Decorating in a Caribbean Theme
 

HI
We just bought our first house and I have a (relativley small)guest room with a pretty blank slate. I would love to decorate it in a Caribbean theme and for some reason am stuck with ideas. The bed is a dark wood canopy twin (sans the canopy)I have a matching dressor and have put a neat truck at the end of the bed.
Linen ideas? I am not into the new trendy palm trees
Paint?Decorations? Unfortunatley I do not have many artifacts, but tons of different island pictures. I have already blown up 3 for 8x10 frames

Thanks for any thoughts
:)Ruby

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check out the recent "domestications" catalog...they ahve soem really tastefel, classy island themed items.

I agree with the Domestications catalogue, they usually have really interesting designs for bedrooms. Also you might try a Pier One, since they have some nice bamboo furniture.

I'd paint the room in a light aqua, with white curtains, and gause curtains around the bed. Find a mirror maybe a window box, or a window mirror. I'd do some nautical accessories.

Have fun it sounds like a fun project.

Overscale works in smaller spaces.Find a local source/store that does GICLEE prints and enlargements of up to 6'wide by any length -- without any image degradation. Black and white old maps, postcards, photos work best if you want to minimize color and/or use it elsewhere. The resulting huge print is laminated and should be mounted on gatorboard, a foamcore with a stiff backing, so the piece won't warp, and standard picture hangers/wire installed.
See Caribbean Style by Suzanne Slesin for some inspiration.

In addition to the Suzanne Slesin book, check out Ethan Allen's "British Classics" (or something like that) collection for inspiration. Both reflect a British colonial island style (at home in the West Indies AND East Indies) which would work nicely with your dark colored furniture. Not all tropical themes are Miami Vice/pink flamingo/pina colada styled. Consider a rich wall color like terra cotta or curry or apple green. Use the canopies on the beds to drape mosquito netting. Accessories can be eclectic -- old maps here and there, framed postcards or photos, a small animal print pillow. Pier One is a great source for stuff like that. Have fun!

Thank you for some wonderful ideas!
Ruby

ALSO go on e-bay and check out the myriad of goods, some funky, some good candidates for blow-ups keyworded under
'jamaica' /there's lots of coins,stamps,money and Marley stuff to wade thru but some real scores for cheap as well...

I agree with Callaloo above, who suggested the British Colonial style which would work with your existing furniture. How about shutters on the windows instead of curtains? Mosquito netting draped over the bed is a must. Don't make the mistake of trying to incorporate everything into the room: pick a style YOU like, whether it's Miami-style tropical or more traditional, or funky tourist souvenir style. A touch of whimsy can be fun, I saw a great lamp in a photo shoot of someone's weekend house in a recent Better Homes magazine. The lampshade had stamps from various stuck on it.

LOVE the shutter idea!

This is not quite what you asked for but: we live in the inner part of a large city, long narrow yard, crappy wood fence. We put in an inground pool (Tahitian lagoon shape) with a waterfall tumbling over rocks into the pool on one side. We brought out favourite photos of the Caribbean and my friend sketched them out on the fence with a marker. Then she had my husband do the base painting and she went over with details, shading, etc. The result is fabulous; we have a chicken shack from St.Kitts, a fruit stand from St.Martin, homes from several islands, the mtn from Nevis, tropical birds that look like they're perched on the fence,etc. It was inexpensive (about $100 CDN) and it still looks great 8 years later.

In my husband's den which he has done "plantation style" we have old shutters on the window, a cane-seat chair we bought in SXM, a framed old map (print) of the islands. He painted the walls a lemony colour in the Ralph Lauren linen finish paints.

....and a ceiling fan. Home Depot is having a sale on them right now and I saw one last night (we bought 2 fans) that looked perfect for your project, it looks like it was plucked out of the carribean from a nice resort, nice wood details and leaf marked fan blades, really nice.

Have to have a ceiling fan, lol.

Have fun.

On "While You Were Out" right now(TLC decorating program) they are doing a bedroom in a Caribbean theme.... I cant wait to see what they do
:) Ruby

Do you have a "HOme Goods" store near you? IT is the imports section of TJ MAX in a store all it's own. They have fantastic caribbean stuff. First I bought a huge print of a palm tree, just to accent my home, and now I seem to be incorporating the Carib style everywhere because of this store.
They have Bombay chests with palms hand painted on them, pillows, prints, fake palms (that look real) and lots of other stuff at an huge markdown price...good luck.