Decorating Your Tiki Bar

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The tiki bar is a wonderful place to hang out, relax, or go all out and party. There's nothing quite like a tiki bar to take you away from the everyday mundane life, transferring you to a tropical vacation atmosphere, all without the need to travel to expensive resorts. Providing that unique island charm that feels like something straight from the Caribbean, tiki bars can recreate the setting of island paradise just about anywhere.

Those interested in the wonders of tiki culture should considering owning their own tiki bar. Whether for commercial or for private use, building and owning a tiki bar can be a fun and rewarding experience. It can also fill one with a great sense of pride and is a wonderful conversation topic.

Tiki bars can come in different shapes and sizes. The traditional tiki bar is based on the tiki hut which are found on islands. They are usually made of wood or bamboo, and the trademark thatched grass roofing. A full sized tiki bar can be quite an affair, emulating an environment of an island getaway resort.

Private tiki bars can be more variable depending on the requirements and budget of the owner. Poolside tiki bars are very popular, as well as backyard patio bars. Tiki bars can even be built indoors such as basement tiki bars- a pretty good source of awe and amusement for visiting relatives.

Wherever one wants to build their tiki bar, whatever size it is- the secret to having an exceptional and authentic tiki bar is in the décor one chooses to adorn their home-away-from home with. Nothing can better encapsulate the magic of the tropics quite like a well decorated tiki bar.

There are many types of tiki bar décor. They can range from the small to the enormous, the simple to the outrageous, and the cute to the downright freaky!

A good tiki bar should have some tiki totems, tiki masks and other such decorative items to give that distinctive native atmosphere. There are so many varieties of tiki décor to choose from. One can include anything they want. It's all good as long as it adds to the mood and party atmosphere.

One of the staples of a good tiki bar are funky tiki signs. There's no better way to declare your presence than a huge, flamboyant tiki sign hovering over the bar entrance to welcome your patrons. Tiki signs aren't limited to the bar entrance though, and should be placed anywhere and everywhere, including the restrooms, to mark restricted areas, or just to let people know how proud you are of your cool, vintage surfboard.

Even better is to have your tiki sign actually be your cool, vintage surfboard. Tiki signs can be made from a variety of different materials such as driftwood, surfboards or even canoe paddles. Carvings of fish or other aquatic life also make wonderful signs and ooze style. Just be sure to hang a "gone surfing" sign to let people know when your away.

A hallmark of the tiki culture is the moai. Moai are the famous monolithic statues found on Easter Island. These moai take the shape of giant heads, and according to legend, are said to hold the mystic powers of deceased clan chiefs.

They can also make really cool decorative items! Some people might find some difficulty finding space for a 50 foot monolith moai in their tiki bars; though thankfully moai decorations come in many different shapes and sizes to work with.

Miniature moai carvings are very popular. They work nicely as wall hangings or table pieces. You can even put them in the restrooms for a unique decoration.

One of the most important items in a tiki bar are the special tiki mugs to serve those groovy drinks in. Serve your wicked concoctions in mugs shaped like totem poles of ancient gods or with the somewhat less creepy glasses printed with dancing hula girls in grass skirts.

These are just a few examples of tiki bar décor. There are many more special tiki items available. The best thing about starting a tiki bar now is that these, sometimes difficult to find specialty items can be easily acquired via the internet!

Just remember that the proper decorations can really make or brake a tiki bar. So don't be afraid to go all out. Be creative and remember to have fun!

Lee Dobbins writes for http://tiki.subjectwise.com where you can learn more about creating your own tiki bar and having a smashing tiki party.

Decorating a Tiki Themed Bedroom

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A tiki-themed bedroom is a great choice for girls, boys, or couples. Everyone loves an island getaway. A themed bedroom is a beautiful and relaxing place to hang out. Tiki décor goes great with other island or beach-themed decorations. Focus on bright tropical colors and beach-style details, and you'll feel like you are living in a hut.

