Interiors inspiration is all around us – in the restaurants we dine in, the hotels we holiday in. InsideOut has trawled Cayman’s public spaces to select our favorite decorative ideas, which you can recreate at home.
Anchor & Den
West Bay Road
Seven Mile Beach
Beige needn’t mean boring: Texture is the key to injecting interest into a neutral palette. Include a range of contrasting materials and finishes, like this combination of raw pale wood, woven wicker and lustrous marble.
Ready for your #shelfie? It’s time to stop thinking about your shelves as simply a place to store books and start using them to show off your personal style. Anchor & Den has picked artworks that reflects its cool, contemporary brand of Caribbean beach life, such as beach snaps with faded vintage-style filters. Books needn’t be stacked spine-out; those with beautiful covers can be dsplayed like artworks.
Wine crates are a popular DIY hack and with good reason – they are inexpensive, made of solid wood and have clean lines. We’ve seen them secured to a wall to make a rustic bathroom cabinet or stacked from the floor to hold books or plants.
The Westin
West Bay Road
Seven Mile Beach
Breathe life into your interiors with a living foliage wall. These “vertical gardens” have become super trendy in offices and hotels around the world, but they are fantastic at home, too. Not only do they enliven any dull and dreary setting with a shot of green, they act as a natural air filter and conditioner, mopping up all sorts of environmental nasties while balancing humidity levels and releasing oxygen. Whether your preference is for succulents, moss or lush leafy greenery, there are lots of helpful planter kits for beginners on the market these days.
Bacaro
Yacht Club,
Governors Creek
Intricate patterned tiles perk up a space and create a great focal point. Bold prints are best reserved for a statement area, such as alcoves, a splashback or breakfast bar. Ensure that there is enough blank space, like a bare neutral wall, elsewhere in the room, to balance out the brighter patterns.
“We wanted to give a rustic yet modern look to the restaurant, referencing the Venetian-inspired concept with nautical details,” explains Bacaro’s co-owner Federico Destro. “The hemp rope work definitely did part of the job, as well as the mosaic Venetian-style tiles at the sides and base of the bar, with the light sky-blue color that recalls the ocean.”
Kaibo Espresso
Water Cay Road,
Cayman Kai
Here’s another example of how tiles can add a pop of color and character into a kitchen space. Paring with white subway tiles and natural timber worktops keeps the look perfectly balanced, while the cut-out signage and industrial-chic pendant lights make quirky finishing touches. Red is a rare choice for kitchens, but wouldn’t making coffee surrounded by this juicy cherry shade brighten up your morning routine? We think so.
Owner Claire Francesca Pettinati says she sourced the red tiles from the Cement Tile Shop, the subway tiles from ITC Tile and the faux wood ceiling from A. L. Thompson’s. “The inspiration came from lots of beautiful cafes on Pinterest.”
Southwest Collective
South Church Street
“We sourced a mix of things from vintage markets in England and also Charleston in the U.S., which is great for antiques,” explains co-owner Lachie Hewitt. “The vintage records were sourced locally from a guy who was a DJ in the 80s/90s, so that was a real find.” His favorite piece is the photo of Sugar Ray Senior – an original from 1940s that he found in a flea market in Cuba.
So much personality can be brought into your living space through curated bookshelves – Southwest Collective’s are a veritable cabinet of curiosities including arty books, vintage tennis racquets and a copper still.
Pani Indian Kitchen
The Crescent,
Camana Bay
Designed by Kinney Chan Associates HK, the aim for this interior was to transport diners to the colorful outdoor markets of Mumbai – just as the street food-inspired menu does. From the cart as host stand at the entrance to the canopies covering the seating areas, the design team found ways to bring the ‘outdoors’ feel inside.
Pattern isn’t just for the walls – use it to beautify a plain floor, inside or out, with a stenciled motif. It’s a wonderful way to soften and personalize industrial-looking concrete flooring. Apply to a few select spots, like Pani’s scrolling oriental design, or cover the entire surface with a smaller geometric pattern.
“The acid washing of the concrete floor suggested eons of usage,” explains Jeff Stewart, manager of the Market Street Group. “Then we asked the talented Bella Ghinea to hand paint on an overlay of a traditional Indian symbol. Once sealed with a translucent top coat, it made the room feel even more rustic and authentic.”
Local artists were commissioned for site-specific works, including the Ganesh mural and lotus flowers by Matthew Riches. Jeff’s favorite piece in the restaurant is “Darjeeling”, which features thousands of tea bags hand-dyed and installed mosaic style.
Kimpton Seafire
60 Tanager Way
For a local, low-maintenance alterative to imported flowers, why not place a tropical leaf in a glass vase? Dark, glossy and beautifully shaped, you only need a single stem to make an impact. Far cooler (and better for the planet) than a bunch of hot-house carnations.
Think beyond the white box: brightly colored or dark textured walls can help to lift an artwork.
