Island Time In the City

Apartments in the city have distinct advantages of easy access to shopping, nightlife, and closeness to friends. While the hum of city life may lie just beyond your front door, sometimes it’s very calming to be able to escape into your own island resort feel once you step inside. Adhering to clean, simple lines and colors sets the foundation for adding splashes of bright ocean tones and soft, comfortable places to land. With the right eye, you can always be on island time while the world races to the city beat outside.

Set the Island Stage

Take a tip from what keeps you calm on the beach and reflect these elements around your home. Your main sources of colors are:

• Walls, trim, and floors
• Furniture
• Collectables and curiosities

All of the walls should be white. This background sets the stage and reflects the whitecaps of the ocean. Make the trim and baseboards soft in light pines to bring to mind driftwood. Keep the floor a neutral color of light brown to resemble the warm sands.

Bring In the Tropical Colors

The colors to play with are going to be varying shades of blues and greens, white again, and surprisingly, black. Much like a dark frame beautifully sets off the details of a lovely picture, chairs and occasional tables in black set off the delicate colors in the rest of the room. Feel free to accent any room with black-framed mirrors and whimsical quotes in black print placed over windows and entries.

For side and coffee tables in the living room, choose white in square or rectangle. This may seem severe, but the clean lines and almost chameleon-like tables that blend with the walls will keep a calm feel and set off your decorations and lamps.

Finally, the important splashes of color will be found in your pillow accents, table lamps, wall decorations, and few ocean-themed treasures. These are the things that will draw your eye and they should be in the tranquil and calming effect of blue tones. Again, avoid too much of anything but be sure what you use makes you happy when you look at it. For instance, a few large, blue-green pillows on your pale couch, black chair, or white bed comforter whisper gently rather than shout in a confusion of color.

Don’t Forget the Hammock

As you contemplate your bathroom, the same rules apply. In an apartment, because of its size, it’s often a good idea to keep the theme continuing from room to room. This is especially true if you are looking to lock in that island effect. Incorporate bamboo pieces like bath towels or sheets from Cariloha Bamboo. Not only does the word bamboo whisper island, but it is also eco-friendly, and naturally cool and bug-resistant ensuring you stay calm and comfortable while you sleep. If your room is small, keep the furniture and details as few as possible. Create a room that is uncluttered so you feel like you are in a resort every time you go to bed.

The control of colors and objects keep your apartment soothingly simple, yet elegant. Clean lines and soft places to land give the mind and body rest and calm while the outside world clamors on. Welcome to your own island time.