Sometimes the hardest part about creating your own Tiki bar is finding the things you want to add to it. There is always eBay or Craigslist, but most of us find our Tiki treasures going to antique stores and thrift shops. I’ve done my share of traveling from one antique shop after another looking for that perfect Tiki mug. It took me over a year to find my Mid-Century Modern couch! Marci Holcomb and Austin Jordan don’t have to search very far for cool stuff. They own their own vintage store: Sputnik Housewares! Marci and Austin’s store and home are in Portland, OR. This is their story…
What got you into the Tiki lifestyle?
Marci- We both collected Mid-Century architecture, furnishings, and ephemera for years, but according to Ooga-Mooga.com we started collecting mugs in January 2007. We loved going to the Alibi, but were hesitant to collect until Austin found a mug from the Hawaii Kai at Goodwill. Once we researched it and saw it was from a defunct bar in NYC, we were hooked! Our interest in Tiki has always been an extension of our love of Mid-Century design, so we don’t have much interest in the new stuff.
Tell me a little bit about your awesome Mid-Century Modern home.
Marci- We lucked out and bought a little Mid-Century Modern home in 2003 that had been on the market as a FSBO for months. We actually found it by taking a wrong turn in an unfamiliar neighborhood! We weren’t even in the market for a house, but jumped when saw it was completely untouched. We fell in love with the sunken living room and pink bathroom. We were afraid that we would be all alone out here in East County, but soon Justin and Greg (Tiki Kon) and Paul & Debba (Munktiki) moved in, so now we have 2 other bars within stumbling distance to hang out in!
You have a vintage store: Sputnik Housewares. Care to talk about it?
Marci- Sputnik Housewares was started in 2002 as an outlet to relieve a hoarding situation due to our constant thrifting. We went thrifting most weekends and hated passing on anything! We sell Mid-Century housewares, Pyrex, barware, and Tiki. We first started vending at Tiki Kon in 2007 and became the Vendor Coordinators in 2013. Our shop is located in Vintage Pink at 2500 SE Hawthorne. We also have an Etsy shop.
What is your favorite Tiki drink and why?
Marci- It’s funny, although we both love the cocktails we are NOT home bartenders. We are more obsessed with the vintage mugs and décor, but I love Hale Pele’s Beachcombers Punch and Austin always orders a Jet Pilot. Thankfully BG Reynolds had us in mind with the new cocktail mixes, just add booze…perfect!
How did you come up with the name: the Lowbrow Lanai?
Marci- Since our bar is in a covered patio, we wanted to use “Lanai” in the title. We thought Lowbrow Lanai fit perfect because it’s full of 1960s motel art, Witcos, and thrifted treasures. It’s a place where a can of beer or a box wine spritzer would not be out of place!
Can you give a little history of how the Lowbrow Lanai came to be?
Marci- It all started with a few key pieces of Rattan furniture we found at a thrift store. We had already put a set of Heywood Wakefield Ashcraft barstools in our booth, but when we found a bar at Value Village, we ran back over to get them. That was the first time we had ever hoped that something didn’t sell! Next came a huge lot of Paul Frankl-style Rattan that was upholstered in orange floral vinyl—perfect for an outdoor space! The décor evolves each year as we find new items and cycle them in and out. We wish we could enjoy it all year, but at least we have our office/mug room to get us through the winter.
Any future plans for your Tiki bar?
Marci- We don’t really have any future plans for the Lowbrow Lanai, but we have started to pare down our mug and ephemera collection. We are running out of space, so we are focusing only on branded items from defunct or long-standing bars. We are hoping to find another mug that leads to a bar “discovery,” but I doubt that will ever happen again! Read about the story about our mug find here.
Here is the Sputnik Housewares Etsy page.
And Facebook page.