When you think of tropical-theme décor, images of lush foliage surrounding vast sand and ocean come to mind. They are refreshing to the eye and bring the colours of nature indoors.
Have you always wondered if you could ever go to Hawaii for a vacation? Well, this is how you can bring Hawaii to you. Leaf motifs, fun colours, and a vibrant ambience that expresses life and nature can transport you there instantly. A tropical theme can be created using a variety of tropical-themed décor elements and different interior design styles. These different styles and ideas that express this theme have been explored here.
12 Eye–Catchy Elements to a Tropical-Themed Decor Vibe
Below is a list of tropical-themed home décor elements:
- Tropical Style Furnishings of Rattan
- Tropical Themed Interior Design with Plants
- Tropical Style Living Room with Leaf Motifs
- Tropical-Style Lighting
- Paint with Tropical Colour Palettes
- Open Up to Light and The Outdoors To Bring In Tropical Theme
- Bring In Wooden Accents for Tropical Theme Décor
- Modern Tropical Wall Art
- Neon Sign a Must For Tropical Color Scheme
- Bring In Tropical Flamingo Theme
- Tropical Print Fabric and Texture
- Bring In Pineapples and Pina Coladas for Tropical Style Decorating Ideas
01. Tropical Style Furnishings of Rattan
Going with the theme of bringing nature into a space, furniture made of natural materials blends in better. Natural materials like rattan, cane, bamboo etc can be used to make tropical-style furnishings. Rattan, cane, and bamboo in home décor elevate the space to a tropical setting of beaches and sunsets with an added eco-friendly aspect.
02. Tropical-Themed Interior Design with Plants
Incorporating plants in your interiors can be the best way to experience a tropical setting inside your home. They are not only vibrant but also bring in fresh air, thus regulating the indoor environment. You can choose to put a palm tree there or even size it down to incorporate lots of cacti, or go for a more beneficial plant like a snake plant.
To know more about how to bring natural décor to your room, you must take a look at our blog.
03. Tropical Style Living Room with Leaf Motifs
When it comes to livening up your space with textures and prints, leaf motifs are the way to go. With prints that display banana leaves, fan palm leaves, and areca palm leaves, there is a wide range of tropical leaves you can take inspiration from. Furthermore, why limit yourself to a single colour for the same thing? Explore fun, bright colours for prints, and they can be a statement piece in your interiors.
04. Tropical-Style Lighting
Tropical-theme décor is incomplete without tropical-style lighting. Lighting fixtures and styles suited for a tropical setting are closer to neutral earthy tones. Lampshades can be made out of parchment paper, wicker, twigs or seagrass weaves. Hanging pendant lights, table lamps, and chandeliers can feature weaves made out of rattan, vines, abaca, and bamboo.
05. Paint with Tropical Colour Palettes
The colour palette of a tropical region contains a rainbow of hues. You can stick to using colour and its shade ranges or go all out with different colours mixed in a single room. Tropical colour palettes include colours like pink, blue, green, and yellow. The best thing about tropical design style is that it is not restricted to a particular colour palette.
06. Open Up to Light and The Outdoors To Bring In Tropical-Theme
You would never find a tropical paradise that doesn’t have bright sunshine and light throughout the day. Open up your shades to bring in natural light and create a connection to the outdoors. This becomes even more effective if your walls are of lighter colour that is closer to white. But don’t sweat it if your room doesn’t have access to these. A reflective surface such as a mirror can easily bring in a more expansive and sunny side to the room.
07. Bring In Wooden Accents for Tropical-Theme Décor
A texture like wood plays a huge role in bringing together tropical themes in interior spaces. It can be used in furniture and even for flooring. Long breakfast tables made of wooden planks or a single live wooden block, surrounded by a variety of seating options, can make for a fun place to get together with your loved ones.
08. Modern Tropical Wall Art
If you want to bring a jungle aesthetic to the space, choosing modern tropical wall art such as a printed wallpaper of plants or palm leaves is the way to go. It wouldn’t be a subtle addition, just as a jungle isn’t either. You can complement this with green accent furniture or a more muted earthy vibe with wooden furniture and light colours and textures of fabric.
09. Neon Signa Must For Tropical Colour Scheme
Neon as a colour palette might not be something for everyone. But I bet you wouldn’t regret getting a neon sign for your interior that is set to have a tropical theme. This adds fun and contrast to the space and might even steal the show. Build a space around it by including bright colours like yellow ochre, flamingo pink, sea blue, and floral patterns and elevate the room to another level.
