When you think of tiki, many things come to mind: beach parties, crimson-lit bars filled with smoke, grass skirts, dapper gents, and pinup girls from another time. But . . . Berwyn? The western suburb certainly isn’t a place I associated with anything tropical—that is, until I met David and Lorie Krys.
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Five years ago, the Kryses had their hearts set on bungalow life, and while Berwyn might not be the heart of Chicago, it’s rich with charming bungalows and is fast becoming a diverse community of young professionals and artists. David, a design engineer and craftsman, and Lori, an optician, are both big fans of midcentury style, 50s collectibles, and all things kitsch, so when they settled into their new home, they had ideas brewing from the get-go.
The enclosed back porch is one of my favorite spaces in the Kryses’ home. David and Lorie have created a mini theme park dedicated to the thrill of tiki. Every nook and cranny is styled with shells, skulls, and gyrating plastic hips. They extended their interior decor into the backyard with an authentic tiki bar. In the summer, the bar is packed with friends who also share their love of atomic style.
Next up: a plan to revamp the finished attic to create a huge tiki lounge.
Tiki House
Step inside David and Lorie Krys’s tiki-decorated home.
