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Los Angeles Times (A subterranean Tiki haven in Echo Park) |
TraderJohn
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 20, 2008
Posts: 86
From: Los Feliz
|  Posted: 2008-10-18 09:02 am Permalink
http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-smartside18-2008oct18,0,7468934.story
Years of memorabilia collecting led Alan Smart and Michael Uhlenkott to turn their basement into an island shrine.
October 18, 2008
THERE'S AN underlying sense of levity and playfulness in the Echo Park house that Alan Smart and Michael Uhlenkott designed. Then there's the basement.
Head downstairs, turn right at the bottom of the steps and you enter Smart and Uhlenkott's re-creation of a 1950s tiki bar -- the HaleKahiki (or "Tahitian Room"), as they have dubbed it, which rivals the best Polynesian room you've seen.
"Michael and I have been going to swap meets, collecting Hawaiiana and surfing things for years," Smart says. "I figured, if you don't have a room for it, there's only so much you can collect."
Completed in 2006 after four months of construction, practically every surface of the HaleKahiki is covered with memorabilia. "We wanted old stuff, so we did our research to see how tiki bars were built in the old days," Smart says of the 1950s and '60s, when Polynesiana was popular in Southern California.
Beach signs and other artifacts are layered over block-printed and tapa-papered walls. Lauhala-style woven matting is overhead, between the ceiling joists. A faux roof made of bamboo and palm leaves is suspended above the bar; a raised platform at one end of the room accommodates vintage rattan seating in front of an exotic black-lighted volcano lagoon mural that Uhlenkott painted.
Artist John Bok created the bar's rattan panels and hammered rusty-tin-can edging (sealed in a clear resin). The bar top features tiles designed by Uhlenkott, inspired by traditional Marquesan patterns. Tiki Tony, a Camarillo artist, carved several palm-wood posts and skull poles.
Hawaiian music drifts through the space; the dim lighting and candles set the mood. Smart plays bartender, serving up vintage martini glasses full of fruity cocktails ("known to cause bigger hangovers than less sugary drinks," he warns).
This tiki shrine is a favorite party destination.
"It is used fairly often," Smart says. "I have friends who threaten to come over every week."
--
Debra Prinzing
[ This Message was edited by: TraderJohn 2008-10-18 09:05 ]
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Mr. NoNaMe
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 10, 2006
Posts: 1866 | Posted: 2008-10-18 09:20 am Permalink
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Viva Kate!
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Murph
Grand Member (4 years) 
Joined: Jul 11, 2006
Posts: 671
From: SoCal
| Posted: 2008-10-18 10:59 am Permalink
Michael and Alan's bar was one of the featured bars on this year's LA Home Tiki Bar Tour.
This bar is simply amazing, words and pictures don't even come remotely close to describing what they have achieved in their basement.
The layering they have in this room will have you finding something new on every visit.
This Tiki room should be registered with the Polypop Preservation Society.
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Murph
WaikikiWomb
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PiPhiRho
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 977
From: Redondo Beach
| Posted: 2008-10-18 2:43 pm Permalink
I had the great pleasure of experiencing this wonderful room at the Tiki Home Bar crawl earlier this year. The place is too awesome for mere words to describe. This is Tiki Heaven!
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Coco Joe
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 27, 2008
Posts: 721
From: Los Angeles
| Posted: 2008-10-18 7:05 pm Permalink
where do I sign up to be their friend? WOW!
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sparklegem
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 20, 2003
Posts: 204
From: The Living Conditioned Homes
| Posted: 2008-10-18 8:21 pm Permalink
Alan and Michael have the best, most amazing tiki bar that I have ever seen. They are the most gracious hosts and nicest people, too!
Thank you for posting the link to the article.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10561
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-10-18 11:52 pm Permalink
And WHOSE concoctions is Kevin Kidney looking forward to here?
No other's than the Beachbum's!
A blissful convergence of all the right elements in one place. This hideaway is indeed a classy example of classic Polynesian pop. The black light mural really works wonders and reminds one why so many places used to have them.
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tikipaka
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: May 31, 2006
Posts: 633
From: New York
| Posted: 2008-10-19 02:51 am Permalink
Quote:
| where do I sign up to be their friend? WOW! |
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I'm with Coco Joe..  I guess then I'll have to figure out how to get to LA. Nice work guys, when you coming to my place and fixer up? I want one of everything in the place. Great artical, and now I'm going back to read that entire paper. 
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tikitony
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Aug 18, 2002
Posts: 854
From: Ventura, CA
| Posted: 2008-10-19 09:24 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2008-10-18 09:20, Mr. NoNaMe wrote:
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The article is great, it does a good job showing how their personality sculpted the whole house. Alene and I were lucky enough to get married at Alan's house this summer! I don't know what I was punching in that photo, but I learned from the great Crazy Al, always pose when a camera is near! I was also thankful that they included me in the article, because Alan and Michael are the real creative geniuses who put the tiki bar together, I just was able to add some driftwood touches here and there.
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 Live like a Beachcomber! www.TikiTony.com www.facebook.com/tikitonybeachcomber
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hiltiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 2774
From: Reseda, calif.
| Posted: 2008-10-19 09:25 am Permalink
I also had the pleasure of seeing this fabulous tiki bar. The entire house was interesting also, they had decorated the entire house with some of the most amazing Rancho California collections I have ever seen.
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10561
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2008-10-19 09:49 am Permalink
Tony, I hope you're getting some business from the article mentioning your work and providing a link, that is great.
I am grateful that the BOT is mentioned as inspiration, too, as that is often dropped under the table, but of course it would have been more beneficial if they mentioned Tiki Modern. Yet I have to admit that that would be untrue, because this place is much more an example of a classic Tiki bar as shown in the BOT than a modernist or edge-of-good-taste Witco Tiki bar.
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GROG
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Jun 21, 2006
Posts: 6174
From: Tujunga
| Posted: 2008-10-19 10:51 am Permalink
GROG want to go see this incredible bar!!!
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hiltiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 10, 2004
Posts: 2774
From: Reseda, calif.
| Posted: 2008-10-19 10:56 am Permalink
Grog, if you get invited will you take me along?
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VampiressRN
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 23, 2006
Posts: 5085
From: Sin City Lincoln Hills (NorCal)
| Posted: 2008-10-19 6:42 pm Permalink
Wow...that looks so awesome. Hope its open on the LA crawl next year...I'll break my neck to get on that tour!!! BEAUTIFUL
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PockyTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 556
From: central MA
| Posted: 2011-02-18 05:52 am Permalink
stumbled on this while browsing Google for images of Tiki rooms and was urged by Hakalugi to post it here. Enjoy guys!
http://www.flipanimation.net/flippissue7.htm
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