Office Minimalist: I'll be back soon! I'm going to visit a place like this...

I'll be back soon! I'm going to visit a place like this...

Posted by Mr Wong at 6:23 PM

I'm off to Florida you guys! I'm taking a much needed long weekend to visit one of my sisters and relax on the beach. So, I'm leaving you with ways to add some light-hearted, tropical air to your space.

oh...this is so me... natural wood tones and white

via the beautiful blog, this is glamorous

West Elm(top)/Pottery Barn ( 2 bottom) via Material Girls

Material Girls gave some really good advice on achieving this look:

Rattan or wicker furniture
Wood flooring
Natural area rug- seagrass or sisal
Mixing lots of texture and pattern is a must!
Comfort is key- large upholstered furniture in preferably white or off white will give it a fresh, clean, and crisp look
Animal prints!!!!
A few leather pieces
Try to stick with these colors- pale yellows, browns, golds, beiges, natural greens that have more yellow in them, soothing blues, whites, and splashes of red, black, and chocolate brown
Wood furniture
Lanterns
Bamboo shades for your windows
Table setting- they have these great round textured placemats at Crate and Barrel/ C&B Outlet or you could do wooden bowls
Large floor vase with bamboo sticks
A candle in a glass container with water rocks/stones
Wood bowl with real fruit

But if you want more of a beach/nautical look, here are some of my favorite accessories:

Faux coral- I can't say enough about it, I have a piece of it in my Living Room that I bought at Crate and Barrell and it just makes my coffee table.
Extra large clam shells- I know we have done a high low feature on this before, but you can find them everywhere these days- they are very in style!
Anything dark blue and white
Stripes are always nice for this
How about putting starfish in a bowl or in a jar?
Shells on a stand or in a glass bowl
A glass apothecary jar filled with sand...my mom (who inspires me every day!) has been collecting sand from the different beaches she has visisted while on vacation for the past I don't know how many years- she then puts the sand in different glass jars and labels them where they came from. It makes a really cute display and a great conversation starter about all of your travels!

Tips via Material Girls (more great info to be had)