Injecting Island Style: A Hotel Tour

I recently had the opportunity to stay at a beautiful boutique hotel, The Parrot Key Resort in Key West, FL.  The resort embodied the relaxed, island vibe that one would expect from Key West.   It also illustrated some simple ways to inject island style into your own home.

• Texture- The woven bench anchors the bed and provides a place for guests to drop their bags.  The natural texture brings the outdoors in.
• Nautical Art- Pick art with a nautical theme to add a sense of whimsy.  Boats, shells, anchors, or oars are all great choices- and fairly easy to find at home stores.

• Patterned fabric-  Bright, bold fabric makes quite a statement when made into throw pillows and a valance.  It adds interest to classic white bed linens.
• Painted furniture-  Painting furniture in a cool Caribbean color scheme is an easy way to repurpose an existing piece of furniture.  Painted furniture is quite common in the coastal cottage style, so it can really add to that beach house theme.  If you aren't quite ready for a turquoise bed, start small with a painted night stand or table.