Begin by transforming the furniture. You can use a surfboard as the headboard and decorate the rest of the furniture with style. Be resourceful and creative, and repaint your furniture in tropical colors. Inspired by a tropical bar, this décor should use lots of bamboo and grass. Bamboo reeds can even be glued right to the furniture. A wooden chest covered in bamboo makes the perfect accent piece at the foot of your bed. You can use the techniques of building a tiki bar to transform your closet doors with the same effect. Finish your bed with a tropical bedspread, and use a grass skirt under the bed frame. You can paint the walls in tropical shades of blue or green, or hang tropical wallpaper. You can also cover your walls in bamboo, grass skirts, or a rough cloth texture. Bamboo window shades will add a realistic 'tiki hut' touch.

Be creative and have fun when decorating your tiki-themed bedroom! This is one of the most fun bedroom styles to shop for. Every time you enter your newly decorated bedroom, you'll feel like you are in a tropical oasis. It's like being on vacation every day! The tiki style you use in your room should involve lots of natural textures and bright colors.

Once you have the basics chosen, you'll need accents to really create the theme of the room. Because of the popularity of tiki-themed décor, many different items are available to help you decorate your room with style. All of these decorations together are what makes or breaks your tiki bedroom's style. Creating your themed oasis can include as much or as little as you want. Even just a few tiki decorations can bring the unique style into your room. In fact, a few well-chosen decorations may keep the room from feeling too crowded, especially if you have a small bedroom.

A well-decorated tiki room may include oversized hibiscus flowers and tropical floral prints, tropical-style signs, and seashells. Hula girls and leis will add a bit of Hawaii to your room. Don't forget masks on the wall, or a statue standing in the corner. Bring torches inside, but do not light them. You can also use tiki mugs and moai head statues. Carvings can be used on the walls or on top of your dresser and nightstand. These decorations come in many different styles, so you can fit them into even small bedrooms. A few well-chosen statues can capture the exotic culture. This atmosphere is fun and inviting, making your bedroom the most relaxing room in your home.

Royal Tiki specializes in genuine Hawaiian-made Tiki masks and headboards that will be perfect for your Tiki themed bedroom.

Tips For Decorating Your Tiki Bar

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Tiki bars became hugely popular in the early part of the 1900s, when traveling was becoming more accessible and popular, and the relaxed atmosphere of tropical Caribbean vacations and surfing was on everyone's mind. Today, tiki bars are making a sort of come back, as more and more people opt to have tiki bars in their homes or back yards instead of the typical wet bar. Tiki bars are eye-catching conversation pieces and always make for a great environment in which to relax and enjoy a few drinks with friends.

There are a ton of bamboo bar styles to choose form. But whether you get a large tiki bar for your back yard, or a compact, indoor tiki bar, the best part about it will be decorating it in your own unique way. Tiki bars are modeled after the traditional huts built buy natives of the Caribbean and tropical island regions. They employ wood, bamboo and thatched roofing. For a lot of people, spicing up the look and feel of their tiki bars becomes a kind of hobby, since it can be great fun to be always on the lookout for statues, mugs and accent furniture that will look great hanging from the wall of the tiki bar.

Tiki bar decor can be artistic and rustic, or it can be kitsch and outrageous; either way, the point of it is to be fun and to add to the atmosphere of relaxation and fun. Some standard must-have decorations include tiki torches, tiki masks, totem poles, tiki statues, bamboo stools and furniture, moai statues and much, much more. You can also find a lot of especially unique items by keeping your eye open when you go to thrift stores and estate sales.

And remember also that you don't always have to buy your tiki decorations. You can make them! For example, if you have an old, broken or unused surf board, you make it into a sign to hang up on the roof or wall of your tiki bar. With tiki bar decor, the possibilities are literally endless. As long as it contributes to the relaxed, Caribbean aesthetic of the tiki bar, it all works.

To learn more about how a tiki bar can be incorporated into your home or backyard decor please visit http://www.bambooandtikis.com