Light Up Your Tiki Bar

Lighting is a big part of the ambiance in a Tiki bar. Tiki torches, low wattage flickering bulbs and colored lights are available. They allow you to control the intensity of light through dimmers, which make setting the mood easy these days.

Flames used to be risky around the flammable settings of a thatch roofed building, but gas torches with auto shut offs take the element of danger out serving flaming rum drinks to people in a tinderbox surrounded by flames.

Some Tiki bars with grand Tiki fireplaces and fire dancer shows are also traditional. Disneyland leads the way in lighting technology with fixtures that flicker using any bulbs. A qualified electrician can set up the appropriate lighting for your Tiki bar for a reasonable price.

Mood lighting

Low-wattage bulbs used effectively will set the mood correctly for your Tiki bar. For proper lighting of your Tiki bar, use 15- or 30-watt bulbs and place them strategically. To achieve a great lighting effect, use many low-watt bulbs in a variety of colors. You can't really go wrong with the colored bulbs. However, it is thought that red bulbs make people look more attractive and moody spots of green and blue add a touch of mystery. Christmas lights or multiple colors of rope lights work well woven along the thatch ceiling, and special fixtures are not needed. Many of these can also be set to flicker or flash.

Alternative lighting

Tiki lamp fixtures are unconventional lighting that give off restricted amounts of light by nature. The most sought after Tiki light fixture are large round glass balls that had been washed up on the shores of the South Pacific Islands from ships. Known as floats, they are not common as they once were, and go for well over a hundred dollars each.

Faux floats are now made without the light fixtures. With the proper tools, you can drill one out for use as a lamp. Without the proper tools, you can mount the light on the outside of the float and mask it with bamboo.

Puffer fish also make good lamps for a Tiki Bar but can be messy and a little smelly to make. Other common items can be used if the smell is a problem. Less smelly items like bird cages, fish traps and frames wrapped with tapa cloth also work well as lamp styles.

More outdoor resources:
Outdoor patio
Indoor furniture ideas
Outdoor landscaping ideas
Back yard patio decor
Pools and outdoor spas

Home Page

Designing your
tiki patio

Who sells

Disclaimers