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You may live miles away from the breathtaking costs, but that doesn’t deprive you from implementing a piece of summer paradise at home. What tropical style represents are comfort, relaxation and welcoming feelings. Therefore, we believe that tropical home décor can ease stress and inspire positive emotions within inhabitants.
Take a moment and consider the idea-beach bar, cocktails and ukulele rhythms in the comfort of your room. Wonderful, isn’t it? All it takes is a bit of creativity.
Tropical elements will ‘spice’ the harmony in your home and will remind you of warm sands, nasty ocean waves, and pleasant breeze. It doesn’t take much to adjust your space to these idea-casual pieces and natural materials are absolutely cut for the purpose.
Image source: 41 West
You can use bamboo, sea grass, wood, abaca, teak, or many similar materials which can actually be found in tropical environments. If you are really willing to introduce a tropic trademark, we recommend you to use plants, ceiling fans, folding chairs, or even palms. Carefully chosen fabrics can also contribute, so don’t hesitate to purchase sea colors and patterns, jungle wallpapers and sandy decorations.
In this aspect, seaside style is very similar to the coastal one-you should observe coastal regions (Northern California or the Eastern Seaboard, for instance) and look for outdoor ideas which can bring nature inside your house.
Image source: Kurtz Homes
Tropical home decorating is not exactly an idea from our time. It originates from the British Colonial Style, which brought different exotic aspects and Caribbean influences on the old continent. Indian and Caribbean tradition inspired the British Empire since the 19th century and created both tropical and Caribbean style as the most formal among their kind. If desiring to be more specific and to create island environment, you can turn to South pacific style, or the even less formal, Asia inspired Balinese style.
Image source: Neal Communities
Unlike the neutral palette of British colonial style, tropical home design ideas (in their present form) include a lot of bright and brave tones and patterns. The shades can mostly be associated with sand, sea, food or hot breeze, and can include almost every color that reminds you of summer time. The colors have the important role of bringing significance and soul to your decoration plans.
Materials are neutral or brightly colored, but they can also be refreshed with sharp tones, indoor plants or wooden accessories.
COLOR SCHEMES
The tropical palette is as good as it manages to resemble real tropical colors. Therefore, you are supposed to choose strong shades of blue, terracotta, yellow, green or brown. Here and there, you can add some of your favorite tropical fruit color. Don’t forget that each of these colors has a specific meaning and will contribute to your décor in a certain manner:
Image source: Austin Patterson Austin Patterson Disston Architects
- Sand, beige, light brown – the ultimate color of the coast
- Yellow – brings in the brightness of the sun, and tropics are not imaginable without it;
- Green – reminds of nature, plants and freshness;
- Red and Terracotta – dry, burnt soil;
- Baby Blue-opens your space and resembles the sky;
- Brown-symbolizes wood;
- Darker Blue shades– the only ones comparable to the ocean.
As you can conclude, each element is tightly connected to the nature.
Nothing can be as decorative as tropical greenness
An actual plant or bold wallpaper is the perfect tool that can guarantee the success of tropical home decorating. Think about large-leaf plants, oversized banana fruits, fronds or shiny greenery. Their originals can easily be substituted by well-made accessories and fabrics, and they can be applied in every room of your house (even outside).
Image source: Ami Saunders, MLA
LIGHT
Light in tropical styling is a very important issue. You should make sure you’re using neutral, nature oriented colors and that you have enough smooth textures to support light dispersion. Artificially created light ought to originate from small light kits, palm-like ceiling fans, or wicker/parchment paper. Low positioned lights, tropically made pendant lights (made of bamboo, rattan or abaca) or traditional chandeliers are also excellent ideas. By the way, remember to choose positive motifs, such as parasols, monkeys with bananas, or pineapples.
Image source: Amoroso Design
WINDOWING
Your windows must resemble the feeling of freedom and closeness to the nature. An authentic tropical interior design ought to include wide, uncluttered windows with wooden roll-blinds instead of classical curtains. The material should also remain as natural as possible (bamboo, for instance).
Image source: Mercedes Corbell Design + Architecture
If fabric covers are essentially important, choose light and pastel ones. They will provide you a feeling of freshness.
FROM THE CEILING TO THE FLOOR
Before you start attaching the exotic ‘moments’, think about the suitability of your space. In order to achieve a tropical home, you need to adjust your walls, ceilings and floors. Without them, the tropical landscape can never be complete.
Image source: Tervola Designs
How do you do that? First of all, remove carpets. They have nothing to do on a tropical picture. Choose blurry-colored laminate floors, which can resemble a sandy beach while you are walking on them.
Last, but not least-walls. Pastel shades are once again welcome, assuming you’re not about to purchase a joyful wallpaper. You can also decorate the beige walls with small elements painted in sharp blue, terracotta or green. Textures are highly appreciated!
ACCESORIZING
A tropical scene includes a variety of beautiful elements-wavy oceans, shaking palm leaves, burning sunsets or loud birds. Handmade accessories made on the basis of these elements are affordable and easy to find, and they represent an important feature among your tropical home design ideas. Unless you are passionate enough to do some tropical hunting and to bring originals at home, consider natural bamboo rugs, rubber sea stars, sea grass decorations, or even rainforest motifs. You can also add some tribal, intriguing feeling with tiki totems and masks, deformed stones or indoor fountains. From time to time, place a fruit you like (coconut, pineapple, etc), a bunch of tropical flowers, or aromatic oil burners on the table and you will feel more relaxed than ever.
Image source: Niall Hastie Photography
You can choose many other accessories, such as:
- Animal pictures – beautiful and wild-choose among monkeys, butterflies, parrots, elephants, or even lions;
- Overwhelming greenery-lots of plants and flowers;
- Batik;
- Carved wood in an ethno/traditional manner;
- Real-time animal ornaments;
- Animal prints on the fabrics – especially on throws, pillows or bedding;
- Bowls containing piles of tropical fruits;
- Few interesting sea shells.
FURNISHING
In terms of furnishing, tropical equals to natural. You’ve got two prevailing options: dark, simple wood (walnut, mahogany), and ornate, warm iron. These materials are excellent for solid, but warm and welcoming furniture.
Image source: Pavilion
The sea of tropical motifs
Greenery, plants and lively colors-it is a short description of ‘how-to-be-more-tropical’! Your tropical house décor can never be complete without large palm plants, bananas, bamboo, or umbrella plants. The liveliness of the space can be reinforced with bold, pleasant flowers, such as bromeliads, paradise birds, and orchids. Such motifs are also successful when they appear on fabric accessories (bedding, curtains, throws or rugs). If really passionate, you can purchase a pair of ‘aquarium pajamas’ and you can consider the tropical image completed.
Image source: Rikki Snyder