Big Bro Tiki above the Silverlake

I had the honor of visiting Sven at his home in LA where he was kind enough to tear himself away from his new book Tiki Modern and give me a tour.




The house is a tiki museum, I don't think the Jungle Room at Graceland can compare to the Witco furniture that Sven has collected or the most beautiful collection of lamps I have ever seen.





After visiting the Daddy tiki we headed down to Tiki Ti where we met up with the Beachbum himself who had taught me how to make a proper Mai Tai through his books. Big Bro and Beachbum Berry, I was in the court of tiki.
At one point in the evening Mike Sr. offered a toast to his father and the entire bar joined in and we all clinked to Ray who opened the Tiki Ti almost 50 years ago.

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2007-02-08 14:48 ]

WOW!!! What a thrill. A tiki museum for sure...thanks for the pictures. :)

Tim thanks for posting these pictures. You solved a mystery tiki ID for me. I happen to own a pair of the head posts on the chair that Sven is sitting on in the first picture. I had no idea what they were or who made them. Now I know I own an original Witco!, well at least part of one.. Also what is the story behind the tiki outside in the garden with the rope around the neck? Do you know?

On 2007-02-05 08:19, hiltiki wrote:
Also what is the story behind the tiki outside in the garden with the rope around the neck? Do you know?

Sven had Leroy Schmaltz carve the tree stump into the tiki after having the tree cut down due to damage.
His name is Big Daddy Olu and I don't know about the rope around the base. Maybe Sven will tell us.

I had the pleasure and fortune of house sitting Sven's pad when me and the missus made our relocation from Nyc in 2001. A transition made all the easier by the pleasant surroundings.

My personal theory is that he has the rope on the tiki so he won't get up go to the Tiki Ti, and run amuck in the neighborhood.

http://www.exotic-tiki-gardens.com

Nah, y'all got the story of the rope all wrong. It is for tying up nekid ladies to.

Actually, it's both: Every evening come 6:00 pm I tie myself to the Tiki, and then, like Ahab, wail and beckon the neighbors to follow me to the wet grave of the Tiki Ti. Only on Wednesdays, AFTER the Tiki Ti, it's the girls' turn.

She not look tied up to GROG.

[ Edited by: GROG 2007-02-06 23:21 ]

A few more pictures from last week.

Life is a state of mind

[

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2007-02-08 14:48 ]

Ah that frame looks familiar? Sven, call a brutha some time. No Tiki ti for me yesterday, maybe next week.

On 2007-02-08 23:26, Tiki Diablo wrote:
Ah that frame looks familiar? Sven, call a brutha some time. No Tiki ti for me yesterday, maybe next week.

Is that a MonkeyMan Frame? Fantastic! I love his work.

On 2007-02-08 23:29, PoisonIvy wrote:
Is that a MonkeyMan Frame? Fantastic! I love his work.

That's Danny's work, aka Tiki Diablo, I believe. That's a photo from the Tiki Ti, always recognizable by the leathery texture of its fire retardent-drenched Tapa wallpaper :).

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2007-02-09 11:24 ]

and the great painting by Miles Thompson, aka Kooch e koo.

I'm new to the tiki room forum, but that is an impressive collection of tiki things! Whoever Sven is, he must have quite a bit of knowledge about all this.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/382286417X/tikiroomcom/104-2641688-2647147

Impressive! :)

Is it just me or does Big Daddy look happier in the top photo? I think he needs another visit to cheer him up.

Life is a state of mind

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2007-02-16 07:49 ]

Thank You, that made my day. :) I'm gonna try to e-mail this to vintagegirl and O.A.

Ah the Kirsten pad..

looking better than ever- I love the two garden statues around the fireplace. I used to see those in nurseries out here, but was too lathargic in picking one up- now I'm searching and can't find one.

Sven we miss you out here in the jungle