In February, Bob and I traded winter for sunshine and headed to the Caribbean, visiting Cozumel, Honduras, and the Bahamas. As an interior designer, I’m always noticing my surroundings, but this trip was especially inspiring. Everywhere we went, there was color.

Not timid color. Not one carefully chosen “pop” against a neutral background. Color everywhere.

Turquoise doors against weathered wood. Coral, pink, and yellow buildings lining the streets. Brilliant flowers tucked into dense green foliage. Blue water that seemed almost impossible in its intensity. Even the textiles and handcrafted pieces we found in the markets were layered with saturated color and pattern.

There was a freedom to it that I loved.

The Caribbean doesn’t seem particularly concerned with whether pink goes with orange or turquoise goes with green. It all lives together—much the way it does in nature—and somehow it works beautifully. The result feels happy, welcoming, and wonderfully relaxed.

I came home wanting to capture a little of that feeling.

Not to recreate a Caribbean resort or design a room that felt themed, but to take what I loved about the places we visited—the color, pattern, natural textures, and easygoing spirit—and translate it into a room that made sense for home.

Laken and I had the opportunity to do just that in this family/game room.

We started with the yellow palm-print wallpaper, and from there, we decided not to hold back. The paper wraps the room in sunshine and immediately changes the mood. Even on a gray day, this is a room that feels warm and happy.

From there, we layered in coral and soft pink upholstery, bright blue and orange patterned pillows, painted furniture, woven rattan, and natural textures. Rather than choosing one dominant accent color, we allowed several colors to play together—much like the landscapes and streetscapes that had inspired the room in the first place.

The rattan chairs and woven coffee table bring in that relaxed, natural element we saw throughout our travels and keep all the color from feeling too precious. Nothing about this room is meant to say, “Don’t touch.”

Quite the opposite.

This is a room meant to be lived in.

It’s a place to gather around the table for an afternoon of mahjong, pile onto the sofa for a movie, curl up in one of the rattan chairs with a book, or sip something cold on a hot summer afternoon. We wanted it to feel like the kind of place where you naturally linger a little longer.

And maybe that is what I brought home most from our trip.

Vacation has a way of giving us permission to slow down. We sit longer over meals. We notice the view. We wander through markets. We pay attention to color and flowers and architecture. We gather together without quite as much concern for what comes next.

Of course, we can’t live on vacation. But I do think our homes can borrow something from the places where we feel most relaxed and alive.

That doesn’t necessarily mean palm-print wallpaper and a pink sofa—although sometimes it absolutely can!

It means paying attention to the places that delight you and asking why. Maybe it’s a color combination you would never have considered. A handmade textile you discovered in a market. Weathered wood, painted doors, woven baskets, tropical flowers, or the particular blue of the ocean.

Those memories can become part of your home without becoming a theme.

At Dwelling Place, we talk often about creating a Homestory—a home that reflects the people who live there rather than simply following what is trending. Travel can be a wonderful chapter of that story. The things we see and experience away from home expand our ideas of what is beautiful and give us permission to make choices we might not otherwise make.

For this room, the Caribbean gave us permission to turn up the color.

The result is joyful, comfortable, a little unexpected, and ready for people to gather.

And on a hot Carolina afternoon, with a cold drink in hand, a mahjong game underway, and all that sunny yellow and coral surrounding you, it might even feel a little like vacation.

Favorite Finds

1. Selamica Ceramic Plates and Bowls Set These multicolor plates add a tropical flavor to whatever meal you’re enjoying. 2. Lilly Pulitzer Oversized Beach Towel This oversized beach towel is perfect for your next beach trip! 3. The Caribbean Cookbook An exploration of Caribbean cuisine and culinary history, featuring more than 380 authentic home cooking recipes from across the region 4. Mahjong Tile Set This beautiful set is actually featured in our room design.

Tour the room here, no passport required.

BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL

Warmly,