TC'ers - I need tiki bar design help...

Ok - the landscaping of my new home is finally done - need to get started on the Tiki Bar. Here is my challenge - I suffer under the regime of a Homeowner's Association, one whose God's would not smile kindly upon my humble tiki temple offering... I have the bar, stool, decor, etc already from my last home bar. I have attached photos of the pergola area I am to use. My main requirement is that I must have a thatch roof of some description. How would you get thatch or grass under this pergola such that it will not attract the attention of the golfers across the fence and the assocaition in general. Any suggestions, drawings, etc would be greatly appreciated. I'm having trouble envisioning the roof-part. The pergola is 8x14 feet, and 8 feet high.

TikiReno

I used to be in code enforcement for a large homeowner's association in SoCal. I used to deal with this stuff all the time. I do not no the specifics of you CCR and its design review and permitting process, but no matter how discreet you are, your neighbors will rat you out. Always. Even if they are nice to you in person.
You might want to wait a little bit for your new landscaping to mature. It might screen out some of the structure and make what you do to it unnoticeable. Once again, I do not know whether or not you can just add a couple more trees or a medium size hedge or bush in front of it without getting association approval. Right now, it's out in the open and easy for everyone to know what you are doing, so you might want to first hide it, then decorate it. Another route would be the," It's better to do it and ask forgiveness than to beg for permission" one. How tough is your Association board? What we used to do was apply a $500 special assessment for infractions. If it was unpaid and the problem was not rectfied, it went to a lein. That would only occur after all other measures were exhausted. We wouldn't forclose on a $500 lein, and I do not think you actually could. What would happen is that when the property sold, the lein was collected. If you plan on living in your house forever, build your hut the way you want, sit back and have a Mai Tai under it, ignore the association stop work orders, and let your kids worry about it when you leave them an estate with a lein on it.

ha! i finally found the thread... try Swanky's idea ~ i bet it wouldnt be visible to pesky neighbors or golfers..

Bay Park's idea about landscaping is a good idea to hide and enhance your bar area.. are you allowed to have potted plants? i'm thinking lotsa big pots with bamboo growing would be tropical and a great screen!

you live where bouganvilla grows, right? that would be a nice vine too...

great looking house!! its huge! keep posting pictures!

elicia

Nice digs. Would the association grant a waiver for fence height maybe? Like 10 foot? I know neighborhoods like this. They will resist any influence of Tiki-like presence esp. in sight of a golf course. I like the bamboo in planter idea for sure. Bouganvilla lose their foliage in the winter months so, they would rat you out after summer.

Tough situation. I would have to:

A. Go underground (Sub-terrainian Tiki)
B. Sell the house and move to an older subdivision (more forgiving of polynesian influences)
C. 10 foot fence

Mahalo

The potted plants are an excellent idea, and if done with large enough pots you could get some hiding factor out of them. And, as potted plants your association probably couldn't sat anything.

An alternative until the landscaping matures is to skip the thatching for now. Use bamboo, bacbac or other materials all over the actual bar and leave the roof/highly visible parts somewhat plain. With the addition of some simply lighting you should be able to get at least the vibe of the Tiki bar even if it doesn't have all of the traditional elements.

Start slow and add a little every season and the neighbors are less likely to rat you out. Remember, you are not required to have thatching and a whole bunch of other stuff to have a tiki bar. Go with what you can and add the rest as you can get away with it.