Tropical wallpaper is a hot trend in interiors and there are a huge range of styles to choose from: from thrillingly dramatic designs to those that are more subtle but still pack the ‘wow’ factor. With so many beauties to choose from, it’s tough to make your final pick. So we’ve selected the Top 10 Tips to help you choose the ideal tropical wallpaper for your project. You could be closer to finding your perfect design than you think.
1: Choose an exotic bird wallpaper
Think tropical and many exotic images come to mind. Do they include peacocks, we wonder? This beautiful bird features as a highlight on this rich design boasting the best in hand-painted details. Not only are the peacocks resplendent in their proud nature here, they are seen perching on branches laden down with the most beautiful and exotic pink flowers.
The versatile nature of this wallpaper design is shown in the three available colour options – dark, light, and emerald green. Each one provides a striking focal point that would be ideal on a feature wall or chimney breast. Alternatively, paper an entire room with the design and bring the tropics indoors in a simple yet effective way. The design also draws you in, begging to be explored and appreciated in more detail. If you are searching for a tropical design that could also be a talking point, these peacocks guarantee you will achieve the desired effect.
Pictured: Enchanted Garden tropical bird wallpaper
2: Go for lush colour wallpaper
If you’d rather steer clear of bold colours, relax – the world of the tropics is still close at hand. Sometimes the lushest shades you can go for are those with a calmer feel to them. This is indicated in this tropical flamingo wallpaper design, packed with detail and yet exuding a calmness that makes you feel as if you are relaxing in a tropical setting.
Available in several colourways, this wallpaper shows how a contemporary design can bring subtlety into the home even when striking imagery is used. The calming colour scheme makes this the perfect choice for a bedroom. A focal point need not be achieved by a tropical theme that uses splashes of bright colour to get the message across. Instead, the flamingos bring a touch of relaxed pink into the picture, delivering a beautiful design that is at once eye-catching and relaxing. A lush design, certainly, but one that also provides the ideal tropical theme for any space you would like to sit back and relax in.
Pictured: Tropical Shore wallpaper in Berry
3: Go for big pattern tropical wallpaper
A big and bold print is a superb way to bring real character into your home. These prints often work best when a light background is introduced, as is the case in this instance. Most people would agree the Bird of Paradise flowers are among the most glorious and tropical ones we could introduce into our homes. However, while you can purchase such flowers to bring the tropical indoors, this wallpaper is a far more practical and pleasing way to do it.
The design features large arrays of Bird of Paradise flowers, along with large palm leaves – yet another feature found in many a tropical setting. The pink and green elements work well together here, providing a large print option that doesn’t seem too heavy or overwhelming. In fact, the natural flow of the leaves and flowers provides you with a relaxed feel while still offering the impressive design you would expect from a big print. Which room in your home would be transformed by the addition of this tropical print?
Pictured: Aloha tropical pattern wallpaper
4: Say yes to flamingo wallpaper
Many people associate flamingos with tropical themes, and they make yet another appearance here. However, you can see this is far from a traditional print – quite the opposite, in fact. The flamingo appears here in a classic pose that is repeated throughout the paper. This sends what would be a traditional design into something thoroughly modern instead. Choose the real flamingo colour (famously caused by their diet of shrimp) or go for an unusual one instead to take things to a fun and funkier level. The choice is yours.
This repeating design makes the tropical paper perfect to use for a feature wall. Switch from the original or blue colourways and go for something more subtle, such as duck egg blue or vintage, and the paper works well across a whole room too. If the flamingo theme in tropical designs is appealing, yet you want something more modern and easier on the eye, this flamingo wallpaper could provide you with the ideal balance between those two elements.
Pictured: Flamingo Conga wallpaper
5: If in doubt, add a tiger to your wallpaper
Picture a tropical jungle and consider the host of wild animals, birds, and creatures that live within. This is the most powerful image you could associate with the tropics, and that natural imagery is reflected in the most striking fashion in this vintage animal wall mural. Chances are you have never even thought about putting a tiger on your wall. You probably wouldn’t even know where to begin searching for such a striking wallpaper design.
However, a tiger is joined here by an elephant, a snake, an ape, and many other birds and creatures, all fighting for space in a stunning image. Bring the tropics to you by hanging this mural on a wall in your home. It would make the perfect choice for a conservatory, or perhaps for a room designed for occasional use or for relaxing in. There is always something new to spot in this wallpaper. Your guests will certainly be surprised and impressed by the detail and depth in the image, which is over a century old.
Pictured: Paradise Lost jungle animal wall mural
6: Add a touch of the past with vintage tropical wallpaper
You wouldn’t think the words vintage and tropical are a natural fit for each other, would you? But think of all those crumbling colonial villas in the tropics and you’ll get the vibe. This stunning print proves how beautiful the two can be when they meet in the same design. The colour palette is kept deliberately small here. You can expect to see all the shades though, indicating different tones and areas of darkness and light within the depths of this tropical jungle setting. The illusion of depth is admirable, bringing lots of detail in different ways every time you view the wallpaper.
