We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for this tiki-tacular hot news: All you lucky folks west of the Mississippi, get ready to run (don’t walk) over to your local Home Depot so you can nab some of the very first batch of tiki decor — 4′ tikis, tiki planters and even a $199 tiki bar — designed by renowned tiki carver Danny Gallardo, also known as Tiki Diablo. As first reported by Tiki Magazine, this new “Signature Series” of tiki bar decor will soon be making its way to Home Depot stores. I talked this week to Danny and to the company he’s working with to get these items into Home Depot. When will you be able to get them? Can you buy them online? How much will they cost? Why can’t I get them in Massachusetts *throws snit fit*? Read on, and all your questions will be answered!
Update: Note, this story is from summer 2015, so the line is no longer available.
Key info about Tiki Diablo tiki decor at Home Depot
Before I launch into the back story, here are the key facts:
- There are four 4′ tiki designs. They are all molded in fireclay from original Tiki Diablo designs. The 4′ tikis will retail for $100 give or take a few cents.
- There are three planter designs. Each will cost about $30. Molded in fireclay from Tiki Diablo designs.
- There is one bar design. Yes, designed by Tiki Diablo, the tiki bar is made of bamboo and measures just under 4′. It will cost $199. (Note: Tiki Diablo did not design the bar stools, so I did not ask about them.)
- Where to buy them: All of these products will be available at about 600 Home Depot stores west of the Mississippi. Some smaller stores west-of-M may not have them. But, if you are in this western region, you should be able to request a store-to-store transfer. The bar will also be available online as early as this week — I’ll post the link as soon as we get word it’s there. The tikis and tiki planters program was intended for in-store purchase only.
- Timing: All these items will begin to land in 600 stores west of the Mississippi beginning July 6 — but it may take up to two weeks for all stores to get loaded up. The tiki decor is part of Home Depot’s annual “Hawaiian Days” promotion, which spotlights plants and decor to decorate outdoor spaces or to bring the outdoors in.
- “While supplies last”: This is a seasonal promotion that will last about a month. So get yer 2015 tikis while you can!
- East Coast blues: Depending on how these sell this season, the program may be extended east of the Mississippi next year. Meanwhile, east o’ readers, I think it might help to bang Home Depot’s drum — let ’em know: We want Tiki Diablo tikis!
Let’s meet: Danny Gallardo aka Tiki Diablo
Kate and I actually met Danny Gallardo last year when we went to The Hukilau. He was one of the six very talented tiki designers on the panel we hosted about how to Create Your Own Savage Suburban Paradise, that is, how to design a home tiki bar. And of course, there was lots of fun hangin’ with Danny and friends over at The Mai Kai in the Molakai Bar. Best. Time. Ever.
I caught up with Danny earlier this week on the phone, while he was driving from his home in Southern California over to Las Vegas, where is working on a new tiki project. Yes: There is such as thing as a professional tiki bar designer and tiki carver — and Danny’s been rockin’ it since 2002. In the wake of Sept. 11, like many other people that I have met, he asked himself what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, quit his longtime job, and went all-in to pursue a passion… a talent. He’s never looked back — it’s all worked out — and now, his art is coming to Home Depot!
Danny actually had caught the tiki bug at his former longtime job. He had been in management for a large home improvement chain in Southern California. Around 2001, they transferred him to manage the company’s largest nursery. He started playing around with the displays … started adding tiki decor … he saw the potential for a growing tiki market … and here we are, some 15 years later, and the tiki revival is as hot as ever.
Plant Source, Inc.: The tiki sourcerers
Danny’s connection to Home Depot came via the team at Plant Source, Inc., a California company that stocks the interior plant departments at Home Depot stores west of the Mississippi. Tina Monji manages product development for Plant Source. I had a lot of fun talkin’ tiki with her, too. She explained that for 11 months of the year, it’s mostly plants plants more plants for Home Depot, along with some special containers for holidays thrown in here and there. But then, for one month a year — starting in the middle of July — Plant Sources creates and stocks a big “Hawaiian Days” promotion for Home Depot. Walk into the store, and the promotion typically takes up all the space at the front of the store heading toward the nursery.
A couple of years ago, Plant Source added some tikis to the Hawaiian Days mix. But these were smaller (24″ and 36″) and not designed by an artist of Danny’s caliber. Tina told me that, “Last year, I wanted to have something amazing to add to the program. I found Danny, loved his artwork, and it was only afterward that I found out he had such a great reputation.” This led to the launch of this exclusive Signature Series.
She also said that Home Depot was very game for the collaboration. “They are a great partner — if you come up with an idea they embrace it. This plan came up, and they said, ‘Go for it.'”
