Interior designer Bea Pila demonstrates how you can make it feel like summer all year long inside your home with a tropical-themed bedroom makeover. From furniture to accents, she shows how to create a space that will be as relaxing as lying in a hammock with the tropical breezes blowing.
The biggest mistake people make when they create a themed room is overdoing things -- and the room ends up looking like a cliché. Keep in mind that there is more to a tropical look than just palm-tree prints and nautical elements: you need to use textures as well as visual references to create the theme.- Starting with the bed, I decided not to do typical fourposter bed. For a look that is definitely tropical, you can add mosquito netting, either be suspended from the ceiling or draped over the headboard.
LI>The bed linens should be made of a fabric such as muslin, which has a very light feeling and is not at all heavy. The linens should also have some sheen, which will help add sexiness to the tropical look. - Pillows decorated with seashells are very simple to make. All you need are the pillows, a glue gun, a selection of shells -- and a bit of imagination.
- The armoire style has a dark mahogany stain rather than the white finish that you might expect. This is a reflection of the native craftsmen's practice of using indigenous woods to interpret European furniture styles.
- Side tables, lamps and other accessories further emphasize the theme. Don't be afraid to mix and match styles and materials.
- Grass cloth is a good texture to hang on the walls.
- In the bathroom, seashell sconces and a vanity with clean lines and a just touch of wicker provide the finishing touches.
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