With summer getting underway, it’s time to start thinking about revamping your outdoor living space. Perhaps going away is not in the cards for you this summer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have that feeling of relaxing in a tropical paradise in your own backyard.
So, if you’re ready to transform your patio into a tropical, summery haven, then here are 15 tips that will help take any ordinary patio and turn it into a tropical oasis.
Plants, plants, and more plants!
The first step to giving your patio a lusher and more tropical feel is to fill your space with greenery by experimenting with different plants. If you imagine you’re vacationing in a tropical oasis, you’ll probably picture yourself surrounded by vibrant trees and a variety of tropical plant varieties, so adding plants to your patio space is essential in capturing the tropical vibe.
You can try mixing and matching both potted plants as well as those grown directly into the ground. Some great tropical plants worth giving a try include hostas, colocasias, and birds of paradise. Adding these plants is bound to add some brightness, lushness, and paradise vibes to your patio space.
Swaying swing
A hanging swing is a great idea to take your patio seating to another level and give it an extra sprinkle of paradise. Incorporating a hanging swing is the perfect way to add some comfortable and more luxurious seating to your patio. A great alternative to regular outdoor sofas or lounge chairs, a hanging swing is the perfect combination of comfort and tropical lavishness.
Hanging hammock
Putting a hammock on your patio can provide the perfect lounging space, for you to wind down, relax, and enjoy the breeze. If you’ve ever had the luxury of swinging away at a resort or on a sandy, beach getaway, then you know that relaxing or sleeping on a hammock can provide the perfect escape after a long day.
Blossoming flowers
Flowers are a fantastic way to liven up any garden or patio, but even more so when attempting to transform your space into a tropical wonderland. By including a variety of flowers around your patio space, you will not only enhance your patio with beauty and colour, but also better capture the essence of a tropical environment. Some stunning tropical flowers worth trying out this summer include hibiscuses, bleeding hearts, and bougainvilleas.
Think beach colours
One of the simplest techniques to make your patio space more tropical is to play with beach-inspired colour hues. Think different shades of blue, green, tan, and yellow. Incorporating both light and dark shades of these colours will not only help brighten and unify the space, but it will also help you feel like you’re soaking up the sun on a white-sand beach, as you take in the beauty of the blue water around you.
Umbrella
An umbrella is another fantastic step in achieving your dream, tropical patio, while also adding a furniture piece with purpose. With the sun beaming down on you as you try to enjoy some outdoor time, an umbrella can help you enjoy your time outside in some comfortable shade.
Not to mention, umbrellas are often placed around beaches and tropical resorts to help guests feel cooler outdoors, giving your patio that extra tropical feel.
Light it up
Adding a fire pit onto your patio is a fantastic idea to capture the tropical vibe of your space at night. Not only does the fire pit create a cozy atmosphere for summer chats out on the patio, or a late-night smores roasting session, but it also enhances the tropical atmosphere of your space.
When you can’t experience fire dancing or lit-up tiki torches in paradise, a firepit may be the best way to fire up your tropical patio experience.
Outdoor rugs
Outdoor rugs are the way to go when adding some decorative pieces to your patio space. Not only does a nice outdoor rug help to frame the furniture pieces surrounding it, but it also serves as a nice focal point for the space.
Consider getting a rug that has some nice, tropical leaf print, or some pink flamingos to tie in the tropical feel of your patio. A tropical outdoor rug is a bold and tasteful move to add some tropical essence into the space, if you’re not looking to focus on little, nitty-gritty decorative pieces, and would prefer a larger piece to tie the whole patio space together.
Lighting
Choosing the right lighting for your patio is one of the easiest ways to capture that beachy or tropical resort feel. Whether it’s some string lights wrapped around your fence or some bollard lights on your luscious grass to create a pathway around your patio, choosing your preferred lighting can help enhance the sense of a tropical haven for nights out on the patio.
Tropical outdoor wall décor
You’ve probably played around and experimented with all types of wall décor for your home’s interior. However, experimenting with outdoor wall décor, such as wall art, wall decals, and wall sculptures for your patio can be a wonderful approach to adding a few more tropical touches to the space.
Think about finding wall décor that captures the essence of what you would picture a tropical paradise to have, such as palm trees, starfish, tropical birds, or even a simple coconut. Adding these types of wall décor onto your patio wall will automatically elevate and capture the tropical feel you’re going for, as family and guests will be surrounded by all things that remind them of a tropical escape.
Decorative pieces
Once you’ve got the foundations for your tropical oasis down and ready to go, it’s time to start thinking about incorporating the perfect decorative pieces. Think about incorporating some storage baskets, glassware, pottery pieces, mosaic vases, or even some tropical souvenirs from past trips that you want to display.
The key is to have fun with your decorative pieces and to personalize your patio space, while still maintaining a sense of unity and visual appeal amongst larger furniture pieces, and the smaller décor.
Experiment with your cushions
As with every decorated space, having fun with your cushions is one of the best and most exciting ways to capture a desired vibe for a space. For a tropical patio, try including some bright, bold pops of colours or some nice floral patterns to help the patio seating seamlessly blend with the desired theme.
These extravagant patterns and colours help to light up the patio space, draw attention to the patio seating, and most importantly emphasize the tropical intricacies in your outdoor space.
Try a hint of rattan
You’ve probably seen furniture and décor made from rattan, but may not be completely aware of what it is. Rattan is a type of palm plant known for its flexible material, that is used to weave together endless types of furniture pieces, from sofas, chairs, tables, baskets, and much more. It is very similar to bamboo and is grown in tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and Australia.
You’ve probably often seen seating or décor pieces made from rattan, when someone is trying to capture a tropical vibe in a given space. That is because the appearance of rattan effortlessly captures and resembles the essence of a tropical cabana on the beach. So, when trying to take your patio to another level of tropical bliss, consider adding in a nice rattan lounging area, a rattan pendant light, or maybe some woven, hanging wall décor.
Curtains
Adding some hanging curtains around your patio seating is another potential idea to consider if going for that tropical paradise vibe. I’m sure you have probably seen those 5-star luxurious beach resorts that often have beautiful, white curtains enveloping the lounging area for its guests.
Not only do these curtains help guests lounge comfortably and privately, but they also provide a sense of escape from the rest of the world. So, finding the right curtains might be one of the best final touches to give your patio that sense of secluded, tropical retreat, you’ve been dreaming of.
Tropical Wall Mural
We’ve talked about the idea of incorporating some tropical, outdoor wall décor for your patio, but how about going a step further, and trying a full-blown tropical, wall mural?
Wall murals are an amazing idea to have so much fun with the design and vision of any space, through the mixing of bold colours and wonderful pictures to create a stunning final product. For a tropical patio theme, a wall mural is a terrific and creative technique to incorporate some more tropical imagery in a fun, DIY manner.
Think about what types of tropical imagery make you feel relaxed and at ease, add your own personal, creative touches, and enjoy your final masterpiece.
