Here at WKNDR Design, we are huge fans of palm trees. Palm fronds. Banana leafs. Palm print. Anything that reminds me of being on an island vacay. What I like to call Tasteful Tropical style. This ain't your grandaddy's Hawaiian shirt. These are sophisticated tropical prints and they are taking over the design and fashion worlds, and I am not complaining.
My favorite marker for when things have hit "mainstream" is Target. Target continues to up their style game every year and they are a go-to for me for clothing and decor. And the palms are plentiful in Target right now, so that means this trend is super accessible to all and I just HAD to share with you my latest palm finds (including a few from Target) and several ways that I have incorporated it into my style and home.
But first, a brief history in this print so that you can be a knowledgeable designer and fashionista. There have been many iterations of it over the years, but the reason why the banana leaf palm print is synonymous with Hollywood glam/Hollywood Regency style is because it first popped up in hotels throughout California in the 30's and 40's. Dorothy Draper, who was an interior decorating goddess, came up with the print in 1937 for the Arrowhead Springs Hotel in Cali. She called the print Brazilliance, and it was, well, bright, tropical, and purely brilliant.
Dorothy Draper's iconic "Brazilliance" print
In 2009, one of Draper's proteges redecorated the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia and used the Brazilliance wallpaper in one of the areas. And the result was amazing. For all of you folks that are always nervous about mixing colors and patterns together, take note of this next photo. It CAN be done (this hallway blows my mind):
Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia featuring Brazilliance wallpaper
Then in the 1940s, decorator Don Loper developed the iconic Martinique print to be used in the Beverly Hills Hotel. This is really where the banana leaf print became associated with the Hollywood Regency style and has continued to pop up in various hotels, restaurants, homes and fashion over the years.
The Fountain Coffee Room at the Beverly Hills Hotel
Oh, and let's not forget about Blanche Devereaux's bedroom on Golden Girls. Okay, this room is a litttttttle too 1980s for my liking, but had to throw it in there since Blanche's character is my Golden Girls spirit animal. The primary difference between Draper's Brazilliance and Loper's Martinique is that Brazilliance uses bright emeralds and a stark white background while Martinique is a bit more moody, with olive greens and a brownish background. Personally, I prefer Draper's Brazilliance as I love bright pops of color. Also, Brazilliance has the sea grapes in the pattern and I think they are a fun addition. Blanche's room had the Martinique, which is probably why it looked oh-so 80s.
Now, how do you get this print into your home and life STAT?
I love Fabric.com. It is where I got our fabric for our curtains for our house in Charlottesville. I went with the Tommy Bahama Island Hopping Emerald because I liked the emerald greens and crisp whites, just like Draper's Brazilliance fabric. Maybe it's only a fraction of the 'cool' factor of Brazilliance, but it's also at a fraction of the cost at $9.45/yard. Oh and if you can't sew or are like me and want every DIY done IMMEDIATELY, just cut the fabric to length, grab your iron and ironing board, and just use the no-sew iron-on hemming tape to make the panels and use drapery clips to hang on rods. See the pics of how I used it in our living room and dining room!
I'm also a huge fan of the Isla Pink version of it, with the subtle pops of blue in the leaves. Browse through the Tommy Bahama selection on the site- you're sure to find a color scheme of this fabric that fits with your room's design!
Now that you have your home taken care of, it's time to chat fashion. I just got the Mossimo brand White Leaf Tote Bag from Target and I am LOVING it. It's like a little mini tropical vacay every time I wear it. Such a fun addition to your summer wardrobe. Oh an did I mention that it is $44.99?!?
My sexy new tote on a day date at Afton Mountain Vineyards! Yes way, Rose!
While it comes with a tassel, I think It would be fun to tie a cute scarf in the loop to jazz it up and personalize it. Or, just get this scarf keychain from Anthropolgie and attach it to make it an even more unique bag.
Wanted to show you the outfit and this mirror selfie is the best we can get, folks. Also from Target is this awesome sleeveless chambray shirt by Who What Wear and at $22.99 I would totally recommend buying it in the 3 different colors (black, cream stripe and chambray) and for about $69 you will now have 3 new staples added to your wardrobe! It is made with Lyocell which is an eco-friendly, super lightweight fabric that is perfect for summertime. Seriously, this shirt feels like BUTTER. Shoes are the Mossimo Thong Sandals in Cognac (also at Target, shocker, and for only $15.99 PLUS all sandals are 30% off until 6/18/2017!!) and the necklace and sunglasses are Target finds from last year and the shorts are Bloomingdale's from many moons ago.
I also saw this Shore Halter One-Piece bathing suite on Target's site and for $39.99 I think everyone needs this great palm-inspired one-piece in their wardrobe this summer!
Could this post have continued on for at LEAST a million more words? You betcha. There are SO many amazing ways to incorporate the palm trend in your life. I would love to see how you all are using it in your design and style! Tag @WKNDRdesign on Instagram for a chance for your palm style to be featured!
Cheers to the WKND! xo
Becky