Project Description
The canopy was a bit of a logistical headache due to the angle of the shed roof and the fact that I chose to use a 45 degree corner for the bar design. Fortunately having planned everything out well in advance on Google Sketchup the few technical problems encountered were quickly solved on the run.
Having a canopy is (in my opinion) absolutely essential for any tiki bar. It allows for some extra storage as well as a place to hide some lights. Also if you are going to have a thatch roof you may as well go to the little extra effort. I’ve seen some stunning tiki bars that don’t have a canopy of any sort and they still look amazing. Having said that I still believe that it makes all the difference to have one.
The three simply constructed supports add a little additional support to the canopy whilst complimenting the overall look of the bar. I carved some basic tiki-style designs into these using a dremel tool with a router bit. Since I hadn’t done much routing like this before the lines are a bit wonky which, funnily enough, adds to the appeal. Being a glass half full type of person I tell people that they are hand carved for a bit of a laugh.
The front of the bar also features a similarly carved trim which adds to the tiki feel. You can also see some progress made to finishing off underneath the bar. The hole in the middle is for a small ice well. The concept was great in theory but the truth is that since I purchased a small ice-maker I hardly ever use the well. I’m sure I’ll find a more permanent use for it somewhere down the track but for now it sadly sits there, mostly unused.
On the short side of the bar is where I chose to have a place to help hide the fridge or at least minimize the visibility from most of the room. You can’t see it in any of these pics but that space also houses a shelf above the fridge cavity for the stereo amplifier that I use for the jukebox.
