1. Glam up your entrance. Landscape lighting directed upward into trees (palms, naturally) and outdoor curtains brings a sense of drama to the front of a house. Small tweaks can also make a big difference — replace traditional mulch with beach glass, add a pair of potted palms to the porch or flank the walkway with cool sculptures.
2. Try a palm-leaf motif. Whether you choose wallpaper or something less permanent (like a duvet cover), a palm leaf print is a mainline to tropical-infused Palm Beach style. It’s bold, so one accent is all you need to make a statement.
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3. Punch up white with juicy citrus hues. Lots of white is de rigeur in sun-drenched locales, from the Greek isles to California. Palm Beach residents up the ante with jolts of bright, citrus hues. Toss an armful of pillows in fresh lime green, lemon yellow, tangerine or ruby grapefruit on your couch.
And if citrus hues are on painted bamboo (or faux bamboo) furniture, so much the better! Look for faux bamboo furniture at yard sales and flea markets, and give your finds a makeover with paint.
4. Add tropical texture with grass cloth. Grass cloth wallpaper is a great way to create atmosphere in a room. The texture also creates a beautiful backdrop for artwork.
5. Bring metal patio furniture indoors. Palm Beach is a patio culture, so why not bring the patio indoors? Colorful vintage (or vintage-look) metal patio furniture looks great painted in bright hues like aqua, pink or lime green.
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6. Have bright monograms made. Pure preppy fun, bright monograms look great on everything from hand towels and pillowcases to stationery. And if old-fashioned scripts are not your style, look around — many companies now offer monograms in clean, modern, sans serif fonts.
7. Get something from Jonathan Adler. Beloved by decorators and chic homeowners in both California’s Palm Springs and Florida’s Palm Beach, Jonathan Adler is a master of funky, colorful midcentury modern style with a twist. Splurge on one of his amazing ceramic pieces to add personality to your space.
8. Add a tropical reference. To do tropical in a modern way, choose just one reference and make one big statement with it. The oversize bird photograph shown here is a great example. Other motifs to consider include coral, sea horses, palm leaves, shells and flamingos.
9. Hang a statement mirror over bold wallpaper. Just one or the other would be great; together they make a memorable design statement. Fretwork or lattice wallpaper is a mainstay of Palm Beach interiors; for mirrors, you can’t go wrong with lacquered faux bamboo.
In the previous example, the wallpaper and mirror both featured angular, geometric designs. For a different way to go, pair two curvy, organic designs — like the leaf-print wallpaper and acanthus-leaf mirror shown here.
10. Show your sense of humor. Do something unexpected with your decor — put a jaunty hat on a stately sculpture, hang a neon sign on the wall or buy that slightly outlandish piece of furniture you secretly love.