Rainforest Home Style Guide

Rainforest Home Style Guide
By Tara Dickinson
May 4th, 2022
7 minute read

Rainforests are opulent groves of wet tropical lowlands and uplands found around the Equator areas of the planet. These forest jungles are filled with all manner of plants, animals, waterfalls, insects, flowers, and native inhabitants. To bring rainforest-style decor into your home means welcoming an atmosphere of tropical warmth and exotic accompaniments.

• By choosing a rainforest style you’re transporting your environment to the far reaches of the world.
• This type of nature-themed decor can induce a very calming setting or one that’s a bit more wild and untamed.
• Either way, you’ll be able to unleash your creativity!

THE FORESTS

There are probably several you might be familiar with in the Top Ten Largest Rainforests of the World. Listed in order of size:

• The Amazon in South America (1.2 billion acres, 10% of the world’s species).
• The Congo Rainforest in Africa (1.5 million square miles).
• Bosawas Biosphere Reserve in Northern Nicaragua (5 million acres).
• Daintree Rainforest on the coast of Australia (165 million years old).
• Southeast Asian Rainforest from India to Malaysia (100 million years old).
• Tongass National Forest in Alaska.
• Kinabalu National Park in Malaysia (130 million years old).
• Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica.
• Sinharaja Forest Reserve in Sri Lanka India.
• Valdivian Temperate Rainforest spans from Chile to Argentina.

RAIN FOREST HOME DECOR

Jungle Colors for Rainforest Themed Rooms

To harness the colors of the rainforest, visualize its array of occupants: an overabundance of various types of trees, plants, flowers, roots, woods, barks, vines, mushrooms, and almost every animal in the rainbow. These are the colors that will supply the foundation for themed rooms.

• Greens: from pale lime to dark, rich emerald.
• Browns: from mahogany to tan, caramel, beige, sand, earth, and every shade in between.
• Blues: these are mainly the colors found in waterfalls and other bodies of water as well as on some of the exotic birds, butterflies, and other rainforest flora.
• Red, yellow, burgundy: various pops of bright colors will act as your rainforest accents hues.
• These colors will set the foundation and then can also be added to the furnishings and accessories that you’ll be using to design your home.

Ways To Decorate Walls in a Rainforest Theme

There are so many ways to be creative when decorating your walls in rainforest themes, that the applied technique could even become the focal point of the room.

• Neutral colors: if you want a more urban jungle/rainforest feel, set the stage with a subtler foundation using the neutral shades of the color palette.
• Greens: if you are painting an office or a bedroom, possibly a reading nook, and want to lean towards the more cave-like darker looks, dive into the rich greens of the color palette. You can also use contrasting light and dark shades for a dramatic effect.
• Wallpaper: the depictions on rainforest-themed wallpapers these days are quite vast and really thrilling. A wallpaper with texture (grass, bamboo) is an additional way to add a tropical feel to the room.
• Two shades: split your walls into upper and lower sections using two different shades on the color chart.
• Murals: personalize and make your room one of a kind, go the mural route. The look can be light-washed like using watercolors or full-on detailed and deep lush colors. For kid's rooms, add an animal or two hiding in the mural jungles.
• Kids' room ideas: paint a jungle accent wall; hang a large jungle print; color the door in an animal print; let the kids participate and have them make rainforest theme art.

Windows & Light

What style of window treatments you use in your rainforest decor will depend on how much privacy you need. One look that works well for this style is the gauzy net type that floats in the breeze. Otherwise, complimenting colored fabric curtains hung from floor to ceiling will add depth to the room. Other options include:

• Wooden or bamboo blinds impart that tropical touch.
• Use natural wood curtain rods or even a long piece of dried bamboo.
• For tiebacks, you can mimic the look of twisted vines by using flexible wood pieces.
• Replace windowsills and window frames with planks of natural wood.

Rainforest Style Floors

Using natural materials from nature only makes sense when designing your home with a jungle rainforest-style look.

• Wood or wood-looking floors will bring the diverse shades of the rainforests browns into the room.
• If possible, plan your floors with your furnishings. The goal is to have complementing but contrasting colors as well.
• For example dark floors with light-colored wood furniture. Or Vice versa.
• If going the carpeted way, add throw rugs in natural materials such as sisal, seagrass, or jute. Think grasses and such versus wool or cotton which are natural but not linked to the forest.

Rainforest Style Furniture

A home styled in a rainforest theme is a home that is surrounded by nature and natural elements. This holds true for the furniture pieces as well. Depending on your secondary design style, whether it’s a more modern based, leans more towards bohemian, or reclaimed and upcycled, you can find furniture founded on these looks.

• Choose wood furniture of various types. This will give you a range of wood shades to display.
• Make sure furniture shades work with the paint or wall color scheme you’ve chosen; dark mahogany wood looks elegant with darker shades of green, while lighter woods such as pine are ideal for brighter rooms.
• Completely unfinished pieces of wood, such as a log or slab of a large cut tree, make for gorgeous coffee tables, benches, or dining tables.
• Use wood branches or bamboo for a four-poster canopy bed.
• Bamboo, wicker, and rattan are also perfect types of furniture pieces for a rainforest room.
• Painted furniture in bold shots of rainforest colors, green, yellow, or blue, adds a modern vibe.
• Express your creative side by painting shelving units, dressers, or end tables in animal prints or rainforest flora.
• Upholstery coverings can go full jungle or animal print with neutral browns as your safe selection.

Rainforest Style Accessories

The number one accessory for this decor style is definitely lush greens. Potted plants in all styles all over your home will turn the space into a tropical forest. Be generous with your houseplants, from the front porch throughout the home to the outdoor area. Other accents can again focus on natural materials found in the forest, bamboo, exotic bird and animal items, rocks, and other artistic elements that express inspiration from the rainforests.

• Place your plants in wooden pots. Make sure to include a range of heights, from full-sized living room trees to hanging vines, and table plants.
• Incorporate bamboo in a lampshade, a table runner, or an entryway doormat.
• An indoor water feature will pump up your rainforest vibe 100 percent. See about adding a water fountain or other accent item that features moving water.
• Mirrors and photo frames with rough wood edges add to the jungle look.
• Glass bowls or vases with river rocks make for a nice accent in this style.
• Animal prints on throw pillows, lampshades, or an ottoman can absolutely be included.
• In children’s rooms, you can add animal-themed linens and curtains plus an assortment of stuffed rainforest animals: tigers, gorillas, monkeys.