Can you imagine what might be hiding behind those trees and large fronds and leaves? If you desire a tropical setting yet dislike the more striking designs packed with plenty of colour, this Palm Grove design will be perfect for you. Offering a shabby chic style that gives you a new look for your room choice, it also features a distressed metal frame within the design. Not only does this support the idea of the shabby chic appearance, but it also provides a window onto the tropics beyond. Imagine having this in your home, providing inspiration for the remaining décor to be completed. Quite the statement, don’t you think?
Pictured: The Palm Grove Bronze vintage tropical wallpaper
7: Get lost in a jungle wall mural
No one would wish to get lost in the depths of a jungle, yet that is exactly the prospect you are faced with when gazing at this wallpaper design. At first glance, the design seems simple, offering a monochrome take on a tropical setting that is at odds with many other designs taking inspiration from this region. However, there is ample detail in this image. The Amazonian setting suggests many animals are here, yet nothing obvious can be seen.
One can only imagine what might be lurking around the next corner. Palm fronds may hide tree creatures, while larger trees stand imposingly in the image. The monochrome design works beautifully with lighter colour schemes. It is also perfect for hanging in numerous rooms, from bedrooms to dining rooms and in other shared spaces. When calmness is the desired effect, it is vital to make sure your selected tropical wallpaper delivers on that promise. This mural does, giving you an eye-opening image that is at once calming and a real talking point.
Pictured: Lost in Goa Monochrome tropical wall mural
8: Go bananas for banana leaf wallpaper
What could be more tropical than bananas? If these feature in your first thoughts along tropical lines, consider the abstract design featuring in this wallpaper. Sometimes less is more, and that is acutely true of this design. Bananas may have featured in other designs as a complementary factor, but here they take centre stage. Yet even this is not exactly true. There are no bananas visible at all, just the leaves the plants are known for.
The leaves are rendered here in multiple shades of blue, increased in size to provide us with a close-up image of something that is common to many tropical settings. As such, we can zoom in on just one aspect common to the tropics. Coupled with an unusual colour palette designed to provide calmness and a sense of relaxation, the banana leaf wallpaper design makes a bold statement. It almost appears to be a large watercolour painting, gracing your chosen walls with ease. Romantically, it’s named after Kirungu town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which sits just below the Marungu highlands. So which room in your home could be transformed by this design?
Pictured: Kirungu Blue banana leaf wall mural
9: Choose a classic palm leaf wallpaper
As we’ve already seen, some tropical designs are big, bold, and nothing short of striking, demanding to be noticed. However, if you prefer a smaller design that still has the essence of the tropics on offer, this classic design offers everything you are searching for. Bright, light, and available in green or blue, this palm leaf wallpaper is fresh and inviting. It provides a modern take on the popular tropical theme. If you are thinking of redecorating a room where relaxation is important, this is the ideal wallpaper print to purchase.
The smaller yet highly detailed palm leaf design replicates throughout the paper, providing a beautiful design that catches the eye while not demanding constant attention. Used as a backdrop to a conservatory, a bedroom, or a shared space, this wallpaper has plenty to offer. The light background provides the ideal contrast to the palm leaves, while also delivering a pleasing and airy feel to the finished effect. For a truly zen setting, this classic wallpaper design delivers on its promise of a fine tropical feel without the excess of colour.
Pictured: Palm Breeze Wallpaper in Green
10. Thinking tropical wallpaper? Think pink.
Pink is the colour of flamingos, synonymous with a tropical setting for many. However, you will not find any flamingos here. You will, however, find a wallpaper design offering a striking mix of green and pink. Not perhaps the most obvious colour combination to use, yet ideal for a tropical design for any room in your home. The delicate pink background suggests the presence of flamingos and perhaps some tropical flowers too.
Meanwhile, the dark green leaves are presented in numerous shades, adding light and dark and a sense of depth to the wallpaper. The leaves appear in multiple forms, providing natural curves and flowing images that carry the eye through the design. While pink and green may not seem the most relaxing backdrop to a room, the delicacy this design offers proves we have a beautiful design to appreciate here. Ideal for a single wall within a room, it also goes well with numerous paint shades to complete the theme. For a true sense of being deep in the tropics, this Bird of Paradise-inspired wallpaper delivers a beautiful and powerful attack on the senses.
Pictured: Bird of Paradise Blush wallpaper
Introduce the exotic into your home with some tropical wallpaper
From flamingos to bananas and jungles to the past, tropical wallpaper designs have far more depth and breadth to offer than you might suppose. Now you know what you could achieve, all that remains is to make the right choice – the most dynamic choice – to transform your home.
Find your favourite! Explore the FEATHR tropical wallpaper collections.