The biggest, minty-est, vintage Whiskey Barrel furniture set I’ve ever seen!
I love midcentury basements that have been decorated in kitschy, escapist styles. And the #1 favorite theme back in the day seems to have been:..
W
What are seagrass rugs made of? Myth busting!
What are seagrass rugs made of? Myth-busting: The ‘seagrass’ used for these products is actually a ‘sedge’ grown above ground like rice — not from..
S
Seagrass square rugs and where to find them — an affordable, retro favorite popular again today
Doing research for my recent talk at Arizona Tiki Oasis on tiki decor, I learned about Frank’s Cane and Rush Supply — another great source for..
L
Life’s a (tiki) blur right now
No, I have not dropped off the face of the earth. I have just been working like a madwoman on my upcoming talk, “Create a..
P
Portable mid century bar in a barrel — so cute!
Just some happy this morning: A vintage mid century portable rolling bar — that looks like a barrel when it’s closed! Spotted at Retro Genie’s ..
H
Home tiki bar flooring — get the best of both worlds
Home tiki bar flooring can be a tough issue to sort out if your goal is to combine form (beauty) and function (easy to clean)...
A
Arizona Tiki Oasis — talking tiki decor April 13!
Tiki Oasis Arizona, here I come! Will I see you there, too: The event still has tickets, get ’em while the getting is good! CategoriesOther..
C
Chinese jade tiki tiles — vintage salvage galore — for sale
Jade green Chinese breezeway tiles were a very desirable decorative feature in commercial tiki bars in the 1950s and 1960s — but those green ceramic..
V
Vintage Turner art print: Coral + chartreuse + teal + black color inspiration
This week I have been fixated on the color combination: Coral + chartreuse + teal + black. The Retro Decorating Gods approved, because I went..
Y
Yes — or no — to the wicker headboard — on the ceiling ?
“Before”: A vintage wicker headboard, spotted at the Restore. I had an idea for it, for my tiki bar… CategoriesOther Rooms tiki and bars
S
Sew your own sarong dresses — and more vintage dress styles — with patterns and fabrics from Gertie
In yesterday’s story about sarong dresses, rompers and cabana sets ala Alfred Shaheen for Unique Vintage, a reader commented that famed pattern designer Gertie also..
A
Alfred Shaheen for Unique Vintage sarong dresses, cabana sets and more — oh my!
Kate knows I am all about the tiki so sent me this heads up the minute the word was out: Unique Vintage, the clothing company,..
V
Vintage beaded curtains for the Mahalo Lounge entry way — magical mystery beckons
You only get one chance to make a good first impression. So the entry way into the Mahalo Lounge has been draped in beaded curtains...
V
Vintage Orchids of Hawaii pendant lights — both now up in the Mahalo Lounge
I’m back on the Mahalo Lounge wagon, trying to finish. It’s slow going, I’ll tell you, because it’s all about the itty bitty details —..
B
Bamboo grasscloth ceilings for the Mahalo Lounge: Probably my most labor-intensive (craziest) project ever!
All five portions of the ceilings in the Mahalo Lounge are now done! My wallpaperer Sally came over last week, and over the course of..
H
Hello chaos, my old friend
My wallpaperer came up for air. So we are working together to finish wallpapering (grassclothing) the ceiling of the Mahalo Lounge. Oh, and there are a..
A
Amy’s Naughty Pine Lounge — but is it Pecky Cypress? — either way, it’s fabulous!
Amy lives in a 1916 bungalow that was renovated in the 1950s, including, golly: This fantastic basement hideaway that she has christened, “The Naughty Pine..
1
10 months without a door knob
I realize that this is an extremely lame blog post. But it is meant to demonstrate that I am extremely lame about finishing what I..
M
Matchy-matchy cushion covers for the peacock chair and rattan set
On the whateverth day of Kitschmas I finished covering the cushions of my vintage peacock chair and little tuck-under rattan table and chair set with..
M
Moody lighting: an old-fashioned library style picture light for my vintage Vanguard
When the well-informed associate at the local lighting store says to you, sort of worriedly, “That is really old fashioned,” you know you’re making a..
A
A grasscloth bamboo ceiling for my home tiki bar, The Mahalo Lounge
So when I asked readers for advice on which ceiling treatment to choose for my Mahalo Lounge, reader Maria Gamalski replied, all skeptical given past..
Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Press Esc to cancel.