Tina was the one who gave me the availability details listed in the bullets above and via some more detail here:
- Distribution to the stores begins July 6. It may be about two weeks before the products make it into all 600 stores. Why did we get the “spy” shot from Joy — taken in a Dallas Home Depot and sent to us on June 24 — if the products aren’t in stores yet? I asked Tina. She doesn’t know why this was out yet. Although: Product is out at the Oxnard, Calif., store. That’s where all the products were taken before launch for photography and plan-o-gramming. Tina makes a “plan-o-gram” that goes with the distribution to the stores to show the stores how to set up the display. Thank you, Joy — you are rocking the Spy Photography gig!!!!
- If you purchase the bar online, it will be shipped as a knock-down unit — that is, you will have to assemble it. She actually tried it, and it was “easier than Ikea.”
- And, she clarified that the products will be distributed in the west — so if you are in that territory and don’t find them in your local Home Depot — ask — and they should be able to do an intra-region store transfer and get you the product you want. Again, though: Just west of the Mississippi. Golly, I am getting to type the word Mississippi a lot!
“Next year, if we’re successful, we’re hoping to take it [all the Tiki Diablo products] nationwide,” Tina said. “We’re already chomping at the bit to get to 2016 and continue our partnership. Danny has been a treat to work with.”
The Tiki Diablo for Home Depot Signature Series:
Above: A tiki in the Marquesan tradition. Danny says this style is one of his favorites and the tiki carving style that he is particularly known for.
Above: A tiki in the Maori tradition. This guy is my favorite!
Above: A tiki in the California Ku style. I asked Danny what California Ku was, and he said this is a Hawaiian / Polynesian pop look — he always associates it with Palm Springs.
Which tiki is your favorite, readers?
Marquesan — Maori — or California Ku?
There is a fourth 4′ tiki — a Pacific Northwest bear. You can see it above, center, in this photo from Danny.
Above: The bar that Danny designed. He designed the tiki on the front in the Cook Island tradition, although it was adapted a bit during manufacturing. (Danny did not design the bar stools.)
Above: There are three planters, one each in the California Ku, Maori and Marquesan styles.
Now I will tackle this one head on: Yes, the products are made in China. Sometimes on this blog, made in China generates… passion. I talked about this issue with everyone I interviewed, and everyone had very thoughtful replies. I don’t really want to go down that rabbit hole with this story. So can we leave it at: Home Depot has sold imported tikis for several years… now, it has much more beautiful tikis that are designed by a renowned American artist steeped in the hobby.
***
The camaraderie among the tiki community always impresses me. When Danny was first approached to do this collaboration, his friend and client Amy Boylan also got involved to help him set up the business deal. On top of her very serious day job, Amy is owner of Tiki Magazine, partner in two tiki bars — Tonga Hut in North Hollywood – the oldest tiki bar in Los Angeles, and the much newer Tonga Hut – Palm Springs. Danny designed and built Tonga Hut – Palm Springs and has done many other projects for Amy, so she was happy to help him out.
Danny recalls the project coming together very quickly:
Tina called me, and she and I got to talking, and it snowballed — in a good way. The order kept getting bigger and bigger. She asked, ‘Can you do more?’ and I said, ‘Of course!’ The whole thing came together fast in order to design stuff for this year. I really had to hit the ground running. But considering all of that, I’m super pleased with how everything turned out.
The goal of an artist is to have some sort of deal like this…. passive income…. And, it’s a way for people to buy one of my carvings for a really attractive price.
Congratulations, Danny, we’re rooting for you! Thanks also to Tina and to Amy for talking with me for this story! For sure: If I lived west of the Mississippi, I’d be stalking Home Depot daily starting July 6 so that I could pounce the minute these tikis made it onto the floor!
Copyright RetroRenovation.com 2015.
midmichigan says
Darn! I’d buy a planter or two if online. Oh, well. I guess I’ll have to enlist the efforts of some friends and relatives on the other side of the river as middlemen.
tammyCA says
Neat stuff! And, I had no idea there was an authentic tiki bar nearby..the “Tonga hut” since 1958. In this month’s issue of “House beautiful” there’s Michelle Phillips of Mamas & Papas fame sitting at her new tiki bar (or old school Hawaiian beach bar) on her deck and with puffer fish from Oceanic Arts..very cool.
I’m reading “Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Carribean” now (love it) and getting quite obsessed with the whole history of Colonial Caribbean ..the sugar & rum mills & pirates & the development of tropical drinks..it’s bizarre & fascinating! This all began a few months ago when we went to a French restaurant for our anniversary & I decided to try a daiquiri..wow, delicious, I can’t believe I never had one when daiquiri ice is my 2nd favorite ice cream. So, naturally being curious I had to research this Martinique Rhum cocktail. Rum, sugar & lime..this is actually the oldest cocktail! I’m sure I’m the last one to the party but I’ve never been anywhere tropical & except for a few overly sickly sweet Mai tais in the disco years I didn’t realize there was this whole culture.
