Living & Style HOME
“I try to keep it South Pacific and nautical-themed,” he tells me. “That’s the motif.” His main statement tiki statue is from Fiji, he says, and is probably 90 years old, but he refinished it, so it looks refreshed and alive. The bar itself came from the legendary Bali Hai restaurant on Shelter Island. It’s unique, but the view does the heavy lifting up here. Chris was a mechanic and plumber. His buddy Dave, an artist and builder. They seem to mostly drink large cans of Budweiser, at least until the gray days have passed and they break out the sno- cone machine, or, as Dave says, the “bro-cone” machine. Chris estimates he’s spent upwards of $18,000 on the Kokomo Deck so far. When I ask why a tiki bar, they act as though I’m a fool. “Nobody has a bad time at a tiki bar, bro,” Dave says.
“Nobody has a bad time at a tiki bar, bro." –Dave
Back east, about a mile away from the Lava-Flow-Inn, Ilze and Jonny Guilmet invite me into a mid-century El Cerrito home that, as soon as I enter, has me thinking maybe a tornado picked it up in 1963 and dropped it, undisturbed, in 2023. The
place is a time capsule. Every inch is vintage, from the couches to the clocks. With the exception of Jonny’s tattoo sleeves, the couple could play the neighbors in an episode of Mad Men . Antique and vintage dealers for more than two decades, they’ve been able to collect clothes and original pieces that match their curated aesthetic. But the crown jewel of their one-and-a-half acre property is The Headhunter, a 17-foot, A-frame tiki bar they built in 2017. The bar anchors their backyard, just beyond the pool, also their addition. The entire backyard is strewn with tiki carvings and maritime riggings, with endless details that could easily go unnoticed. The Headhunter is a statement. Guarded by two six-foot palm tiki sculptures originally from Vanuatu, the structure is eye-catching from a distance, but inside, it’s another world. The ceiling hangs low, packed with lanterns and inflated porcupine fish lit from within, sculptures large and small guarding the bar. Shrunken head decorations, a black velvet sunset painting, rattan, bamboo. A custom booth. This is not your grandparent’s basement bar.
ABOVE Jonny and Ilze Guilmet outside The Headhunter. RIGHT One of many tikis large and small inside The Headhunter.
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