4 simple ways to bring the tropical look to your home

Bali, also known as the Land of the Gods, is a breathtaking paradise brimming with luxurious beach resorts. An enchanting combination of drama, dance, colour, and art.

Does that sound like something you’d like for your home? We can’t all live near the beach, but we can certainly infuse the tropical spirit!

There are four essential ways you can transform your home into the beachy paradise you’ve been dreaming of

• Get the Colours and Patterns Right
• Become the Tropical Gardener
• Light It Up, Bali-Style
• Go Crazy with the Right Accessories

Use Lush Colours and Patterns

To give your home a tropical atmosphere, you’ll want to adorn it with an organic colour scheme reminiscent of the Bali Botanic Garden.

Image from Designecologist

Choose your favourite green. It doesn’t have to be a vivid green; explore different hues like “Viridian green”, which is tinged blue, evoking images of a tranquil sea.

How about “Shamrock green”, a darker shade straight out of Bali’s Uluwatu Monkey Forest, with its thickly hedged shrubs that splatter white cliffs?

Put that shade of wallpaper in your living room to capture the tropical essence of Bali, defining the theme for the rest of the house. The wallpaper doesn’t necessarily have to have banana plants, palm trees, or ferns on it, but it should invoke the feeling of greenery.

Image from StockSnap

Paint the walls and ceilings white to brighten your home while giving the illusion of height and breadth. It’s a design strategy often used in hot climates to allow maximum airflow.

White walls and accents of tropical wallpaper are the simplest first step to achieving the look you want. Not into wallpaper? No problem. Let the curtains, cushions, lampshades, bedspread, and artwork carry the design.

The bolder the pattern, the better. Up the vibrancy level of your home with palm prints, florals, trees, birds, and even feathers. Your plates, glassware and centrepieces should be a carnival of colours and patterns.

Feel free to choose bold colours as long as they’re bright enough to reflect and expand.

And if you are lucky enough to have a lovely, natural view, then all you need are wide windows or clear, sliding doors (notice also the rattan pouf, cane hanging and accent chairs):

Don’t forget the blue of the ocean (we know right where to put it):

Become the Tropical Gardener

It’s now time to garnish your home with the building blocks of tropical design: plants.

And you don’t necessarily need a green thumb. Most tropical plant species make for perfect houseplants because of their ability to tolerate varying conditions. Depending on the humidity level in your area, they may need watering only once a week, sometimes even less frequently.

Still, you can always engage a gardener to help you along the way.

Let’s start with palm trees, the cornerstone of every tropical daydream. Look out for the Golden Cane, with its green foliage that looks even richer indoors, or the Walking Stick Palm, native to Australia’s subtropical forests. Kentia and Fishtail palms are also good choices as they do not get too big.

Learn more about the right palms to grow indoors so you can pick your plants according to the size, maintenance, and price that suits you.

How about sporting two of them in your entryway and one in each corner of your living room?

Orchids offer another great tropical flavour. They are stunningly beautiful, relatively easy to maintain across species, and some even have wonderful fragrances. They’ve been used in foods and perfumes for centuries. Did you know that vanilla is derived from the Vanilla Orchid?

Palm trees and orchids are just two ways to bring the tropical rainforests of Bali into your home. Experiment and have fun with it! Explore local flower shops and talk to florists about more options. Hire a gardener to help you with your transformation.

Bonus tip: if having real plants in your home is not an option, how about faux plants? They come in all varieties, so you have plenty to choose from.

Light It Up, Bali-Style

To finish off your tropical sanctuary, you have to get the lighting right. You’ve never seen a house in the tropics that’s dim and gloomy, have you? We’re moving away from the city life-film noir vibe and going bright, airy, and cozy. A few ways to do this:

• Replace your curtains with sheer ones that let in as much light as possible. Bring on the bright.
• Rearrange bulky furniture, so it’s not blocking the light; keep the area around your windows and other light sources clear and open.
• Another reason to paint the walls white is that it reflects the natural light.
• Mirrors are your friend. Place them opposite large windows to reflect light and give the illusion of more space.
• Install lights that direct their shine evenly across the walls for maximum reflection. Indulge in string lights and lamps for a playful glow.

Go Crazy with Fun Accessories

Fruits

Look for fruit-themed decor in wallpaper, fabric, and lighting for that tropical warmth. Use a bowl of colourful fruits for a vibrant centrepiece.

Animals

A simple way of transforming your home into a Bali-esque rainforest is by incorporating birds, fish, monkeys, and big cats likely to be found in the tropics. As the real ones may cause issues with the neighbours, look for pieces like this:

Furniture

White and wood form a perfect mix of tropical freshness and warmth.

Use natural materials such as wicker, rattan, bamboo, and teak (or woods that are a little stained or slightly distressed) to complement the vibrant colours and patterns of your tropical theme.

If you can’t get new furniture at the moment, simply add placemats, lampshades, and baskets in natural textiles to your home.

Bonus tip: Why not set up a small cocktail bar to quench that summer thirst with your friends and family? We can’t always go to Bali, but we can sure bring Bali to us.

These are just a few tips you can use to bring the tropics a little closer to home. If you want to invest in more significant changes, there are a whole range of home renovations experts near you who can make that happen. Contact them today.