When I first stepped inside The Riviera Room, the first thing I noticed was a collection of Otto Von Stroheim’s Tiki News editions displayed on the wall. I knew right there that the owner of the The Riviera Room knows his tiki. That man is Paul Brown and his home tiki bar feels like a tiki bar that would have been built back in the late 1960’s. It’s cozy, comfy and cool. Oh, did I happen to mention that there is an actual Shag painting on the wall?
What brought you into the ‘Tiki lifestyle” and how long has it been part of your life?
Paul- Around 1999 I viewed a Shag art show at La Luz De Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles and was immediately hooked on his art that featured a lot of tiki and mid-century images. I started seeking out Shag’s art and shows, which were very tiki centric early in his career, and my tiki interest started to blossom. My wife and I attended a couple of the first Tiki Oasis events at Caliente Tropics in Palm Springs and other events like Mondo Tiki in Las Vegas.
These events introduced me to many other artists and aspects of the “tiki lifestyle”, and then I joined Tiki Central in 2003 and this was a gateway into an even wider view of the tiki world. I was very fortunate for my interest in tiki to begin in SoCal during this time period, there were still good deals to be found on tiki related art, rattan furniture, tiki mugs and best of all Shag’s art was still relatively inexpensive. When my wife and I were married in 2002, I bought a set of Shag mugs and gave one each to my groomsmen, and my sister commissioned a Shag original as a wedding gift!
Can you give a little history of how it all came together?
Paul- It really started with starting to collect Shag prints and tiki mugs. From there a few key acquisitions started the beginning of a home bar. I found a great rattan sofa on Los Angeles craigslist, a puffer fish lamp from Oceanic arts and a vintage bar from Portland Craigslist became the foundation I started to build around. Tiki events, like Tiki Oasis and Tiki Kon also became great places to acquire more art and furnishings. The fun part once you start is you always have your eyes open wherever you shop or travel and pieces in my bar bring back memories of places and events I’ve attended.
Any story behind the name of your bar?
Paul- The name of my home bar is “The Riviera Room”. I’ve always had a classic car in my life, from a ’67 Mustang to my current ’61 Thunderbird convertible. When I started putting together my first home bar I owned a ’65 Buick Riviera, so I created the name of my home bar from the name of my car and love of tiki. When I sold the Riviera to buy the Thunderbird, I considered changing the name but really liked the sound of the The Riviera Room and decided to leave it as is.
What is your favorite Tiki drink?
Paul- Wow, this is a difficult question, but the predictable answer is a Mai Tai. It’s the granddaddy of tiki drinks for a reason, the 1944 recipe results in a drink that is complex, layered, funky, sweet and sublime all in one. It never fails to put me in a “tiki mood”. Other favorites of mine are Dr. Funk, Captain’s Grog, Port au Prince, Three Dots and a Dash and lately Lady of Singapore (I love coconut!).
What is your favorite Tiki bar? Not including your own!
Paul- Another tough question. Probably the REEF at the Caliente Tropics in Palm Springs for a few reasons. My wife and I take our kids almost every year to Palm Springs for vacation, it’s our happy place. So, if I’m in sunny and warm Palm Springs sipping a drink at the REEF next to the pool and under palm trees, it’s just the perfect all-encompassing tiki experience for me. Have to add one of the best times I ever had at a tiki bar was the Golden Tiki in Las Vegas. Amazing decor, strong flavorful drinks, fun sound effects and the colorful people I met was truly a memorable experience.
Outside of great drinks, what do you think are essential elements in creating the perfect Tiki environment?
Paul- Glad you asked! For me, it’s really about the artistic expression of your environment. I kind of consider myself more an art appreciator/collector than a tiki purist. The Riviera Room to me is an art gallery that displays a wide variety of tiki artists and styles.
A few artists work on display are Mark Ryden, Shag (of course), Richie Fahey, Edgar Leeteg, Ken Pleasant (Witco), Derek Yaniger, Gecko, Doug Horne, Cherry Capri, Tony Canepa, Sophista-Tiki, and this doesn’t even include the tiki mug artists. Of course, music, lighting, mugs/glasses and furniture really add to the environment.
We’re truly in a golden age of creating home tiki spaces as the amount of tiki related items currently offered for sale is amazing and many at affordable prices. ETSY to Craigslist and EBay are great places to start and if you’re in SoCal the tiki marketplaces are goldmines!
What does the future hold for you and your home tiki bar?
Paul- The Riviera Room is pretty full, I even have art that I store and rotate through occasionally, but the good part is it’s a dedicated bar space, unlike my last space which was in the living room. The bar does have two large windows and I plan to build shadow boxes to cover them, and this will add some more wall space for art! Now that the bar is pretty much complete, I’m really looking forward to a return of “normalcy” so I can invite friends over for drinks and to enjoy the bar.
Anything else you would like to add?
Paul- Like many tiki enthusiasts, I’m also very into mid-century modern, which goes very hand in hand with tiki. I love how both are from mostly the same time period and the crossover when researching or viewing elements of each. I feel very fortunate my home bar is in a 50’s house that has some mid-century vibes. One of my favorite mid-century pieces is a Brown-Saltzman coffee table to display mid-century and tiki books and magazines.
Without question the art of design peaked in the 1960’s, from houses to furniture, cars, appliances etc. Literally every time I go for a drive in my Thunderbird, people of all different ages and backgrounds come over and say how much they love the styling.
Very cool!
Nice!