Trending on Remodelista: 5 Interior Design Ideas to Steal from the Tropics

Embracing the heat, the Remodelista editors were inspired by retro-modern tropical design ideas this week. Here are five to steal.

Split-Bamboo Blinds

Above: A blind with the Chirag pattern. “Accurate measuring is essential,” the company advises. The blinds can be custom-made to fit within a window frame or over it.

A centuries’-old summertime staple, “‘chik’ window blinds, woven in India of bamboo, have lattice patterns made of ecru cotton,” writes Annie. See her favorite designs in Under the Indian Sun: Split-Bamboo Chik Blinds from Joss Graham.

Statement Chairs

Above: An antique chair plus a modern guest bathroom equals A Minimalist Tropical Apartment for an Art Collector in São Paulo, Brazil.

Brazilian architect and designer Felipe Hess plays old against new in a 4,800-square-foot apartment for a young art collector. See more in this week’s Designer Visit post.

Recycled Plastic Pendants

Above: Spanish architect Catalán de Ocón makes these PET lamps from recycled soda bottles. The Eperara-Siapidara Set of Three Lamps is €760 at ACdO.

“North London isn’t the first place you’d expect to find a tropical-inflected kitchen, but rather than stand out in garish contrast to gloomy London, architects Simon Astridge went for a softer effect by blending inspirations from Mexican architecture to pastel Victorian brick,” writes Alexa. See more in this week’s Steal This Look post.

Wood Ceiling Fans

Above: The propeller-like Artemis Ceiling Fan comes in 10 finishes (maple is shown) and comes with a cap (shown) and dimmable halogen light; it starts at $549.95 from Lumens.

“There’s no hiding a ceiling fan that hangs smack in the middle of a room,” writes Alexa. “While we like the more industrial ones in metal, there’s something especially versatile about wood models that span styles from 19th-century colonial to midcentury California and tropical.” See more of her favorites in this week’s 10 Easy Pieces post.

Tropical Wallpapers

Above: Tropical print Botany Wallpaper from South Africa–based Lemon, printed with eco-solvent ink; see more in 10 Easy Pieces: Retro Tropical Prints for Summer.

Annie discovers “tropical leaf-print wallpaper, a far cry from tiki and more subtle than the monstera-leaf trend of a couple summers ago.” See more in 9 Favorites: Rooms with a Touch of the Tropical, Wallpaper Edition.