The tropical interior decorating style is an incredible way
to recreate the warm and vibrant atmosphere of the beach in
your own space. It is casual and easy living that focuses
on relaxation and comfort, with restful colors and natural
elements, such as stylized palm trees, large leafed banana
plants, animal prints, flamingos, elephants, leather,
rattan, and grass cloth.

Furniture: Furniture for a tropical theme consists of large
and comfortable upholstered pieces. Wood furniture in
lighter woods can be used, but complement the room better
when combined with dark tables, lamps, or furniture feet.

You may also include accent pieces in wicker, bamboo, iron,
and rattan. Dark wood and rattan furniture fit in very well
with the tropical style. Rattan brings a natural element
since it is a tropical tree that grows in the jungle. It is
generally used as decoration for wicker style pieces on the
sides of tropical style computer armoires, the sides of
writing desks, or the padded backs of chairs. It is
flexible and durable, with knobby joints that are wrapped to
convey a smooth appearance. Wicker is a kind of furniture
building technique where strands of grass or vines are woven
together. Bamboo is also used on furniture pieces and can be
described as thick grass with a hollow center. Natural
materials like cane, seagrass, water hyacinth, and banana
leaf and are often woven to form chairs, sofas, tables, and
countless accents. These materials create sturdy and
lightweight furniture, such as computer armoires, printer
cabinets, along with other furniture that is eco-friendly.

Although tropical woods like ebony, mahogany, and teak are a
great way to achieve a tropical look, make sure they are
certified sustainable before purchasing them. Exotic
hardwoods like teak, rosewood, and koa are also used for
furniture. Furthermore, tropical furniture features include
ornamental carved motifs, such as pineapples, palm leaves,
trees, and flowers for that added tropical effect.
The fabrics used in this style should be soft and lush.
Neutral solid colored chenilles are excellent for the major
upholstered pieces, while ottomans and chairs might be
upholstered in jungle prints and leaf designs.

Linens: For bed and bath linens, look for prints that
feature palm trees, tropical plants with vivid, beautiful
native botanicals like hibiscus, anthurium, orchid and the
Bird of Paradise. You may also use Thai silks and
floral-printed linens. Some of the linens available for the
bedroom consist of banana leaves and bird of paradise on a
yellow background; a blue background with white shells,
blue, yellow, and white shells, seahorses, crabs, sand
dollars and starfish; a red, yellow, or white background
monkey print with a striped bedskirt; a champagne tone on
tone coral reef with tone on tone grass cloth stripe
bedskirt; or pink flamingos on a bright aqua background.
There is also an incredible assortment of bathroom towels
and shower curtains with tropical fish designs, coconut
trees, and flamingos, just to name a few. The choices are
endless and quite splendid.

Flooring: For flooring, you may go with hardwood, such as a
dark hardwood or bamboo, and if you cannot, tile or stone is
another possibility. You can accent floors with area rugs
in sisal and jute that are woven in natural fibers or by
using mats and rugs made from rattan and seagrass. They
help keep the tropical look alive while providing textural
interest against the flooring. Other area rugs feature
monkeys swinging from palm branches, palm trees, lush
foliage of the tropics, coconut palms, and flamingos. For
the bathroom, consider covering the floors with bath mats
made from teak or that have palm tree, starfish, and
tropical fish designs.

Wall Color: In the Caribbean, you will notice homes painted
in vibrant colors, such as bright orange, pink, and green.
In addition to these colors being vivid, it also serves a
purpose in that the brighter colors deflect sunlight and
help keep the home cooler. Other palettes include natural
colors, such as fresh aqua blue, sandy tan, olive green,
pale peach, and pale yellow. These colors should serve as
the primary colors in tropical design since they represent
sand, water, and trees. Also, the use of pale gray shades
evokes feelings of weathered seaside boardwalks and blend
with the aforementioned colors. Furthermore, tropical
schemes incorporate the use of red and purple because they
bring tropical flowers to mind. For the bathroom wall,
consider colors consistent with earth tones or oranges,
pinks, and blues. You may also paint murals on the walls or
go with tropical themed wallpaper and borders. If color
frightens you, just paint the walls a neutral shade and
incorporate color to the room through the use of
accessories.

Accessories: For accents, you may select among dark brown,
black, or even muted reds. Bamboo is an ideal element for
this style. You can add bamboo picture frames, bamboo
vases, and bamboo candles as accents. Other items that go
hand in hand with tropical home dcor are coconuts,
seashells, starfish, and palm trees. Coconut candles are an
exceptional and simple way to add a peaceful feel to your
home while seashells are perfect for generating the feeling
of tropics. They are beautiful and decorative. If you
happen to live near the ocean, you may pick up a few
seashells. They can be used as a table centerpiece,
displayed in jars, shadow boxes, or baskets, and may be
glued as a collection of small shells on a blank framed
canvas for a lovely wall accent.

For the kitchen table, you may include natural covered
stoneware, textured placemats, loosely woven fabric napkins,
and sturdy glassware. Other accessories for the kitchen
consist of wooden bowls, baskets, a palm tree paper towel
holder, bamboo, and more. If you have a breakfast bar in
the kitchen area, you can add high bar stools made from
bamboo to accentuate the tropical style.

If the size of the room is an issue and it is serving two
purposes, you can create privacy while adding a tropical
touch by using room dividers made from bamboo. Another item
you might use to spruce up your design theme is decorative
pillows in bold colors or in a basket weave because they
look alluring and help tie in the other accessories, wall
color, and furniture.

A wonderful way to welcome the beach indoors is by
displaying a fish tank containing tropical fish, along with
accessories inside the tank, such as a sunken treasure
chest, brilliantly colored rocks, and artificial algae.

Lighting: It is important to have good lighting, and why
not consider lighting fixtures or lamps decorated in monkey,
leaf, or jungle accents? The dark lamp shades will blend
nicely with the tropical furniture in the room. Accent
lamps shaped like palm trees, seashell lamps, pineapple
lamps, palm wall sconces, rattan wall sconces, or a ceiling
fan with palm leaf blades are great. A popular light
ceiling fan is a wide blade fan made from rattan or with
palm paddles.

Wall Art: Consider using both animal hide designs, such as
zebra stripes or leopard spots, along with pictures of
monkeys, lions, and elephants for the wall. You can also
hang prints that have stylized leaf designs, palm trees,
pineapple prints, jungle animals, or beach prints. Kids
will also enjoy the tropical style in their rooms because
the mix of animals and bright colors add a cheery and fun
feel.

Plants: Tropical plants are a fabulous way to give your
home the tropical flavor, and large plants like Areca palms,
coconut palms, Cycas palm perfectly suit this theme. The
use of wicker plant pots to house the plants is a nice
finishing touch. Before proceeding to invest in the
purchase of real tropical plants, make sure you are not
allergic to them. Also, consider whats involved for the
care of your plant. If you do not wish to care for a plant
or tree, consider artificial plants or trees. They look
close to the real thing without the maintenance.

Window Treatments: Ideal window treatments should project a
natural quality. Some choices to consider include bamboo or
matchstick blinds, linen panels, and plantation shutters.
Another way to dress up your windows is by hanging curtains
consisting of tropical themed prints.

The tropical look definitely provides a relaxing escape
where you can comfortably retreat after a long hard day at
work. Your home is a reflection of your personality and
should be a place where you feel a sense of tranquility.

Giorgina Devereaux is the creator of AskGiorgina.com, which features questions, answers, and ideas on home decor and furniture. For more information, please visit http://www.AskGiorgina.com