Tikimama says
Tammy, you are smack dab in the middle of the So Cal Tiki scene! Jump right in and you will make so many cool new friends 😀 The International Tiki Marketplace is coming up soon at Don the Beachcomber’s in Huntington Beach. It’s well worth the drive – you will meet many honest-to-goodness Tiki artists and be able to purchase their arts and crafts. Plus, there is live music, food, and a full tiki bar! If you’re on Facebook, they have a page, plus look me up – Lisa Hohlfeld Folino 😀
Tikimama says
Hooray for Danny! What a well-deserved coup for a great artist. Even though they are M.I.C., I know that that it not always necessarily a bad thing… Plus, I know I read about some of the previous Home Depot tikis being generic rip-offs of other tiki artists designs, which is tres uncool. This is a wonderful opportunity to buy something that is artist-original, but at a great price! I am spoiled and lucky to live in So Cal, where I can regularly see these artists at events and buy one-of-a-kind works (though that happens rarely because of my poverty 🙁 ) But, that will not keep me from buying each and every one of these pieces if at all possible!! I would be willing to try to help out East-Coasters, like Eleanor above, to purchase and ship these products if they don’t become available online. Long live TIKI!
Eleanor says
Thank you!! You’re the coolest!!! Please let me know if you can swing it and maybe we can set something up via PayPal. Thanks again for your kind offer. 🙂
Sheila says
Ooo! Ooo! I usually avoid HD like the plague (I’m always afraid there will be an earthquake and I will be buried in plumbing supplies) but I will make an exception for these tikis!
tammyCA says
Ha, ha..I think the same thing.
Sandra says
I asked an HD employee what he planned to do in an earthquake, and he said, “Dive into the bottom shelf.” I think that would work, because the shelves are unlikely to fully collapse with merchandise in them, but merchandise could slide off the upper shelves.
Some stores have chains to hold back the boxes, but they don’t always use them. Costco is also an adventure waiting to happen. In grocery stores, I avoid the liquor aisle, because I don’t want to be peppered with glass shards and bottles.
Which reminds me to “decorate safe” and consider potted plant placement at home–especially on balconies or anywhere they could become bowling balls in a quake.
pam kueber says
Or… move to Massachusetts, where you will quickly learn all about how to prevent ice dams.
Mary Elizabeth says
In the area of Connecticut where I live, we have earthquakes, but they are usually quite mild. Once I experienced one while driving on the highway, and the all-wheel drive kicked in because the car’s computer thought I was in a skid–it was actually the ground skidding. 🙂 But mid-century bric-a-brac and tchotchkes falling off knotty pine shelves is a real possibility. As is tiki decor on the patio falling over.
The nearest Home Depot to me is in the earthquake area, so I will keep in mind the lower-shelf diving ploy. Or maybe just scoot over to the hard hat display and borrow one.
Liz says
Yay Danny! So happy to see such a hardworking, nice guy get such an awesome opportunity!
Mary Elizabeth says
Very cool, and I’m glad Tiki Diablo is getting recognition. This will be a limited run, but maybe we can get those planters on the East Coast next year! Love them.
Just finished our herringbone brick patio and want some serious tiki art to grace it.
IMQTPI says
Ohhhh! This is *not* good news for my pocketbook! But I am very excited to see an opportunity to buy backyard TiKis that *won’t* deteriorate after one summer in our yard!
I am totally diggin’ the Maori style and will definitely be getting at least a couple of planters – probably a 4-footer as well…
Thankfully, we’ve already got an “improvised” TiKi Bar out back, so that’ll save me a couple of Benjamins!
Can’t wait!
MsKittyMuses says
This is so exciting! We’ve been looking for a smaller tiki bar to have on a porch we want to build in the tiki style next year, and there is absolutely nothing out there that comes close to this cool at this price. We were going to make our own, but now maybe we don’t have to. Did Joy remember how much the bar stools were going to be? Can’t quite tell from the picture.
I’m just so sad they aren’t offering the whole collection everywhere, or at least online, since we live in Indiana. Come on Home Depot, us Easterners love tiki too! I’ll have to keep a shark’s eye out for when it hits online. I have a feeling I’ll be one of many scrambling to buy one!
JKM says
I live in Dallas and the HD near me has had the 4′ Tikis for a couple months. I haven’t seen the planters or bar yet, however. The first time I saw them they were on an aisle pallet display and I literally ran my cart into a stainless barbecue. Very interesting.
Eleanor says
Wow! These are so very cool! Great workmanship Tiki Diablo!!! Thank you Retro Renovation for this news! I’m so upset that this signature series is not available in Home Depot countrywide. 🙁 I’m in NY and willing to pay someone in the West to purchase the whole collection for me and I’ll pay for the shipping costs and handling. Any takers??? 🙂