| The tropical look provides an island retreat | | | | nevertheless brings thoughts of the Tropics |
| awaiting you as you walk through the front | | | | to mind. |
| door. Close your eyes and imagine the colors | | | | |
| you'd see walking along the shore of an | | | | While tropical woods like ebony, mahogany and |
| island paradise. Use soothing blues and | | | | teak are popular for attaining a tropical |
| white to reflect a glorious sky, lush greens, | | | | look, don't purchase them unless they are |
| and earthy neutrals like beige, cream and | | | | certified sustainable. Wood furniture can |
| brown to represent a sandy surf. Accent | | | | also achieve a tropical look with carvings; |
| colors include reds, corals and other hues | | | | popular motifs include pineapples, palm |
| that remind one of tropical flora. | | | | leaves or trees and flowers. Bamboo and |
| | | | rattan furniture also go far to create your |
| Be environmentally conscious and fashionable | | | | private paradise, are eco-friendly, and |
| when purchasing your floor covering. Sisal | | | | utterly picturesque. |
| and jute rugs woven from natural fibers keep | | | | |
| the tropical look alive on the floor and | | | | Keep fabrics breezy and light, both in color |
| provide textural interest against wood | | | | and texture. Favorite tropical prints |
| flooring. | | | | reflect native botanicals that provide |
| | | | splashes of color, like the hibiscus or Bird |
| A popular accessory for Tropical-style rooms | | | | of Paradise. Use real plants to bring the |
| is a wide-blade fan constructed from rattan | | | | lush beauty of the tropics indoors, or dot |
| or with palm paddles. Many of these fans | | | | bare surfaces on walls with floral prints or |
| today perform double-duty as light fixtures, | | | | indigenous art. For a fun and practical |
| with bulbs already attached at the base of | | | | twist, place a travel trunk someplace that |
| the fan. This option keeps rooms bright and | | | | needs some tropical flavor, and use it to |
| circulates air, making it a thoroughly | | | | store linens and other items out of the away. |
| modern, space-efficient design that | | | | |