of sun you all get, and anything that obstructs that may be a problem!? overall, a really neat space and bar, really enjoyed your lighted pathway! my fav part of any home tiki project is seeing other people reactions who aren't expecting it! love to see what u do next!!!
cheers

Nice job...I agree looks so inviting and comfortable. CHEERS

I love the little bridge to your fabulous bar!!! Looks great!

Good afternoon all.Thank you for all the kind comments posted above.
Tiki Wonderland took a bit of a battering this winter but will be back up and running by the end of the month hopefully.The Cogan grass thatch didn't last the winter and neither did the Nippa thatch so I may have to go the synthetic route unless anyone has any inspired ideas? its hard to get the real thing here and very expensive too.

I wasn't entirely idle during the winter as we had a spare room which is windowless and after much deliberation my wife came up with the idea of a Speakeasy where we can party the night away.A few tins of brown paint, a bit of Anaglypta,thrift store props and some MDF and it was job done!

[ Edited by: lavish88 2018-04-09 09:33 ]

Fantastic stuff! You really have me motivated now...

Paul
Javea, Spain