Hawaiian interior design is so much more than palm tree prints mixed in with floral print fabrics and rattan pieces.

Home spaces specifically from the 1930s and 1940s reflect a rich interior design style that influences rooms to this day, said local interior designer Mary Philpotts McGrath.

"There's a certain stylization that took place in that period," Philpotts McGrath said. She describes the period style as a tropical blend of art deco and art nouveau.

Get a glimpse of this era at "Hawai'i, A Sense of Place: Island Interior Design," an exhibit opening tomorrow at the Bishop Museum. The exhibit re-creates interior environments and lifestyles from the '30s and '40s using furniture pieces from private collections along with archival images from the museum.

Among the items on display are a 1930s dining table and chairs of Philippine mahogany, torcheres inspired by the ti plant, vintage cabinets and rattan sofas, and card tables from Gump's Waikiki store. Other pieces include wood lamps carved to resemble woven lauhala by furniture designer Walter Lamb, a painted standing screen by artist Robert Lee Eskridge and period perfume bottles.

"It's a collection of things that are probably more unusual than what is typical of what you would now see only at antiques shops," Philpotts McGrath said.

The exhibit coincides with the release of the book of the same name by Philpotts McGrath, freelance writer Kaui Philpotts and San Francisco photographer David Duncan Livingston.

The book, like the exhibit, showcases principles that have made home spaces work from the beginning of the 20th century to the present: a respect for the environment; the use of natural, tactile and indigenous materials that reflect the culture; and the love of family and friends.

Reach Zenaida Serrano at zserrano@honoluluadvertiser.com.