At Little Grass Shack we specialise in wide range of tropical home wares handmade Tiki mugs and everything you need to build your very own Tiki bar. We began our love of all things Tiki searching for our own vintage Tiki mugs in thrift stores and inspired by this collection we began hand making our own Tiki mugs that we now ship all over the world. Our travels to Samoa and the Cook Islands cemented our understanding of the history of Tiki and inspired a collection of hand-crafted homewares to celebrate the spirit of Aloha and the fierce beauty and tradition of Polynesia. Through Little Grass Shack we aim to create a virtual vacation so that you too can adjust to the slow rhythms of life on island time.
Tiki’s are the soul of Polynesia but simplified by American culture in the 50’s and 60’s, Hawaii and Polynesia became the symbol of exotica. Films, music and literature depicted beautiful white beaches, grass thatch swaying and turquoise blue water with a background of lush tropical vegetation. This paved the way for a popular culture, fuelled by the likes of Donn Beach, a bootlegger from the 40's who after a stint working in Hawaii started 'Don the Beachcomber' a Tiki bar in Los Angeles, serving rum based drinks in Tiki mugs surrounded by Polynesian decor and nautical treasure. Trader Vic's followed with another Polynesian themed Tiki bar, other Tiki bars and hotels soon followed with giant Tiki’s, Tiki torches and Polynesian and Hawaiian island crafts and décor inspired by that very culture.
Whilst the grandeur and scale of these American Tiki bars and hotels are gone, smaller elements of tiki bars are making a comeback and once again people are looking for escapism, building Tiki bars hidden in back gardens or basements and searching for those now collectable Tiki Mugs and Tiki bar décor, something again to be romanticised.
The South Pacific use of colour and playful hints of print and pattern and natural materials evoke simple pleasures of hanging together on the beach with a cheeky rum whilst the waves roll in against a golden sunset, so why not get creative with our DIY materials. With a wide range of grass and palm leaf thatch roofing and natural palm leaf matting you can create your very own grass hut, inside or out!
Recreate the soul of the tropics where equatorial storms spark an air of adventure. Mix up-scaled botanical motifs, woven surfaces and large-scale tropical plants with palm print wallpapers, tropical print cushions and decorative lampstands and ensure your island crafts are on show with a cheeky Tiki or two.
Still travelling to the South Pacific, we are constantly looking for new inspiration so we can share the carefree relaxed spirit of the Polynesian lifestyle and inspire a new generation to build their own Tiki bar and Escape; Create; Live Aloha.