The story of Elvis Presley’s rags-to-riches story is well-documented and the home he made for himself at Graceland became the embodiment of his amazing success. It surprised me to find out that Elvis made many of the interior design decisions himself – I don’t know; it just seemed incongruous to me that the King of Rock n Roll would concern himself with color palettes, matching window treatments and accessorizing. But it makes sense, with all the craziness that surrounded a music icon like Elvis, for him to be a secret nester at heart; to want to create a place where he could be himself and one that he could share with close friends.
Rumor has it that the Jungle Room was Elvis’ favorite room of the house. The interior design inspiration was Elvis’ travels in Hawaii and his love of the Hawaiian Islands. Sofas and chairs were upholstered in faux fur; floor and ceiling (yes, you read that correctly, even the ceiling) was covered in green shag carpet; and the entire room was furnished in Witco, a type of furniture created by William Westenhaver that gained popularity in the early 1960s. It was blocky, flamboyantly carved and had an overall appearance probably most politely described as tacky. Again in keeping with the Hawaiian theme, the entire end wall of the room itself was outfitted with a waterfall – somewhat of a disappointment to Elvis as in constantly kept flooding. It even boasted a Tiki home bar complete with matching stools.
There is a deep seated fear amongst interior designers and interior decorators that at some point in their careers they will be asked to decorate a “jungle room” for one of their clients. But why not? Maybe the Jungle Room isn’t to everyone’s taste, but the whole point of decorating a room, whether you’ve hired someone else to do it for you or you are doing it yourself, is to create a space that is pleasing and comfortable to you. It has also been noted that Elvis himself never called it the “Jungle Room” but rather referred to it as the den and it was obviously the place he felt comfortable and relaxed.
During the 1800s, a den was traditionally a male retreat, where the men of the household withdrew after dinner with their guests for brandy and cigars, while the women held court in the parlor. Over the years, the den evolved into a place where everyone in the family could relax. It differs again from the family room, which is typically larger in size than a den. Some real estate experts have noted that the den seems to be gradually disappearing from floor plans of the contemporary home, in preference to the home office. But for many people, the den is the perfect place to unwind, read a book or watch a favorite TV program. Often, it is reserved just for adults; a much-needed kid-free zone separate (in mood anyway) from the rest of the household.
To create a room that is inviting, uncluttered and conducive to lounging in style, here are some things to consider:
- De-tech the room by keeping gadgets to a minimum. If you’re going to have a television in the room, select a TV armoire or a plasma lift TV stand to hide it from view when it’s not in use.
- Arrange furniture in conversational groupings.
- Choose a really comfy armchair with an ottoman or a leather recliner to fill a corner of the room, preferably near an electric fireplace, if you have one.
- Lighting should be even distributed around the room with the use of table lamps or other forms of task lighting to make the room well-lit while appearing low-key and warm.
- Don’t forget lots of pillows. Plumping up the couch and occasional chairs with plenty of accent pillows makes seating much more comfortable.
While some people term Elvis’ Jungle Room décor “atrocious,” he did get the color palette somewhat correct. Because it’s supposed to be a place to relax, colors should be warm. Select ones like moss greens, warm tans, wine shades, earth tones or even deeper yellows such as sunflower gold. Deeper palettes have a tendency to make the room feel more intimate.
Instead of an artificial waterfall built of cut fieldstone that never worked properly, for you den choose a more practical focal point. A fireplace adds warmth and ambience to a room; an open invitation to come curl up on the leather sofa. If a fireplace is not an option, consider using a barrister bookcase or library wall. Bookcases aren’t just for books; they’re an excellent way to display collectibles, trophies or family pictures.
You don’t have to have Elvis’ taste for snake carving armrests. The way to go about decorating a den can be best described as a type of cocooning. The emphasis is on relaxation, tranquility and your favorite way to kick back and unwind.
