If you think that tropical design is outdated, you are mistaken. It started in the 40s, and was more Hawaiian than anything else. It then evolved in the 50s into a more Cuban style. By the 80s, tropical design was more of a Caribbean, reggae, island theme, which presently has changed only a bit more to include an awareness of our environmental needs.
The one thing that has always remained consistent is that it is a warm, informal, and fun style that is again becoming hot, hot, hot! Lots of natural color, heavier on textures than intricate prints, with lightweight furniture made from easily replenished materials, you can hear the steel bands playing and smell the ocean breeze just walking into the room.
White Ottoman Bench
Tropical lamps for the home complete this picture of ease and comfort, and you have quite a variety to choose from. Set the scene with a tall, hand colored brass lamp with a bamboo shade on your rattan foyer table. Next to it, a vase of orchids or bird of paradise, set against bamboo-inspired wallpaper. A small rattan chair or bench, cushioned in a neutral, interesting texture, and a bamboo or jute floor mat centered on the light stained hardwood floor, and you your guests will think they've entered Paradise.
Carry the theme through to your living room with bamboo or natural wood furniture, using fabrics with a banana leaf or tropical bird motif, and, perhaps, a porcelain lamp depicting a bamboo forest on your end table.
For the perfect bedroom, have a fluffy, earthy colored comforter and put your design into several throw pillows, covered in a jungle print that includes monkeys, large cats, and parrots. Use mosquito netting for your canopy, and complete the picture with a leather and bamboo lamp, a white-washed wooden fish trap lamp, or a brass wading crane lamp. A fan-backed wicker chair and ottoman, ocean breeze scented candles, and color photos or a painting of hibiscus, or palm dotted beaches, will make you feel like you're on a romantic and secluded beach, all year round.
Remember to keep your furniture casual, even to the point of shabby chic, with colorful accessories that include lots of flowers, colored beads, perhaps a tall wicker vase filled with bamboo, palm fronds, or even raffia grass. Fine home lamps in every room, of brass, leather, bamboo, rattan, or porcelain, but always in keeping with your tropical theme, will light up your rooms, and whisk you away to your tropical hideaway.