Creating a Tropical Themed Master Bedroom Without Going Overboard
Theme bedrooms are fun for children and nurseries, and quite honestly, that’s where they belong. A themed master bedroom is not expressing a style, it’s decorating to a recipe. That’s not what interior design is about. You can create a feeling of an island oasis without overdoing the decoration.
If you really, really, really want a themed room, go all out and do it. It’s your room, you can decorate how you please. But themed rooms tend to get old quite quickly. Go for a balance of a theme and your personal style, and chances are, you’ll create a more personal retreat.
If you’re looking for a true tropical bedroom, I have to tell you, bedrooms in the Caribbean and the tropics are not overdone in tropical themes. They have subtle nuances that adapt the room to island living.
Furniture
A bed in a Caribbean bedroom is usually mahogany. Oak and pine don’t hold up well in the Caribbean nor the tropics. West Indian furniture, which is the term used for Caribbean furniture, is usually mahogany, teak and exotic hardwoods are used in other areas as well.
Beds are usually four posters and set high off the floor, to let the island breezes circulate through the room. Rattan and British Colonial style furniture slip right into tropical bedrooms where they belong.
Rattan, wicker and bamboo furniture and accent pieces can be combined with furniture made from the real tropical woods like teak, mahogany and ebony for an authentic tropical island look.
Flooring
Wall to wall carpet is rarely used, as it is just not practical in the tropics. Caribbean flooring is usually tile with neutral area rugs, often natural materials such as jute and seagrass. Of course hardwood can handle the flooring just as well.
Accessories and Fabrics
Pineapples and seashell motifs are used, but are very subtle, such as in chair seats or cushions. Heavily upholstered furniture isn’t widely used, but caned and rattan are, to help keep the breezes flowing.
Colors can go any which way, a Caribbean décor will usually have lighter, brighter colors, while a room in Bali would have rich, deep colors.
So if you’re looking for a real tropical themed bedroom, incorporate some of the looks into your décor, you don’t need to go overboard to get the style.