The Secret to Palm Royale Style
Words by Christine Van Dyk
Photos by Becky Rudolf, Courage Kim, 5801 Print House
You may not be on the guest list for the Everglades Club or winter at the The Breakers, but you can still live the “Palm Royale” lifestyle with interiors that showcase some highly-collectable treasures. The look is specific—a throw back to the days of ladies strolling Worth Avenue in Lilly dressers, when the Cubans first arrived and sugar was currency. Here’s how to lean into this luxe design with something fairly simple…vintage souvenirs.
The first travel souvenirs came from the Holy Land when pilgrims took home palm fronds from the Jordan River. Years later, the Sunshine State began to produce its own take-home gifts around the turn-of-the-century. Wealthy northerners coveted state-themed trinkets to show where they’d spent the social season. China plates, silver spoons, and silk scarves became a means of flaunting privilege.
But this was only the tip of the iceberg. The end of World War II and the popularity of the automobile would make the family road trip accessible to everyone, and that meant a new style of souvenirs. From handkerchiefs to shot glasses, orange juice cups to pennants, souvenirs became kitschy calling cards for Florida vacations. They spoke to what life was like in that very specific place and time.
“There were so many weird roadside attractions in Florida from the 1930s-1960s,” Alexa Schneider, owner of 5801 Print House in St. Petersburg, says. “Everyone who visited wanted to take something home to remember the good times they’d had. Sure, some were tacky, but others were truly unique.”
Alexa and her partner, Lauren Sampson, were so drawn to the aesthetic they decided to open a shop dedicated to reviving the lost images associated with those antique tchotchkes. Step inside the 5801 Shop, with its walnut-paneled walls and vintage photographs, and you’ll know what they were after.
“Things no longer looked like they used to,” Alexa says. “We wanted designs that truly felt like old Florida, something that would remind you of those long-ago trips down Highway 19.”
The duo turned to old advertisements, pennants, and matchbooks. They pilfered through brochures and paper placemats for graphics and fonts and researched long-forgotten theme park attractions.
“So much of modern design is actually based on places that no longer exist,” Alexa says. “Like labels from the Indian River Citrus stations along 301 where you could buy an orange pie and citrus marmalade. Those places had unique souvenirs and designs. Today, we’re bringing them back and celebrating the simplicity of that time.”
“I love it when old things find a new home. It makes you wonder where it will be in another 25 or 50 years.”
One thing Alexa loves collecting are old beach towels from places like Weeki Wachee and Cyprus Gardens.
“They’re good conversation starters,” she says. “I love it when old things find a new home. It makes you wonder where it will be in another 25 or 50 years.”
When searching for souvenirs to amp up the Palm Royale vibes, start with a few statement pieces or a large collection grouped together, like vintage tourism plates or framed travel handkerchiefs, which were the height of popularity in the mid-1900s. One of the quintessential Florida pieces to be on the hunt for is a Highwaymen painting. This group of African-American artists flourished in the 50s selling landscape art from the trunks of cars. If you’re lucky enough to come across one, snag it quick!
Citrus colors, iconic Florida pieces, and a quirky mix of high and low styles are the secret to showing off your souvenir finds. While there’s nothing more special than an antique porcelain orangeware cream pitcher, who says you can’t pair it with retro snow globes or an ashtray with a pithy saying like “put your butt here?” The goal is to create a home that brings you joy…just like being on vacation.
Here are a few other souvenirs to complete your Palm Royale look:
• Tea Towels to Frame
• Souvenir Plates for Grouping
• Silk Map Scarves
• Orange Blossom Dinnerware
• Framed Postcards, especially from places long gone
• Destination Handkerchiefs, every state had these and they make a great grouping.
• Travel Pennants
• Silver Destination Spoons
• Wood Painted Souvenir Fans
• Anything Vintage for the Bar Cart
