Take a look at your base and ask yourself if it is being used to its full potential. Is it just a storage area for your old furniture and boxes of things you never use or maybe you are using it as a place to store seasonal items and things you don’t know what to do with? How about creating a tropical-themed area in your basement complete with a tiki bar where you can entertain family and friends in your own tropical retreat? It’s easier than you think to get the look you want. With a little imagination and the right accessories, your boring basement can look amazing!
You don’t have to settle for a basement that no one uses because it would be too expensive to renovate. It can be done for much less than you imagine if you are creative. You want your tropical oasis to be a fun and relaxing space, you hope to spend time in the lobby of a hotel that is not five star. Take your time and add lots of higher quality tropical accessories to breathe new life into an old space.
Start by creating freestanding movable partitions to separate an area of your basement for storage if you need a place to put the overflow of upstairs items that you can’t get away from. Everything will be out of sight and out of mind, plus you can easily reconfigure the size of this area in the future. Cover the walls and these movable partitions with grass cloth wallcovering and use bamboo canes to outline the partitions for a beachy theme. Add vintage Hawaiian hand-carved wood signs and Polynesian ocean art to your basement walls to inspire the Aloha spirit.
A tiki bar can be the focal point of your basement and the gathering place for future parties and family gatherings. You can give it the look of a tiki hut by incorporating bamboo poles, grass cloth siding, and a thatched roof. Display lots of glasses and barware that have a tiki theme. If your base ceiling height allows, add palm tree-inspired ceiling fans for additional tropical appeal. Include wicker furniture with tropical accent pillows that feature swaying palm trees, coral sea life, orchids, or a nautical theme.
If you really want to have a stunning tropical retreat, add some 20-inch-tall premium hand-carved tiki totem poles made from monkey pod wood to your basement oasis. It now includes replicas of traditional Hawaiian Museum statues made from Acacia Koa wood, as well as some sea life carvings of turtles or octopuses. Don’t forget about the smaller details like palm trees, sea life or beach themed switches. Remove anything that might take away from your tropical theme.
With a little thought and some great suggestions, you can have the perfect place to escape to after a long day at work. Put on Hawaiian music, a mai tai for yourself and relax in your own paradise. After all is said and done, there are no planes to catch, expensive hotel bills to pay, or crowds to fight. Your tropical hideaway is downstairs!
