As you may know, the homes featured at Palm Island Plantation present the best of British West Indies architecture: large windows, verandas, porches and balconies invite the lush tropical landscaping indoors. All of these components bring about an atmosphere of ambiance that is unparalleled in Vero Beach, Florida.

Why the West Indies you may ask? The atmosphere we aim to create at Palm Island is one of sheer luxury and finesse. This coupled with geographical, historical, and tropical influence; British West Indies design shares the key characteristics of the community here, reflecting the lifestyle of Palm Island residents

Geographical Inspiration

Not too far off the coast of Flordia lie the Caribbean islands and the foundation of West Indies design. British colonizers in the Age of Discovery honed the island lifestyle on the Caribbean islands of what are now The Bahamas, Barbados, Turks and Caicos Islands, Saint Kitts, Grenada, and Dominica. They enjoyed a more relaxed, less formal lifestyle than previously lived in Europe, untroubled about the isolation island life offered. While we are all for a carefree lifestyle, we know that the 21^st century demands certain amenities. Therefore, Palm Island Plantation offers the luxury of island life while retaining the privileges and convenience of a Florida location.

Historical Influence

Discovery of the West Indies by the British resulted in a collision of culture. For instance, statement pieces characteristic of British design were fashioned out of local woods like mango, mahogany, and teak that could withstand the humidity. This put a new, lighter spin on traditional European design. A less structured lifestyle coupled with the tropical atmosphere made way for features like the open floor plan, long and wide windows and doors, and expansive outdoor living areas, all of which are characteristic of the homes at Palm Island Plantation.

Tropical Lifestyle

A home at Palm Island means a vacation lifestyle that never ends. The near perfect climate of Vero Beach offers a lifetime of beautifully sunny days balanced with the right amount of island charm. Our local designers ensure that they bring those coastal colors – whites, beiges, blues, and naturals – that you love so much right into your home, bringing the outdoors in. The West Indies influence often makes its way into the décor and cosmetics of the Palm Island homes as well in the form of natural wood window treatments, Woven cane and rattan furnishings, airy fabrics, and more.

Explore our interpretation of West Indies-inspired design by perusing our gallery or scheduling a tour. Visit www.PalmIslandPlantation.com.

It’s no secret we love a beautiful Florida home, but the idea of what is in style has drastically changed through the decades! 

1960s

The 1960s brought so many things, including classic mid-century modern homes here in Florida! These mid-century modern homes remain a staple in our communities and often offer a great option for all types of home buyers. Some features that these homes boasted were attached garages, pastel colored appliances, and screened in porches to name a few. In their original designs, many homes featured classic 60s colors like orange, yellow and avocado green paired with paisley, floral and ethnic prints. 

1970s

The 1970s were known for disco, celebrating the first Earth Day and bold prints both in fashion AND interior design. 

The era marked an introduction to the open floor plan. Many popular designs included geometric patterns in textile design choices and LOTS of shag carpet. Some of the most popular features during this decade included bigger kitchens and counter space, ceramic tiling in the bathrooms and paneling in living areas. 

1980s 

Florida homes in the 80s may be one of the most distinct design eras in (semi) recent memory. During this time, Florida homes were often home to plush carpeting, walls lined with mirrors and vertical blinds. On the exterior, around our coveted outdoor living spaces, pools were well-landscaped. Inside, bathrooms boasted glass block walls and black tile. 

Design trends included lots of wallpaper, vaulted ceilings in living spaces and a much more minimalist color palette than that of decades prior. Some other design trends you might find in Florida 80s homes included indoor planters and angular, geometric architecture. 

1990s

Florals, floor length curtains, wallpaper boarder and sponge paint! The 90s had a lot of trends that we may want to forget right now. Homes in the 90s were painted with geometric patterns and sometimes primary colors too, paired with skylights to let in extra light. 

One trend that we love that emerged from the 90s? Large master bathrooms! Home offices now getting a lot of use during the COVID-19 pandemic made their debut in the 1990s too.

2000s

The 2000s brought us some newer design trends we don’t want to go without anymore! Most importantly, impact resistant doors and hurricane shutters important for life in Florida. Popular finishes included polished concrete floors, subway tile and the shabby chic design trends. 

New homes in the 2000s also featured main floor master suites, and more elaborate outdoor living spaces. 

2010s

The 2010s were often dominated by farmhouse style and minimalist design trends. 

Decor trends including brass hardware and mixing metals in the same space can often be seen in homes built and designed in the 2010s. Especially in Florida, millennial pink is a popular trend that can often be found in beautiful new builds. Whether good or bad, more home owners tackled DIY projects around their homes too with the growing popularity of home improvement shows. 

Each decade certainly brought design trends that we will love forever and many we would love to forget too. Our Palm Island Plantation homes work to create timeless architecture that will stand the test of time.

Throughout the pandemic, Floridians have been lucky enough to reap the benefits of our beautiful natural outdoor surroundings, freeing residents from the constraints of their indoor dwellings alone. 

As our residents know, Palm Island Plantation hosts a variety of convenient amenities. We continue to encourage our residents to use the perks of living here while staying safe and protected from COVID-19. 

While using our state-of-the-art fitness club, we encourage members to work out with members of their immediate household and social distance while using fitness equipment. Now more than ever, it is important to wipe down all equipment after use. 

While enjoying our outdoor cabanas and barbeque areas, please keep gatherings small and social distanced. While COVID-19 has been shown to spread less outdoors, it is still a danger, and we want our residents to stay safe and healthy. With twelve private cabanas at the beach club by the large heated pool and spa, it isn’t hard to have a private area to enjoy the fun and sun with your household. 

Palm Island's marine complex offers 12 deep water boat slips. The marina completes the ideal environment for enjoying the outdoors while remaining COVID safe. Enjoying time on a boat is the perfect setting to enjoy a relaxed evening watching the sunset over the Indian River Lagoon while leisurely sipping a cocktail.

With studies showing heightened stress levels and anxiety during the pandemic, our residents have been able to enjoy our relaxing and calming location along the Atlantic Ocean. We continue to enjoy the fact that Palm Island Plantation offers many ways to enjoy leisure activities right on-site in a beautiful beach club that transports you to the West Indies Islands while travel is still restricted. 

Like how this sounds and don’t reside at Palm Island Plantation right now? Learn more about available properties here.