10. Bring In Tropical Flamingo Theme
Besides the wooden textures and the palm leaves, flamingos are next on the list of tropical-theme décor elements. From flamingo-printed wallpapers to an actual flamingo decor piece, they can be incorporated in multiple ways inside the interior space. It isn’t even necessary to incorporate the tropical flamingo theme as a whole. You can include flamingo-inspired decor items and the colour pink into the interior to give it a similar vibe.
11. Tropical Print Fabric and Texture
Tropical print fabrics such as white linen, barkcloth, and other woven decor items can be included to add a play of textures to the experience of the space. Upholstery fabric and curtains, along with rugs and throws for seating areas, can be adorned with these textures and prints. A white-light beige colour palette for the same, would bring in more light and give an airy, free, and light essence to the space as well. If you are up for it, you can go beyond and explore tropically printed fabrics for the decor as well.
12. Bring In Pineapples and Pina Coladas for Tropical-Style Decorating Ideas
Another picture that can come to mind with the word “tropical” is relaxing on a greenery-filled beach with Pina Coladas filled inside a pineapple. So then why not take this shape and incorporate it into the decor? You can bring it in with a pineapple-shaped decor piece, printed wallpapers, light fixtures, bamboo-weaved storage baskets, and many more. With such creative and inexpensive home decor ideas, you can make your home attractive.
Exploring 4 Styles with Tropical Theme
01. Vernacular Style Tropical-Themed Home Decor
The vernacular aspect is built right into the tropical-themed décor, which is heavy on the usage of wooden textures. Bamboo, rattan, wooden planks, and other textures can be incorporated into furniture, depending on the material available in the area. Culturally significant weaving patterns and furniture can become part of the tropical-themed home decor. Plants that are locally found can be incorporated into the interiors as well. Earth-toned textures and colours can be incorporated along with the statement prints and colours from the tropical region.
02. Modern Style Tropical-Themed Home Decor
Keeping the space clean and sleek with the incorporation of tropical theme décor can be a task. A simple way to start is by choosing a light-coloured background to work with. The walls can have a feature wall that depicts a print or texture with a tropical theme. Wooden furniture that is designed in a unique way, along with textured rugs and light-coloured soft furnishings, will give the room an apt light and bright vibe. Handmade baskets, modern tropical wall art, and sleek lighting fixtures can be the additional elements that complement the theme.
03. Minimalism-Style Tropical-Themed Decor
Details can reside in the simplest designs as well. Taking this idea forward, a tropical-themed minimalistic interior can be created with the fundamental elements of this aesthetic. The use of bamboo and wicker for simple weave lampshades, simple wooden furniture, vibrant plants, light, and muted shades and textures, all bring together an open yet character-filled interior. The minimal use of elements creates space for each one to stand out and accentuate the space.
04. Maximalism-Style Tropical-Themed Decor
Who wouldn’t relate to the phrase “the more the merrier”? Maximalism brings just that in an exciting and fun way. Imagine all the elements of tropical-themed interiors incorporated into a single space. From tropical prints and tropical colour scheme to intricately detailed wooden accents in furniture and textured upholstery, options are endless when it comes to tropical style furnishings. Maintaining uniformity in prints and colour palettes can help you put these elements together in a well-balanced yet maximalist design.
Looking at a holistic picture of a tropical aesthetic, your goal should be to create a light and breezy space that incorporates elements of nature, bright colours, fabric textures, and open spaces. More specifically, features that include palm leaf prints, flamingo-inspired textures, and pineapple-themed decor can hit the spot when it comes to tropical-themed interiors. With these elements incorporated, create a carefree, fun-loving, and playful tropical interior space you will love spending time in.
FAQs Pertaining to Tropical Theme Décor
01. How do I make my Living room look Tropical?
Incorporating materials like cotton, linen, bamboo, and silk can provide the base for a tropical-themed interior. Elements like globe lanterns, tropical leaf prints, light-coloured and textured linen, and blue and pink-themed accent spaces can be used to build it further.
02. Can the Tropical Theme be Minimalistic?
Yes, it can be. Bringing in a few elements that accentuate the decor can make up a minimalistic interior. Choosing simple weaves in bamboo or wicker, sleek furniture with minimalistic designs, pastel and muted shades and simple textures can make up for a minimalistic tropical interior.
03. How do I recognize a Tropical-themed Space?
If you see prints and decor that are inspired by nature, which includes organic colours, textures, and forms, then you can conclude that it is a tropical-themed interior design.
Also read:
9 Secrets of Perfect Interiors for Your Home!
Author Bio
Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.
