Homeowner: Matt “Spike” Marble

Occupation: Musician/Photographer/Designer

Home Location: Costa Mesa

Matt “Spike” Marble is a graphic designer who has tremendous passion for all things Tiki.  Spike’s love for Tiki spans back to his college days where he was inspired by one of his college professors who had a collection of Tiki mugs from his favorite Polynesian restaurants.  When Sven Kirsten’s “The Book of Tiki” was released, Spike’s love for the culture went into hyperdrive and he began collecting. Spike first formed and fronted a Polynesian themed rock band called the Hula Girls, which has their music playing in Tiki bars all over the country. In 2011, Spike realized that he wanted to create his own space that would be an ode to his hobby.  Spike’s home had been an ode to vintage Hollywood circa 1960, with a bright yellow exterior and an interior décor style that would make June Cleaver smile.  While Spike had adorned many aspects of his house with that exotica flair, he decided to concentrate his tiki efforts in the breezeway of his home.  And so was born, The Breezeway, a fully functional Tiki bar, decked out wall-to-wall with Tiki paraphernalia, mugs, masks, and carved items.  After a couple of years of building with fine details, Spike had created a vacation away from the hectic pull of everyday life.  It was the escapist quality that drew him in in the first place, and now he had finally embraced it and turned his home into homage to the culture of that bygone era.

The Breezeway has become an oasis for Tiki fanatics across the country, with many fans seeking out Spike to come and experience the homemade bar and Spike’s original cocktails.  Along with his home’s 60s style décor, Spike’s place has become not just a pilgrimage for tiki lovers, but it also is a photo shoot destination for multiple subcultures like rockabilly and vintage connoisseurs.  Guests have varied from local rock stars to Disney Imagineers to plain ordinary Tiki fans.  During quarantine, Spike began his own YouTube channel, featuring all things Tiki, connecting with other people who had built their own home tiki bars as well as famous faces within the community.

• The vintage/tiki theme permeates the whole home. There’s an all pink bedroom that is an homage to the famous “Madonna Inn.” This bedroom feature’s it’s own pink bed and rocking horse.

• The bathroom itself has a goose as a faucet, a wall of shells and bright patterned wallpaper.

• The Breezeway is a homemade Tiki bar with hundreds of Tiki decorations that include collector’s mugs, Polynesian lights, ornate masks, various Tiki trinkets and hand-carved elements made by Spike himself.

• Spike has expanded his Tiki decor to his home’s exterior, with a giant self-carved Tiki totem in the front yard. 

• In the backyard, he has built a fully operational volcano by hand that is connected a seashell waterfall.

• Many of the items that Spike has obtained for his Tiki bar come from various sources including antique shops and swap meets, but some of his most prized possessions come for old Tiki bars and restaurants that went out of business. The prime example of this is the bar itself which is a hand-crafted Witco bar.

• Spike’s favorite part of the bar are the items he carved himself, including some tiki totems and the barstools themselves.

• The biggest challenge for Spike is maintaining the bar at full operational abilities.  With the numerous power sources needed to keep it functional, it’s a full-time job just to keep it up to order.

• Spike has created his own mystique in the Breezeway, creating his own original cocktails served in specifically designed glasses, so the experience for any visitor is a unique one unlike any other place they might visit.

• The Breezeway is the ultimate escapism at home.  It is a Polynesian paradise right in Spike’s backyard, and one man’s dream come to fruition.