Creating Atmosphere with Handmade Tiki Lamps
Tiki Bars are painted with beautiful glowing lights seeping in from every corner of the room
I'd suggest that lighting is the most important part of a Tiki space's atmosphere. Take a warm, colorful glow and wrap it in themed textures, materials, and patterns and you move quickly into the realm of magic, escape, and fantasy.
I wanted to talk with someone who helps create these pieces, so I caught up with MaryBeth Darin, a creator of custom Tiki lights from Michigan.
I first noticed you on the Tiki Michigan Facebook group. Tell me about how you see the Tiki mindset fitting in with life in the Midwest.
Tiki has been present in Midwest culture for years, from Chin Tiki, Hala Kahiki, to the Kahiki Supper Club, and many more. It’s roots as a cultural escape based on Polynesian and Asian Pacific culture has evolved to incorporate modernism, pop culture, and nostalgia over time. Whether you live in California, Arizona, the East Coast, the UK, or the Midwest – these themes resonate with people.
We in the Midwest with our cold winters, bland grass plains, and corn fields deserve a little bit of paradise
Today, we love to travel and experience new cultures, cuisine, drinks, and immerse ourselves in these wonderful environments. Tiki enables people to be creative with their environment, transforming them to a grand escape. If anything, we in the Midwest with our cold winters, bland grass plains, and corn fields deserve a little bit of paradise. So go for it, Midwesterners! It is long overdue and well deserved to create your own tropical oasis. Plus, we love a good drink and fun people!
I love the Tiki lamps that you build. How long have you been building lights in this style and where did you get started?
My roots are in fine arts, mostly painting. As I got bored with sticking to one medium, I began to explore what else I could do. I have always had a love for design. I became fond of Polynesian art and Tiki after a date with my now awesome husband who took me to Kahiki Supper Club.
It was just so over the top. You drove up to this boat in the middle of nowhere, walked inside, and got lost in this gem of the tropics. Then, my husband and son threw me a Hawaiian Luau birthday party and gave me some books about Tiki. I first focused my energy transforming my family room into our own paradise, the Forbidden Reef. I had so much fun that I decided to build tiki lamps as an art form.
My style grew over time, evolving from my love of chunk lamps and tapa cloth. I love working with natural materials like glass, shells, sea grass, braids, and ropes. Then I discovered FIRE, which adds so much age and drama to my pieces. My style tends toward the beachcomber feel with it’s textures, colors, natural materials, and shape. Important to my work is how it plays with light. I want my designs to be warm, soothing, exotic and inviting to a space. It should create drama with color and light. When not lit, it should be an exhibition of culture.
I’ve built a couple of these and safety is always a main concern of mine. Fire in a Tiki drink is cool...coming out of a tiki lamp: not so much. Tell me some key steps to make these lamps safe from fire or other disasters.
Absolutely, we are dealing with electricity and light bulbs that do heat up. It is important to educate yourself on how to work with electrical and design your lamps in such a way as to keep ample space between your sources of heat and the sides of your lamp.
It is important to educate yourself on how to work with electrical
Tapa and the natural materials I use will burn. It is important to place a barrier between your light source and these materials, such as styrene. It is also important to buy UL certified electrical parts, ensure you are properly grounding your lamps, and to take care with your wiring. A short could not only set things ablaze, but it could also seriously hurt someone. Flame retardant sprays are also a wise choice when working with natural materials.
You worked in a lamp shop previously. Did you work with similar lights or styles while you were there? Did the people you work with appreciate or encourage your move into your current style of builds?
I certainly learned a lot about lamp repair and built a good understanding of material used in lamp construction from my work experience. I did learn how to style and size lamps appropriately to complement customer’s home environments. That said, Tiki was not a sought-after style per say. There was some interest in Mid Century Modern lamps and people would bring in their lamps for repair and re-fabrication. I had left the trade well before my exploration into Tiki. I certainly hope they would like it!
I think lighting is an essential part of a Tiki Bar experience and atmosphere. In your view what role does lighting serve and how does it relate to helping people ‘escape into’ another world?
People need to play more with light. The position, color, how it drapes across objects in the space and highlights where you want people to focus is essential to light composition. It is really staging and sets the tone for the scene. It should not be static. Play with color and brightness. Adjust lighting to your music, season, and time of day. Controllable LED lights are so easy to use and readily available, it is a must for all Tiki rooms.
People need to play more with light.
Light should elevate from your floor, provide a soft glow on that mug shelf, accent that Papua New Guinea shield, create splashes of color that cascades across the ceiling, shadows of tropical plants and birds, and become focal features to just sit back, relax, and admire.
Do you attend any Tiki events? What’s your experience with the Tiki community as a whole?
Mostly, I try to get out to the local Tiki events. Low Brow Aloha at Hala Kahiki is a great Chicagoland event. I want to check out the Atomic Tiki Bazaar at Max’s South Seas Hideaway. If I get exhibited at Tiki Oasis again this year, I may head out to California. The Tiki community I have met have always been fun to hang with and very supportive.
Are there any plans to make or sell other related items? Maybe an area you’re interested in moving into and are toying around with?
I do produce other works today, such as lava lit picture frames, light and sound treasure chests, wall decorations and signs. I will always continue to expand my portfolio. Lamps bring me a lot of joy, but that doesn’t mean I will limit my horizon. It’s a vast ocean of possibilities, and I am eager to enjoy the exploration.
Nothing brings me more joy than seeing others enjoy my art and sharing pictures of their oasis. I am grateful to be part of it.