Things You'll Need:
- Drawing of the room to be refurbished, including dimensions Colored paper Pencils and scissors Removable 2-sided tape Floor and window treatments Furniture Paint or wallpaper for walls Lighting fixtures Accessories and accent items
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Step 1
Make a sketch of the room you are working with, and note its dimensions on the drawing. Don't include any furnishings. Sketch and cut out little contrasting colored paper representations of the larger items that you already have and plan to use for the project, such as furniture, rugs, and floor lighting. Make them roughly 1/10 the scale of the room. Do the same for the major items that you have in mind for the room, using a different colored paper. Now begin arranging the little cutouts onto the drawing of the room. Experiment with moving them around the drawing, and try different combinations of elements. When you think you have an arrangement that suits you, put small pieces of removable 2-sided tape to the backs of all the little cut outs and stick them to their assigned spots on the drawing. You don't have to be terribly accurate or technical about this, because it's only to help give you an idea of what items you have now and what you will be needing, and how they might eventually fit together. Besides, you'll probably be changing your mind about items, accessories and their placements.
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Step 2
Prepare an inventory sheet based upon the plan you've begun to put into place. Make a list of the items that you already have. Add to that the items that you have in mind for future purchase. This written inventory will also help by serving as a sort of shopping list. Remember that you will probably be changing your mind about many items, so remain flexible and don't be afraid to change as much of your plan and the inventory as you like to complete your project.
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Step 3
Create a budget from your plan and the inventory sheet. Estimate how much you are willing to spend on each item still needed. Add to the list items and costs for flooring, wall and window coverings, lighting, and accessories. Include costs for optional professional installations, as well as projected costs for shipping and delivery of desired items or materials. This inventory and budget sheet will not only give you an idea of the expenses to be expected, but will also help you to establish guidelines for amounts to spend on each item.
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Step 1
Choose your basic flooring first, and go from there. If the existing floor of your living room is hardwood, that's a great start for you, because any natural wood flooring is perfect for tropical styling. It will also save you the major expense of installing something else. However, other choices like stone or natural-colored textured tile can add chic and dramatic effects, as well. If carpeting is your choice, use muted natural beige or earthy tones. Remember that the flooring covers a major amount of space in the room, and shouldn't remove the focus from the other elements such as furnishings and accents. Whatever flooring that you select can be accented with area rugs in varying sizes, neutral colors and textures. Materials such as natural hemp or sisal are excellent possibilities for area rugs. Adventurous people often choose faux animal skins for rugs.
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Step 2
Decide upon major window treatments before beginning your wall covering selections. Sometimes it's more difficult to find the window coverings that you like, so pick those out and then coordinate paint or wallpaper to complement your window choices. Use soft, lush, natural fabrics like cottons or chenille in neutral browns, tans, ivory and beige. Add more texture to your room with bamboo blinds and shutters, or grass cloth and sheer panels. Popular choices for drapes and curtains also include jungle plant or animal prints.
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Step 3
Choose the major furnishings that you want to use. Natural wood furnishings are perfect for the tropical living room. Select large pieces of upholstered furniture to create a casual, relaxing atmosphere. Coordinate the upholstery colors to complement your draperies or other window treatments. Balance the use of light colored woods by adding some darker colored tables and ottomans. Choose natural wood accent pieces such as bamboo, wicker and rattan, which are available in a wide array of colors and styles. Adorn these pieces with cushions upholstered in leaf or jungle prints. Large textured folding screens featuring animal prints can be used as furnishings, and add excitement and interest to the room.
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Step 1
Select your wall coverings to complement the window treatments and major furnishings. Don't even consider any choices of colors, patterns or textures until you've experimented in your own living room with samples or paint chips. Paints are notoriously deceptive, so be sure to try a little on an inconspicuous area of the room and let it dry before deciding whether you like it or not. Muted natural colors are great choices for paint colors, and bamboo patterned wallpaper is extremely handsome and versatile, complementing tropical decor. Do consider light, dusty-looking green tones for paint, as well.
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Step 2
Light fixtures in natural wood tones add to a relaxing atmosphere in the tropical living room. Bamboo, teak and rattan floor lamps accented with earth tones complement the casual, relaxed feeling of the room, and darker colors can add weight for balance wherever needed. Choose versatile lampshades to satisfy your taste. Use natural, muted tones, or add color and fun with prints featuring bright tropical birds, jungle plants or leaves, or even tropical and jungle animals. The addition of brightly colored lampshades can help to balance an otherwise muted room. Ceiling fans with light fixtures attached are an absolute must for this room. They are available in many different styles and colors, including natural woods like rattan and wicker.
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Step 3
Decorate your tropical living room with accessories, being careful not to overdo the tropical theme. Choose several large table lamps, wall hangings and plants first, then decide whether or not you think you need more accessories. Try to balance busy tropical themed plant and animal prints and other artwork with the simplicity of the rest of the room. Use large pillows with prints on solid colored upholstery, and vice versa. Other typical accessories for the tropical living room include animals such as monkeys, zebras, tigers or elephants. Bright, colorful tropical flowers including hibiscus, azaleas and orchids, and leafy plants like palm and banana, are also popular. A few baskets or wooden bowls are great touches, too. Accessories are a valuable asset for adding necessary greens to the tropical setting. Greens range from lighter shades with lots of yellow to sage and avocado tones, to nearly black, all of which accentuate the other colors of your living room. Consider large vases filled with silk tropical flowers to finish your living room.
