Decorating Guides
So Your Style Is: Tropical
Easygoing and natural with an exotic allure, rooms designed with a tropical feel exude warmth and graciousness
What it is: Born in the belt of countries between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, tropical style blends a spectrum of cultures and customs into a vibrant whole. It's laid-back and easygoing, a melting pot of indigenous materials, relaxed elegance, exotic overtones and a sunny-side-up sensibility.
Why it works: Tropical interiors feel like a permanent vacation — they seem to slow time and quell the frantic pace at which most of us live. Warm and gracious, they amplify the small pleasures of life and urge us to lighten up.
You'll love it if ... The sound of a steel drum seduces you. You had the lead in your college production of South Pacific. Your cocktail of choice comes with a paper umbrella. Brazil's annual Carnival is on your bucket list. You're convinced you can get a coconut palm to grow in your chilly climate.
Why it works: Tropical interiors feel like a permanent vacation — they seem to slow time and quell the frantic pace at which most of us live. Warm and gracious, they amplify the small pleasures of life and urge us to lighten up.
You'll love it if ... The sound of a steel drum seduces you. You had the lead in your college production of South Pacific. Your cocktail of choice comes with a paper umbrella. Brazil's annual Carnival is on your bucket list. You're convinced you can get a coconut palm to grow in your chilly climate.
Style Secret: Strong Prints
Ditch the prim florals, girlish gingham and tailored ticking stripes in favor of splashy, exuberant patterns. Think large-scale motifs with strong, graphic lines: palm fronds, plumeria, banana leaves. Or go for classic patterns that hint at far-flung tropical locales, such as ikat and batik.
Easy does it: A little goes a long way, so take care to strike a balance between bold and brassy. Colors can be lively, but they don't have to shout. In this living space, the washed-out coral hue makes a perfect foil for the print on the pillows — it's cheerful, yet it doesn't mar the room's breezy, relaxed air. And don't mix too many big prints in one room, or they'll fight for attention and disturb the peace.
Ditch the prim florals, girlish gingham and tailored ticking stripes in favor of splashy, exuberant patterns. Think large-scale motifs with strong, graphic lines: palm fronds, plumeria, banana leaves. Or go for classic patterns that hint at far-flung tropical locales, such as ikat and batik.
Easy does it: A little goes a long way, so take care to strike a balance between bold and brassy. Colors can be lively, but they don't have to shout. In this living space, the washed-out coral hue makes a perfect foil for the print on the pillows — it's cheerful, yet it doesn't mar the room's breezy, relaxed air. And don't mix too many big prints in one room, or they'll fight for attention and disturb the peace.
Style Secret: Natural Textures
From jute and grasses to cane and bamboo, tropical style celebrates nature's textural, tactile beauty. Think wicker and rattan furniture, coarsely woven floor coverings and accents such as banana-leaf baskets and pandan trays. On the walls, grass cloth and Hawaiian bark cloth enhance tropical flavor.
Easy does it: Not ready to cloak your entire ceiling in lahaula matting like the one shown here? Start small. Consider treating just one wall with a textural covering or frame a few grass cloth panels to hang. If you're really unsure, you could simply start with natural rugs in basic materials such as sisal, a tropical fiber that serves as an easy bridge to this style.
From jute and grasses to cane and bamboo, tropical style celebrates nature's textural, tactile beauty. Think wicker and rattan furniture, coarsely woven floor coverings and accents such as banana-leaf baskets and pandan trays. On the walls, grass cloth and Hawaiian bark cloth enhance tropical flavor.
Easy does it: Not ready to cloak your entire ceiling in lahaula matting like the one shown here? Start small. Consider treating just one wall with a textural covering or frame a few grass cloth panels to hang. If you're really unsure, you could simply start with natural rugs in basic materials such as sisal, a tropical fiber that serves as an easy bridge to this style.
Style Secret: Tropical Plants
Take away those lush green plants and brilliant blooms, and the tropics would feel more like the tundra. Use potted versions to breathe vigor and vibrancy into your home — you can stick with pure green foliage to limit the palette or mass together a tumble of blooms such as bougainvillea and hibiscus. Just don't cram in so many that the space starts to feel like the Amazon.
Easy does it: If you have a brown thumb, good news: There are plenty of tropical plants that will resist your best efforts to kill them. Try philodendron, croton, ponytail palms or the fun-to-say ZZ (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) plant. Big and showy, they offer maximum payoff for minimum effort — no fussy pruning and puttering to stand between you and your afternoon siesta.
Take away those lush green plants and brilliant blooms, and the tropics would feel more like the tundra. Use potted versions to breathe vigor and vibrancy into your home — you can stick with pure green foliage to limit the palette or mass together a tumble of blooms such as bougainvillea and hibiscus. Just don't cram in so many that the space starts to feel like the Amazon.
Easy does it: If you have a brown thumb, good news: There are plenty of tropical plants that will resist your best efforts to kill them. Try philodendron, croton, ponytail palms or the fun-to-say ZZ (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) plant. Big and showy, they offer maximum payoff for minimum effort — no fussy pruning and puttering to stand between you and your afternoon siesta.
