Tropical decorating is a fun style to have in any home, even if you don’t live on a tropical island!

In this style, you want bright, island colors like turquoise, yellow, lime and even purple and orange.   Think casual and colorful when trying to implement the tropical style décor in any room of your house.

You can paint the walls any color – bright blue, purple, yellow – even a neutral can work if you have plenty of colorful accents.  Then bring in the rest of the colors in your fabrics, pillows and accessories.  Remember to stick to just 3 main colors and your room won’t look to chaotic.  In fact,  it’s usually a good idea to make 1 color your “main”color and then use the other two as accent colors just dotting them about the room here and there.

To accent your tropical decorating theme, you might consider tropical prints and paintings that depict beach scenes and lots of lush vegetation.  Think about including some palm tree print fabrics, and maybe some tropical houseplants to give your home that lush, green feeling.

When it comes to furniture, nothing says “tropical” like wicker or rattan.  You can find some great sets of furniture today that are very sturdy but also have a casual island look to them.  If you are on a budget, try buying used furniture and painting them in a fun tropical color and accenting them with hardware that has a tropical theme (like starfish, palm trees etc…).  You’ll be able to revive some old pieces, get a great custom look in your home and save a ton of money!

Wood or tile flooring goes great with a tropical theme and if you want to have rugs, then why not try sisal rugs which have island appeal and also wear very well.

Tropical decorating can be a great way to get a fun and relaxing look in your home!

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If you are going for a rustic decorating style, the first thing you should address is your color scheme. You want to choose “woodsy” colors and earth tones. Browns, greens, golds and oranges are perfect for this decorating theme. You should pick 3 colors – one that will be the predominant color in the room and will go on the walls as well as have some representation in the flooring and fabrics. A second color will compliment the first and be used heavily in fabrics and accents and the third color can be a little more splashy or brighter and you can use this in a few of the accent pieces to give the room some interest.

Your fabrics are important in rustic decorating and should match the color scheme you have chosen, but it’s not just the colors that matter – pattern is important too. You want to steer clear of floral patterns as well as retro-modern geometrics. Stick to plaids or solids or, perhaps, patterns that reflect the outdoors like trees, moose and pinecones.

Your furniture should be basic – nothing too frilly. If you can spring for new furniture, then look at some of the rustic furniture that looks like it is made from trees and logs – these are nice sturdy pieces and will add to your rustic décor immensely. Plus, they look really cool and will be a real conversation piece!

Lighting is important and every room should include overhead lighting as well as table lamps. The overhead lighting could be recessed lights, or a hanging light such as a chandelier or ceiling fan. If you have a large great room (perfect for the rustic look) then consider a chandelier made from antlers – very rustic and interesting too. Table lamps could be just simple lamps or ones that have a “rustic” theme such as woods, animals or the like.

Here are some of our favorite rustic decorating products that you can use to turn your home into a rustic get-away!

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Here are 5 tips to get a cool beach theme in your home:

1. Color

Think “beach” when you choose the colors for your room. Light blues, sandy browns, and even pale yellow or white can make a perfect backdrop to show off your beach accessories. If you are on a budget, use paint instead of wallpaper – it will make a huge difference without breaking the bank.

2. Texture

The beach is all about texture – the smooth water, the rough sand, the bumpy shells … well, you get the idea. To make your room a little more interesting consider adding some texture such as a sisal rug or wicker furniture.

3. Fabric

You want functional fabrics for your beach decorating theme, after all, a beach house is supposed to be a place where you can relax and have fun without worrying about the furniture. Use strong cotton fabrics like denims or even ticking as well as distressed wood so you won’t have to worry about a few bangs or spilled drinks.

4. Accessories

What better accessories than shells for your beach theme? You can incorporate shells and starfish into just about everything. Place them in bowls on your coffee table, put giant starfish on your mantel, fill up clear glass lamps with sea glass. Use your creativity to come up with different ways to show off cool shells but don’t overdo it – remember sometimes less is more!

5. Lighting

A key element in any design is lighting and the beach decorating theme is no different. You want to have a good mix of overhead and decorative lighting. Put beach themed lamps (clear glass filled with shells or other theme lamps) on your end tables. Recessed lighting works great in any room, but you might also consider a chandelier to add a focal point – perhaps one made from driftwood?

A beach decorating theme can look great in any room – just think about these 5 elements listed above and you can have a relaxing beach get away even if the ocean is 100 miles away!

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