A living room with wood-panelled wall and plants
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How to Embrace the Tropical Interior Design Trend

The summer months are fleeting, but there’s always an opportunity to preserve that summer feeling year-round through your interior design choices and home decor. Tropical, jungle vibes are an ever-popular trend, perfect for evoking the warmth and holiday feeling of summertime!

From incorporating bold, botanical patterns and more houseplants to eye-catching brass industrial lighting, there are numerous ways to get the tropical look without breaking the bank or going overboard.

For more trends and ideas, read our guide to every interior design style.

Choose Bold, Tropical-Inspired Patterns

One of the most obvious places to start with any theme is introducing a motif that instantly reflects the kind of vibe and look you want.

Statement walls with botanical or jungle leaf patterns are incredibly popular and are a great way of adding life and vibrancy to your space. Patterns with rich greens combine especially well with brass and copper tones, so keep this in mind when choosing lights and other details to complete that feeling of luxury.

If you don’t want to go for a longer-term change like putting up wallpaper, you can also incorporate wild, tropical patterns through your soft furnishings. Pillows or throws with botanical patterns or jungle animal designs can make brilliant additions to an otherwise neutral room, adding just a splash of the tropical trend for those that prefer to keep things minimal.

Other popular patterns and motifs to consider for a fresh, tropical touch include:

  • Plants and leaves
  • Bright florals
  • Pineapples
  • Flamingoes
Tropical wallpaper paired with a square mirror and retro lights
Sleek Edison Wall Light – Copper, by Industville (Image supplied by @morreninteriordesign)

Embrace Houseplants

If you want to embrace those vibrant, leafy plants in your wallpaper, why not incorporate the real thing as well?

Including plants in your interiors is the perfect way to bring the outside in and create a space that has a pure, clean quality. This is another great option for those that don’t want to do an entire design overhaul and only want to add small touches of the jungle trend into their spaces.

As well as looking great, plants help to create a calming atmosphere, so they are wonderful additions to any room.

Great indoor plants that can enhance your interiors and highlight the tropical vibe include:

  • Kentia Palm
  • Bird of Paradise
  • Philodendron
  • Monstera
  • Pilea
  • Golden Cane Palm
A green-tiled bathroom with a houseplant
Brooklyn Glass Funnel Wall Light - 7 Inch, by Industville (Image supplied by @victorian_reno_project)

Use Natural Materials

Ultimately, the jungle trend is all about embracing the natural world and celebrating it in all its forms. Therefore, making the most of plenty of natural materials throughout your home is a must for this trend.

Furniture that incorporates rattan or caning makes a great addition to tropical interiors, along with lots of warm-toned wood elements. Woven fabrics like barkcloth, jute and sisal also provide lovely natural textures and tones.

You can incorporate the use of natural materials throughout various aspects of your space, from larger furniture pieces down to the small details.

Green, leaf print wallpaper in a dining room
Sleek Dome Pendant - 13 Inch - Light Pewter, by Industville (Image supplied by @nat_and_chris_home)

Consider Gold Accessories

If you favour the tropical look, chances are you’re going to be utilising lots of green tones, and golden hues combine beautifully with this colour palette.

Touches of gold around a room add depth and a sense of richness. Think about incorporating gold into your space with plant pots, picture frames or vintage lights for some luxurious highlights.

Combining golds and greens with white and black also contributes to a wonderful mix of colours.

Monkey wallpaper in vintage style bathroom
Brooklyn Balloon Cage Wall Light - 6 Inch - Pewter, by Industville (Image supplied by @renovationfoxton)

Opt for Bright, Statement Colours

Injecting a splash of colour into your interiors is another key part of creating vibrant, welcoming spaces that give you that tropical feeling. Adding a pop of bright pink, purple or yellow, whether through art, cushions or blankets, will work excellently against leafy green themes.

The colour palette of the tropical trend is often characterised by a sense of fun and cheerfulness.

For an eye-catching statement, you could invest in a brightly coloured sofa, headboard or rug, creating a focal point that complements the entire space.

A bathroom decorated with green and pink walls
Bulkhead Outdoor & Bathroom Oval Light - 6 Inch - Black, by Industville (Image supplied by @thesmallsicilian)

Incorporate Artwork

Another way to incorporate splashes of colour in a room is through interesting artwork that ties into the theme and showcases your personality.

Displaying artwork, whether in the form of a large statement piece or multiple pieces in a gallery wall, helps bring more texture and colour to any space.

Adding art to places like hallways that are more easily overlooked can be especially effective and will help carry your theme throughout your home.

A gallery wall displayed on a green-painted wall with gold pendant lights
Old Factory Pendant - 12 Inch - Brass, by Industville (Image supplied by @the_village_reno)

Pay Attention to the Details

Depending on the direction you take your tropical theme, you may want to keep accessories minimal. If you’re using lots of bold patterns and colours, use just a few themed accessories to elevate the space further without overcrowding it.

If you’re going for a more subtle look, focus on your accessories and accents to highlight the theme, directing all the tropical jungle vibes to these points.

From lighting to throws to curtain rails, everything has a role to play in interior design, so make sure you think about how each element and detail will interact with the overall theme.

A bright bedroom decorated with light tropical colours
Brooklyn Glass Dome Wall Light - 8 Inch, by Industville (Image supplied by @lunaslittlehouse and photo by @snookphotograph)

The tropical trend effortlessly adds a sense of fun and vibrancy to a space at any time of year. Whether you want to go all out and turn your home into a thriving jungle or just want to add a slight hint of tropical richness, there are plenty of ways to do it!

If you’re ready for an interior makeover, check out our Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook pages for endless inspiration.

Header image credit: @11_keigwinplace