I don't know if this helps because I don't have pics, but I lived in a small island in the Caribbean for five years and I can tell you people there used colorful tile mosaics in their kitchens (both floor and backsplashes) a lot. It was fun seeing the mosaics people would come up with. Quality wood was important there, too, though 'types' of wood don't go out of style there AT ALL (here it's walnut one decade, then oak, then maple, etc.)Even if cabinets were painted, and they often were, people always wanted the grain to show. The house I lived in had a red sink I just loved and even an entire column in the kitchen was tiled. Also, a step leading into the kitchen had these wonderful tiles that depicted things important to that island (sugarcane, tobacco leaves, the sun).

Hi Natebear,

I keep reading your post, I am having a hard time trying
to find the perfect image for you. But I doggedly keep at
it. I know what you are trying to describe but I fear
no one has this beautiful kitchen. Don't let this stop you
from your dream. It just means I need to keep looking
and maybe you might start collecting iamges of what you
you love to create your own kitchen.

Here are some of your words.....

1) I love the tropical decorating style
2) Caribbean design
3) I love Saltillo tile, rattan, louvers, and wood
4) British Colonial

I do not think you have to have white unless you really
love white. The louvers, wood texture and tile might
be perfect. Have you seen the Medallion Kitchen
cabinets web site. There is one called Fiji and another
called Tahiti that might be what you are looking for.
There is even a kitchen called Bahamas.

Meanwhile here are some kitchens that came to mind.

This makes me think of Florida

British Colonial comes to my mind

Carribbean design

Saltillo tile

Tropical Kitchen (rustic)

Festive Fun

British Colonial

I will keep up the search. If there is one above you like
more than the others let me know.
~boxer

Boxerpups- I looked too, but couldn't find what I was imagining...more of a 'Bombay Company' kitchen, with the dark wood, leather and dark wicker accents, palms, brass hardware...and that dark blue and white china :)

boxer-that 3rd photo makes me want to GO there (wherever "there" is)
just from the scene out that open window (says she from the dreary PNW).

Natebear-for some reason when I read your post yesterday I thought of another GW person here who lives in Spain and revealed her kitchen I think last year. Google Petra66 (I think) and GW and her kitchen will come up. It must be sunny blue skies that made me think of her kitchen and you.

Good call Leela - Petra's has that look. There was also someone who posted from one of the islands that had a lovely kitchen with blues and greens. When my in-laws lived on St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, their kitchen was a riot of color - an aqua sink - tiles in an aqua and azure and the cabinets were driftwood. What I recall most vividly was that they had to have a lot of mahogany as it was resistant to termites. Everything was very open- french doors opened from the kitchen and dining room to patios with more decorative tiles and many colorful flowering trees, plants and vines and tiny birds came swooping down for crumbs left by the grandchildren. Natebear- I think bright color is the most prominent memory of the "island look" vs. white and as vrain said- lots of pretty tiles in a rainbow of colors.

you might want to look at something like indochine style -- sort of old french colonized country styles. there is a restaurant called Le Colonial in SF that has this look. sort of european bankers club meets palm trees and colorful tiles...

This topic started to sound familiar. Not sure if the two threads in this reference can help you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tommy Bahama thread with another thread reference inside

We were in Netherlands former colony Curacao and toured old buildings/museums. My impressions of them were:

18th to early 19th century mahagony furniture pieces but almost out of scale in being large; wood was nearly black with age (although mahogany can be light brown or reddish or red-black I think)

white linen, lace on tabletops and curtains

whitewash on walls, giving strong contrast with the dark furniture

ceiling fans installed when the place was electrified

bare stairs; no carpets in walkpaths; railings as a design feature

louvered doors and window shutters

strong integration of indoors and outdoors--esp for kitchen garden and for dining room

fireplaces--I can't picture the brick but I think a dull red would be accurate, although you could go with yellowish brick.

Sea & sailing references--old sailing ships, not new sailboats.

The modern community outside the old building had much more color--lots of pastel and happy colors of paint. Paint does not last on the plaster exteriors so it goes blotchy and sheds irregularly off the building in time. A fact of life there; in time the place gets repainted again.

In the markets, there were the usual multi-colored painted metal lizards which just make me smile. They also sold local folk art in which the canvas was densely peopled with dark-skinned people. One of those in an old-fashioned gilt frame would be very interesting in a kitchen.

There are cabinet makers who do mahogany kitchens. It will take some digging but you can find at least one new mahogany kitchen on the GW in the last couple years--I remember it fondly. Not a tropical motif, though.

If you took "colonial" or federal/regency styled furniture pieces in mahagony and combined them with houseplants, botanical prints, parrot motifs, a killer ceiling fan, strong colors in window coverings and upholstery, an exposed liquor bottle display, rattan (use as cabinet inserts instead of glass?) or grasses (there are grasses embedded in some of the cabinet insert offerings I looked at for my own project, probably some kind of plastic not glass). The colored tile concept is a good one--stick to a limited palette and don't get crazy. Texture the walls--irregular plaster effect. Put a niche in a wall or two. Make windows double-hung with real 6 over 6 panes or even more panes. Use a large palladian window somewhere. Use spindles in room dividers or railings and have them on the chairs. Consider a sisal mat under the table. Avoid plastic. Think gold, silver, mirrors, books, maps, telescopes, big trays, religious art, military art, scientific art, clocks. Stone or mosaic or brick in walkpath in front hall. Wood floor in kitchen.

