How to Decorate Your Florida Home

Dreamy watercolor palettes, dramatic sunset images, and the wildest wildlife all belong in your Florida home...

Decorating a house or apartment in Florida is different from decorating in the other 49 states. As a Floridian, you have unique creative options and can experiment with bursts of color that might look out of place in a Greenwich Village loft or San Francisco studio. Here, Suncoast Girl reveals the top decorating ideas for your Sunshine State abode.

Apply Bold Colors

Like Florida fashion, interior decorating on this pretty peninsula begs for joyful and vibrant colors. You can select a color theme for your home with a trio of beachy shades, like aqua, gold, and cream. Or, you can use the entire rainbow and choose colors that complement one another like turquoise and silver. Maybe you want to decorate each room a different shade. How about a lavender bedroom that glows at sunset and a lemon kitchen that exudes freshness? The rule is that there are no rules when it comes to color in southern homes. And color starts on the outside, as there's a good chance your home is painted in tropical shades like this peach palace.

Use Some Unique Florida Touches

When you think of Florida, what images come to mind? Palm trees? The beach? Stunning sunsets? Integrate all these elements and more into your Florida home with photographs and paintings for wall decor. 

Here are some other Florida-kissed ideas for paintings and photos to decorate your walls:

• Pineapples and other fresh tropical fruits
• Frozen cocktails and umbrella drinks
• Pitchers of frosty lemonade
• Vases of exotic blooms
• Underwater scenery
• Funky reptiles
• Seashells 
• Wide-brim straw hats and sandals
• Vintage swimsuits like polka dotted bikinis

Dish towels, refrigerator magnets, welcome mats, and throw pillows are other items you can infuse with these Florida touches. Even if you don't live right on the coast, you'll enjoy gazing at the ocean from the comfort of your home. Plus, you're never more than an hour or two from the beach in Florida and majestic views like this one.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Florida is teeming with wildlife of both sea and earth varieties. So, think outside the box and go beyond those abstract paintings of the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico. Many fascinating creatures reside alongside us in Florida, such as flamingos, egrets, sea horses and starfish. Incorporate images of this wildlife into the landscape of your home with art, including sculptures. The Suncoast, also known as the Cultural Coast, boasts an unusual number of galleries and boutiques where you can find original art to fill your home. Or, you could print and frame one of your own photographs, like that shot you were lucky enough to capture during a dolphin watching cruise...

Do Something Unexpected

If you'd rather avoid the traditional Florida decorating schemes, then think even further outside the box and go with whatever speaks to your heart. Your home is truly your sanctuary and should reflect your personal taste, so if it's snowy mountains that you love, then sprinkle some cabin flair into your home. Or, personalize with one beloved style of decorating like beach cottage meets antique shabby chic. Again, there are no strict conventions when it comes to decorating a home in this diverse state of ours. A poster of a horse in a field of flowers? What could be lovelier?

Have fun and be creative as you jazz up your own personal bungalow!