Dining Room Ideas

Create your own tropical oasis

Here's how to get resort style at home
Chris Warnes

We can’t always escape to the tropics but it is possible to create a tropical oasis at home to enjoy all year round.

Set the scene with indoor plants (Credit: John Downs)

Start with a quiet corner to feature a relaxed setting of furnishings, anchored by a black cane sofa with crisp white cushions, upholstered with piping in black, echoed in a plantation side table. Pile on plenty of cushions patterned in leafy prints and surround the space with lush tropical indoor plants for a herbaceous hideaway.

Billowy bed canopy (Credit: Chris Warnes)

To the bedroom where a canopy of flowing fabric softens darker timbers and speaks of jungle retreats of yesteryear. Wicker detailing in furnishings keeps things light, punctuating crisp white bedlinen and curtains, while accents of green in the rug and cushions reference the natural world, just beyond view.

Mirrors borrow from the greenscape outdoors (Credit: Angelita Bonetti)

Wicker furniture is lightweight and easy care – perfect for a resort-style interior. Seen here in a light colour scheme, this setting allows colourful cushions in tropical prints to enliven the space and introduce a splash of colour. A pair of arched mirrors mimic views to a tropical greenhouse and reflect the outdoors into the space, whilst a striped rug in a soft, watery blue anchors the scheme.

Refined and elegant (Credit: Chris Warnes)

Invest in statement pieces that will stand the test of time. This sofa embodies elegant high-end hotels in South East Asia and invites conversation beneath a dramatic chandelier. Sturdy, upholstered armchairs speak of evening cocktails and afternoon platters filled with cucumber sandwiches. Floorboards polished to a high gloss bounce light into the space and a potted palm placed against surrounding windows showcases the garden backdrop.

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