Style Secret: Exotic Woods
Ipe, wenge, teak and other tropical woods go with this style like quartersawn oak in a Craftsman bungalow. Because tropical style is all about not trying too hard, you can mix and match as many species and tones as you like. Dark woods and exquisitely detailed pieces can take the look in a British Colonial or Balinese direction, while lighter, rustic finishes and furnishings feel more Caribbean and Central American.
Easy does it: The beauty of many tropical woods lies in their natural pattern — burled, striped, streaked or mottled — so simple applications allow them to shine. The kitchen cabinetry shown here is made from koa, a Hawaiian wood with natural variations that give it a stunning visual rhythm.
Ipe, wenge, teak and other tropical woods go with this style like quartersawn oak in a Craftsman bungalow. Because tropical style is all about not trying too hard, you can mix and match as many species and tones as you like. Dark woods and exquisitely detailed pieces can take the look in a British Colonial or Balinese direction, while lighter, rustic finishes and furnishings feel more Caribbean and Central American.
Easy does it: The beauty of many tropical woods lies in their natural pattern — burled, striped, streaked or mottled — so simple applications allow them to shine. The kitchen cabinetry shown here is made from koa, a Hawaiian wood with natural variations that give it a stunning visual rhythm.
Style Secret: Outdoor Living
If you wanted to hibernate within four walls, you'd decorate your house like a Lapland cabin. Outdoor living is half the fun of tropical style, so look for opportunities to merge interior spaces with exterior ones and seek out spots to savor the sun. A cozy grouping of furniture and a handful of well-chosen accents turn this porch into a bona fide living space.
Easy does it: You don't need to build a lanai or screen in your porch to create an outdoor room. A simple trellis and canvas panels transform a plain concrete patio into a mini cabana; a row of brightly painted Adirondack chairs makes a lawn feel like an instant beach. And if you have two nicely spaced trees, you can hang a hammock and call it a day.
If you wanted to hibernate within four walls, you'd decorate your house like a Lapland cabin. Outdoor living is half the fun of tropical style, so look for opportunities to merge interior spaces with exterior ones and seek out spots to savor the sun. A cozy grouping of furniture and a handful of well-chosen accents turn this porch into a bona fide living space.
Easy does it: You don't need to build a lanai or screen in your porch to create an outdoor room. A simple trellis and canvas panels transform a plain concrete patio into a mini cabana; a row of brightly painted Adirondack chairs makes a lawn feel like an instant beach. And if you have two nicely spaced trees, you can hang a hammock and call it a day.
Style Secret: Bermuda Shutters
Oh, so that's what those top-hinged shutters are called. Long used in the Caribbean to screen out sun without blocking ocean breezes, Bermuda shutters (sometimes known as Bahama shutters) add a relaxed island-style touch.
Easy does it: If Bermuda shutters aren't for you, try replacing your exterior shutters with weathered ones that look as if they've survived a tropical storm or two. You could also prop them against a porch wall, or even inside, to replicate the effect.
Oh, so that's what those top-hinged shutters are called. Long used in the Caribbean to screen out sun without blocking ocean breezes, Bermuda shutters (sometimes known as Bahama shutters) add a relaxed island-style touch.
Easy does it: If Bermuda shutters aren't for you, try replacing your exterior shutters with weathered ones that look as if they've survived a tropical storm or two. You could also prop them against a porch wall, or even inside, to replicate the effect.
Style Secret: Ceiling Fans
Say what you will about the much-maligned ceiling fan — anyone who lives in a hot climate will tell you that it's a near necessity. It helps to keep air circulating and replicates the feel of surfside winds blowing through. And few sounds are more soothing than its gentle, monotonous hum.
Easy does it: Worried about finding a sufficiently stylish fan? Don't overthink it. Choose one with an overtly tropical design, such as this wide-paddle version, or a streamlined model that blends into the ceiling. And remember that when it's whirring, you'll hardly notice the blades at all.
More 'So Your Style Is':
Traditional | Arts & Crafts | Hollywood Regency | Rustic | Old World | French Country | Transitional | Contemporary | Midcentury Modern | Industrial | Eclectic | Coastal | Cottage | Preppy | Art Deco | Southwestern | Japanese
Say what you will about the much-maligned ceiling fan — anyone who lives in a hot climate will tell you that it's a near necessity. It helps to keep air circulating and replicates the feel of surfside winds blowing through. And few sounds are more soothing than its gentle, monotonous hum.
Easy does it: Worried about finding a sufficiently stylish fan? Don't overthink it. Choose one with an overtly tropical design, such as this wide-paddle version, or a streamlined model that blends into the ceiling. And remember that when it's whirring, you'll hardly notice the blades at all.
More 'So Your Style Is':
Traditional | Arts & Crafts | Hollywood Regency | Rustic | Old World | French Country | Transitional | Contemporary | Midcentury Modern | Industrial | Eclectic | Coastal | Cottage | Preppy | Art Deco | Southwestern | Japanese
Nothing evokes the romance of the tropics like a bed swathed in billowy white mosquito netting. Although it originated as a practical shield against stealthy pests, its dreamy, soft look sets a tropical mood even if you live in a place that's low on flying critters.
Easy does it: If you don't have a carved teak four-poster that calls out for a netting veil, never fear. Fashion a simple canopy from sheer fabric attached to the ceiling with hooks or brackets (such as this one), which works even if you have no headboard or footboard. You could also purchase one of the ready-made hanging bug nets on the market.