Looking to add a touch of the tropics to your home decor? Island living is something that many of us aspire to. Regardless of where you live, there are many ways in which you can create an inspiring tropical style for your spaces.

Tropical style is all about paradise and island life, and it can be achieved with the right furniture, colors, and accessories. It’s all about providing a sense of escape and relaxation. And it’s the perfect way to bring the outdoors into your home.

When decorating with a tropical theme, it’s easy to go over the top. My suggestion is to start small and add one or two tropical accessories, take it slow, and see what you might enjoy living with. You’ll gradually find your perfect balance. Here are a few easy tips to help you get started:

Simple tips on how to create a tropical home decor theme

Start with a neutral base

A neutral base lets you introduce tropical decor gently into your space.

This gives you a blank canvas to work with. Light-colored walls and floors will help to brighten up your space and make it feel more open and airy – perfect for those hot summer days.

Decorating with plants is an easy way to create tropical style for your spaces

Tropical plants are a great way to create a tropical vibe in a space.

Nothing spells tropical style more than leafy green plants. From the structural shapes of monastera and rubber tree plants to softer ferns, there’s something for everyone. Palms and bird of paradise are two other excellent choices. Try mixing different styles of tropical plants together for a lush jungle ambiance. Remember to spray your plants regularly with a water bottle to increase humidity and your tropical house plants will thrive.

Bring in natural elements

Use natural elements for tropical style.

Tropical style should evoke a sense of relaxation and escape, so bring in natural elements like wicker, rattan, and bamboo to help create that feeling. Find furniture and accents made from these materials, or add them in through textiles and wall coverings.

Hotel decor is a great inspiration for tropical style

Treehouse hotel in Jamaica is a great source of tropical inspiration.

Take inspiration from tropical homes or hotels, and consider investing in a day bed – perfect for lounging around. You can enhance that island vibe with fabrics utilizing tropical themes such as seashells or tropical leaves. These can range from very subtle to bright and bold.

Bring the outdoors in

Rain shower bathroom, bringing the outdoors inside.

One example is, if you’ve ever experienced a luxurious outdoor shower, you know how exotic that can be. But since most of us aren’t situated where we can install an outdoor shower, how about installing a high-tech rain shower inside your home instead? If you accessorize with stone or wooden furniture then you could almost believe you were outdoors.

Add some bright colors to create tropical style

Bright colors create a tropical vibe.

Tropical style can easily be created using the right bright colors.

Tropical style is known for its bold, bright colors. Think fiery reds, vibrant oranges, and sunny yellows. Incorporate this color palette into your space through fabrics, artwork, and accessories. One of the best tropical shades is coral, a vibrant color that will breathe life into any decor. This color works particularly well for pillows, rugs and paired with gold accents. While green is a key element in any tropical look, don’t forget to throw a few contrasting colors into the mix. One example would be to team hot pink with turquoise for a vibrant look.

Keep it cool

Ceiling fan keeps your tropical paradise cool.

If you live in a hot climate like Florida where I am, or if you just want to emulate tropical home decor, then a ceiling fan might be a great investment. There’s something so relaxing about watching the blades whir away. Tropical furniture made from rattan, wicker, and bamboo looks good in most homes, being lightweight and sturdy.

Create a romantic atmosphere

Canopy bed adds great sense of tropical style to a bedroom.

Bedrooms lend themselves nicely to tropical home decor. For an elegant island vibe, add billowing muslin curtains to your bed. You can install a four-poster bed frame or simply opt for a muslin bed canopy. It’s also a lovely look for a children’s bedroom!

Here are some more photos of lovely tropical style spaces and accessories to jumpstart your creative thinking…

Tropical style wallpaper adds that island vibe.

Tropical style furnishings and accessories.

Sophisticated tropical style.

Natural materials help create a tropical vibe.

If you’re now itching for a cool tropical vibe for your home spaces, let’s talk more about how to move things in that direction – I’m always here to help. Choose a contact method right below this blog post, or click this “contact” link. You can also email me at: carmen@sohointeriordesign.com And you can always call me anytime at (407) 743-2399.