Decorating Ideas

Top Ideabooks

Appears in

Decorating

Top Ideabooks

See also

Decorating FAQs Decorating By Style Decorating By Room Decorating Ideas Colour Lighting Seasonal DIY

Palm Prints Make a Welcomed Appearance Indoors

Wallpaper and soft furnishings are turning green with fronds, trees and banana leaves in a nod to the sensational '70s

Joanna Tovia 17 January 2015

Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails

Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More

Comment3

Click "Embed" to display an article on your own website or blog.

Call it kitsch if you want to, but palm tree and tropical leafy motifs are big and they’re here to stay. Having recently seen the trend at New York Fashion Week, Spring/Summer 2015, it was of no surprise to see it pop up in the homes of Houzzers, just in time for summer. Bold, leafy greens in fabrics and on feature walls tie in with the resurgence of indoor plants (and ’70s-style macrame hangers to display them in) and our ever-present yearning to bring the outside in. It’s retro all the way, baby, but with a contemporary twist.

This is one trend that’s hard to resist, no matter if you live near the beach or your surroundings are far from tropical. These fresh and inviting interiors will have you replacing your cushion covers and pasting on some new wallpaper before you know it.

The Home

When you live on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, you have the perfect excuse to go for a tropical interior theme, and what better way to introduce some bright and breezy coastal style than with some palm tree fabric?

The Home

Tucked away in the corner of the patio, the same cushion fabric works well alongside a leafy palm and floaty cotton mosquito net. Secluding yourself away with a good book and an icy cold drink is staycation heaven.

“For me, the palm print is a gorgeous homage to the resort holidays of yesteryear, such as the Beverely Hills Hotel,” says Lox & Smith designer Jude Loxley. “It’s classy, sophisticated and a little bit lavish, and is the kind of print that can easily transform a simple seated area into a private oasis.”

MR.MITCHELL

This playful Melbourne apartment is unapologetically kitsch, pairing Cole & Son wallpaper from Radford with retro candlesticks from Meizai.

Ana Antunes Homestyling

In Portugal, iconic banana leaf wallpaper transforms a living room with the help of some retro gold lamp bases inspired by the ’70s. Martinique wallpaper as a feature wall makes a statement that’s both bold and elegant.

Ana Antunes Homestyling

Tamsin Johnson

The Martinique print is also available as a fabric – just the thing for urban homes where the outlook isn’t quite so tropical.

Rikki Snyder

Hang it on the back of a French door, and your living room is suddenly bang on trend.

“There’s a big trend on plants inside the home at the moment, and I really believe it’s because we are intent on making our liveable space more of a haven – we want somewhere where we can rest, relax and shut off from the world,” Loxley says. “Anything that conjures up balmy holiday vibes and island escapes definitely helps us do that.”

User

The retro leafy wallpaper in this bedroom takes the lead and the rest of the decor falls into line to support it. It’s bold, it’s beautiful, but one wall is probably enough.

User

The same West Hollywood apartment brings bold tropical flavour into the living room, too. The green in the palm leaf chair fabric has been echoed throughout the room.

See more of this apartment

Camilla Molders Design

If you like the idea of introducing some dramatic tropical greenery into your home, but can’t quite imagine a retro style fitting in, why not seek out a more contemporary take on classic designs? Tropical botanical forms inspired this stylised ‘Hothouse Flowers’ floral fabric, giving a new twist to a classic print.

Benjamin Rugs and Furniture

Tropical frond motifs don’t have to just be green. Blue, green and white is a natural combination – like the blue ocean, white sand, and green palm trees at the beach. Natural, texture-rich fibres provide visual and tactile contrast – think bamboo and jute – and work beautifully alongside.

Highgate House

Frangipani fabric brings wafts of this delicious summery scent to mind all year long in this living room, even without the real thing.

Salt Interiors

If you’re not a fan of frond fabric, why not go for the real deal with a show-stopping plant that delivers tropical flair in the freshest of fashions? This Manly living room in Sydney also revisits the brass accessories popular in the ’70s in a new and ultra-modern way.

YOUR FORECAST
How have you embraced the palm leaf trend? And where will it take us next – colourful Hawaiian print wallpaper? Share your views in the Comments.

MORE
So Your Style Is: Tropical
History of Style: Be Inspired by the Iconic Beverly Hills Hotel
Tropical Kitchens: 12 Key Design Elements
Stay Cool in Style: How to Choose a Ceiling Fan

Comment3

Comments (3)

Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo

carthiefintexas

Not so much green with me, but I've had my palm fronds in for a month or so. Hides my dining room and kitchen! Love the vibe & great examples. Forgive my photography.