Crighton Properties | February 16, 2022
Congratulations - you’ve just realized your dream of homeownership in the Cayman Islands. Now that the hurdle of identifying Cayman property for sale, then touring, then actually buying is behind you, you can get on to making the most of it.
It’s time to make that house (or condo!) a home - and you can do that with these top design tips for Caymanian interior decor!
The original name for the Cayman Islands was “Las Tortugas.” Columbus himself offered this designation because of the numerous sea turtles he and his crew observed in the area.
Stay with us, this is still about design.
For most of the islands’ history, the economy, and lifestyle (and thereby home design) were governed by the itinerant lives of those who lived by and on the sea, harvesting sea turtles.
For that reason, cottages and cabins were more prevalent on the islands than stately, polished colonial estates. The design was not cemented in the same way as other islands on which plantations flourished.
But today, and due in part to the rich cultural tradition of the islands, design has proliferated, and there is great room for the flexibility to create your own vision, with a little guidance from these pointers.
The most important single piece of advice we can offer you is that you need to take your time. Don’t rush; this is your home, and even though you can make changes in the future, you ultimately only have one chance to do it right.
If you’ve just moved in, take it slow and absorb the life, sights and sounds of the area. Create a sense of direction for how you want your home to look and feel, and then align the elements with flooring, furniture, wall decor and lighting that makes it all come to life.
There is so much bright natural light in the Cayman Islands that you’ll want to take advantage of it. If your home features wide-open windows that let natural light it, make it work for you.
Light colors abound in interior decor on the islands. These reflect the natural neutrals around island living. Whites and warm neutrals of sand, the stark, yet faded colors of shells, and the light blue of water and sky. An added advantage of using lighter colors is that they make your home feel larger.
Settling on a color scheme will help you guide your interior design. Light colors and warm neutrals are popular, such as faded or washed out pinks and oranges reminiscent of the sun, as well as the coastal, light blues and sea greens of coastal design.
As advantageous as the use of natural light can be for setting a mood and giving a spirit to a location, being able to tastefully control the influx of natural light is also valuable. It just so happens that curtains and drapes are in vogue in the Cayman Islands.
The best part about drapes, curtains, and blinds is that they are not simply tools to regulate the light. They can add a nice accent to your interior design and complement the color scheme of your dwellings. Decorate your home with custom drapes or get elaborately decorated drapes or curtains with colors and motifs that underscore your home’s natural charm.
Green is in - not necessarily as a color - but literally in the form of live plants. The warm, ocean air and abundant sunlight in the Cayman Islands are custom-made for the health of so many different types of houseplants, many of which will add light and life to your home.
Plants aren’t just decorative, either. They can help to regulate humidity in the air, control natural noise levels, filter out VOCs and toxins from the air, and make a space feel more welcoming, too. Try your hand at growing succulents or cacti, ferns, Pothos, Aloe, Sansevieria, or Dracaena, all of which, when given the proper care, will flourish in the Cayman Islands (indoors).
If you’re looking to cultivate a frugal, native, natural touch, don’t shy away from upcycling. What you can’t find at a flea market or through an organized seller you may be able to create on your own.
There are plenty of items of natural beauty and Caymanian heritage that can be recycled or repurposed to make a decorative impact in your home. Spars, oars, sailcloth and other maritime implements and instruments which are “endemic” to the Cayman Islands can be repurposed for interior and exterior decor and even wall art.
Nets, lobster traps, cargo crates, and barrels can all be repurposed or upcycled into decorative items and furniture, arrayed with driftwood, shells, and other fixtures from the natural world. Decorate a net or an old wooden trap with lights and other upcycled gems or create a series of storage fixtures or furniture from barrels or crates - the possibilities are endless!
Flooring options like porcelain and vinyl are popular in the Cayman Islands, particularly because they are both low maintenance and relatively resistant to high foot traffic and wear. Vinyl, in particular, can be somewhat affordable.
Despite their relatively low maintenance, natural materials like hardwood or bamboo flooring are also popular for their natural charm, as are mosaic floors. Despite demanding slightly more attention, natural flooring will age beautifully and develop a character all its own. Plus, there’s nothing like natural flooring to complement the natural beauty of a Caymanian home.
These are a few more general tips. Avoid clutter where you can in an attempt to cultivate harmony within your home. It can be all too easy to move too fast, to overdo it, or to throw too many darts on the board and end up with conflicting elements of design that don’t really work in your home.
Take your time and reflect on the type of impression you want your home to put forward. Do you want a rustic, traditional, coastal style, or something more in the polish of the Spanish Mediterranean style that is popular in some island homes? Modernist style is also growing in popularity in the Caymans - but unsurprisingly, the elements of each of these do not always agree.
Finally, opt for quality over quantity. Don’t simply get something because you think it might work in your home. Take your time and think about where you will place a fixture of decor and how you expect it to interact with the other elements of your interior design, then make the purchase.
Over the past fifty years, we’ve assisted countless clients in achieving their goals of homeownership in the Cayman Islands. We feature a wide variety of different properties for sale in the Cayman Islands, including land, condos, and homes for sale.
From West Bay to North Side on Grand Cayman across to the Sister Islands, we have access to exclusive listings including luxury condos and homes in exclusive communities including but not limited to Lalique Pointé, Crystal Harbour and Harbour Reach.
Your dream of finding the right Cayman property for sale for your unique tastes starts with a call to us at 345-949-5250. Reach out to our professionals today!
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