There used to be a Bombay-themed bar in our area which also gave this vibe--think British men's club. It had an old bicycle hanging from the ceiling. I picture a zinc sink and lots of shiny hardware perhaps in extra shiny brass. You can omit the bad lighting, though.

Another tack for interior design would be to design around decidedly 1950s drapery printed tropical prints. You could make a high-camp kitchen, even using painted cabs. Be sure to include a toned-down poison green. Parrots, palm trees, beaches, ships, vegetation, you get the idea. Fiestaware would be fun in this kitchen. Or colored glass. And if you can find a photo or other art of British soldiers and of the Queen when young, that would be good.

God save George III! Or Queen Victoria! or the Prince Regent! or whoever you like!

There's a GWer who lives on the island of St. John...I recall she
had soapstone shipped to her from M. Tiexiera, and Florida
Joshua flew down to do the install. For the life of me I'm
drawing a blank on her name.

For those with better memories than mine, perhaps you'd dig
up her finished kitchen for NATEBEAR, as it might be of some
help.

Her name is Piaa

Here is her kitchen. I don't think she's in the finished kitchens blog.

Here is a link that might be useful: Piaas kitchen

When I read your post- this was the first kitchen I thought of. If you scratched the blue it could be totally British colonial. The cabinets are Schuyler, key largo, in alder.

Thanks, Prill!

If you go on Houzz.com and select "photos" then "kitchens," you can use the categories on the top left hand size to select "tropical."

Also, note than Woodmode (and perhaps others) offer a rattan center panel for their cabinetry doors. Also, Medallion has a Coastal for both finishes and door styles. I will link to it.

For British West Indies, look at the furnishing on Ethan Allen's website for their Bristish classics collection. Also, Tommy Bahama has some nice tables, etc. made by Lexington furniture.

Someone on GW did a nice kitchen recently with turquoise colors and it was lovely. Can anyone remember who's?

Here is a link that might be useful: Medallion Coastal Collection

Everyone, thanks for taking the time to respond to my post!

boxerpups, my favorite is the one with the saltillo tile, of course. :) I was contemplating a Talavera or Spanish tile backsplash, but DH nixed the idea. Color will have to come in as accents. I don't LOVE white, so wood tone it shall be!

florantha, thanks for giving me so much to think about. Your link didn't work, by the way.

dilly ny, I searched through many pictures & I'm still not done! So, I feel Houzz is my best option for inspiration. I even checked out Medallion cabinetry. They have a showroom in Hollywood, FL. I plan to visit tommorrow along with a Durasupreme showroom.

Overall, I realize putting together this idea is going to be both fun & overwhelming. Look for many more postings from me, I'm sure. ;)

I was contemplating a Talavera or Spanish tile backsplash, but DH nixed the idea. Color will have to come in as accents.

Uh oh.

Here is a link that might be useful: Read This Thread

Marcolo, I was cracking up when I saw your post. I've read that one before. I'm afraid if left on my own, that's exactly what it'll look like. I was all for finding a picture and copying it. LOL In my defense, I thought of Talavera BEFORE deciding on a "tropical/Carribean/British Colonial" theme. What about a bright under the sea mural? (totally kidding)

Kitchens and the Caribbean; 2 of my favorite topics!

I think you can find some inspiration by looking at vacation rental homes in the Caribbean. (I look on VRBO.com for homes when I visit St John in the USVI. I've also used windspree.com and Destination St John and there are many more. If you google villa rentals caribbean, you'll find links to lots of houses and they all include kitchen pictures. Yes it takes some digging but might be worth it!)

Many of them have beamed ceilings, big paddle ceiling fans, and often with bright colors.

Here's the kitchen from the beach house on Lovango Cay:
{{gwi:1689183}}

OK this one's a bathroom but it shows the exposed wood walls and beams that I see in some Caribbean houses (this one is Just Enough on St John):

These colors look so tropical to me! Christmas Cottage, STJ; and Starlit Escape; STJ:

Starlit Escape is the first house I stayed at on STJ. The kitchen has cypress beams on the ceiling; kind of dark but very pretty:

Reef Madness, STJ; beams, yellow, rock wall (common in many of the villas)
{{gwi:1689193}}
{{gwi:1689195}}

HTH

Marcolo-Ok, now I think I picked up on the OPPOSITE of what you meant by that post. I should keep my idea of a Spanish tile backsplash to avoid a "beige & boring" kitchen??

What is your input on the subject? White or wood cabinets? Spanish tile or not?

I cooked dinner early today so I have too much time on my hands. :)

Devil's playground.

The point is to find inspiration that both you and hubby like. Do not pick an inspiration that only one of you likes, and the other will nitpick and "tone down" into a hot mess.