HGTV Star Keith Bynum's Best Tips For Turning Your Home Into A Tropical Paradise

HGTV's hosts Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas are known for creating unique remodeled homes in neighborhoods of abandoned houses that could use a lot of love. Each home often has an overriding theme chosen by the pair, which gives a unique design jumping-off point that guides the remodel and design, and appeals to future homebuyers. In a recent remodel on "Bargain Block", dubbed by the pair as "Palm House," their redesign included creating a gorgeous Miami-style tropical oasis in the middle of Detroit. By employing an innovative take on an island paradise, Bynum and Thomas successfully turn a buyer's nightmare into a seller's dream. 

It's a look you can reproduce in your own home for a very budget-friendly price tag by keeping a few things in mind like color, textures, and unique decorative touches that inform the aesthetic, including a few high-impact surprises like a full wall palm tree mural and custom fringed-wood headboard. Even better, the elements brought in by the hosts are accessible and affordable ways to transform your home into a tropical cabin wherever you live. 

The home — located in a Detroit neighborhood where the "Bargain Block" team has been focusing their efforts throughout the season — seems a challenging feat, with most of the home's first floor ripped down to the studs from previous abandoned remodels. Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas plan an island oasis, beginning by refinishing the dilapidated outside of the home in bright green, a color which they echo in the kitchen along with a soft salmon pink. Touches of green abound in the home, including the custom-painted mural by Evans, which offers a high-impact focal point the minute you enter. The living room sports beautiful orange/yellow curtains that further the tropical vibe, combined with black throw pillows in a rich botanical print.

The materials in the home also contribute to the strong tropical vibe, including the white-washed butcher block countertop paired with a glossy lacquered plywood backsplash repeated in the bathroom's tub surround. Warm wood throughout and materials like bamboo, wicker, and rattan abound, which further reinforce the tropical vibe. Unique accent pieces, like the custom fringed headboard that resembled a thatched roof, elevate the bedroom and become a centerpiece of its design.

The island retreat feel is intensified by strong colors that evoke the landscape of Miami, especially green combined with warm and bright colors like orange, pink, and yellows that evoke beachside sunsets. Woods are warm and often have an outdoor feel with lots of caning, bamboo accents, and an emphasis on light and airiness. Rich and ruddy textiles in vivid hues have a distinctive mid-century feel. For a more neutral-driven approach, choose one or two pops of bright saturated colors to mix with soft whites, tans, and light grays to create a tropical theme.

Elements like the sculptural wood headboard and the upstairs paneling seal the tropical look. Consider adding layers of different but similarly warm-toned woods in places throughout, casually mixing them for an eclectic feel. Manifest the tropics in other places like decorative accents and artworks. You can even recreate the home's mural for a huge high-impact focal point in one room, or purchase wallpaper or decals that provide a similar effect.