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..
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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..
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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,..
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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...
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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 —..
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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..
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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..
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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..
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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..
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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..
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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..
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August Holland’s “A Power Within” — aka “The Fire God” — now mine
A dealer found this rare August Holland print — “A Power Within” — then found my story on Holland’s three tiki prints here — then..
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Knoll Rivington Palm upholstered sectional sofa for my Lounge
My sectional custom made by Barclay Furniture, upholstered in Knoll Rivington Palm, was delivered yesterday. I’m still in sneak peek mode on my Mahalo Lounge,..
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A water feature — a bamboo fountain — for my home tiki bar — it’s perfect!
Every home tiki bar needs a water feature — and I finally found one I liked: The Design Toscano Cascading Bamboo Sculptural Fountain, found on..
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Wallpaper for the ceiling of my Mahalo Lounge — which should I choose?
The open-weave jute stinks. Literally. Thanks to the readers who alerted me to the concern, because of my many varied and obscure talents, sniffing ain’t..