A visit to the South Pacific-style home of artist Dawn Frazier is a lesson in both thrift and passion. Inspiration from her travels to Fiji and her love of a bargain make her "Tiki Heaven" a decorating inspiration. Tapas, tikis and seashells from the South Pacific are the inspiration for her colorful decorating -- and her refusal to pay more than two dollars for any piece makes this cheapie Tiki. Dawn's colorful works of art are inspired by traditional tapas of the South Pacific. A tapa is a coarse cloth made of pounded bark and decorated with geometric patterns. Her tapas, painted on canvas, are highly colored versions of the traditional brown tapa and may be hung on walls or used as floor cloths. "Cheap or free" is Dawn's motto. Discarded grass-mat wall covering is stapled to her walls. Thrift-store tables show off collections of tikis (Polynesian worship idols) and seashells from her travels. A chair found in the trash is covered with a fabulous fabric remnant, and a 25-cent lampshade is perfection on a free lamp base. The creative use of discarded door skins gives the rich look of wood to Formica-topped thrift-store tables. Door skins, made of high-density fiber with the look of wood veneer, were cut to size, glued to the tabletops and stained.
RESOURCES :
Lonely Planet Fiji: A Lonely Planet
Model: 0864426798
Author: Robyn Jones and Leonardo Pinheiro
Lonely Planet, 2000
Decorating With Great Finds
Model: 086573383X
Author: The Home Decorating Institute
Behind Adobe Walls: The Hidden Homes and Gardens of Sante Fe and Taos
Model: 0811811646
Author: Lisl Dennis
June 1997
Chronicle Publishing Company
Website: www.chroniclebooks.com
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