Bohemian decor is all about indulgence, decoration, oversized drapes, large house plants, and plentiful soft furnishings. Add the exotic furniture and souvenirs from travels far away and you get the picture.
Romantic escapism, day dreaming, artistic flair and heaps of personality and soul. Few things are new, most are found, inherited or collected, lots reused and re-purposed. I am probably too much of a mid-century modern fan to go all floral and decorative in my own house, but I do have a weakness for the more exotic interiors and love taking ideas and inspiration from them.But did you know bohemian and mid-century styles go surprisingly well together? I wrote all about this in another blog post here.
If you’re a monochrome kind of person, look away now, because here are my top five tips for getting the bohemian vibe going in your own home!
Create a bohemian decor #1: The Peacock chair
Decorative, feminine, exotic…love it or hate it, the peacock chair is a true essential in a bohemian home. Surround it by lush plants in your sun room, drape your scarves on it next to your dressing table in the bedroom or create a cosy little corner with plenty of books, cushions and textiles. They also look amazing outdoors in summer on your terrace in the garden.
The Peacock chair, here combined with a shaggy rug, floor cushions, cactus plants, rattan accessories and a vintage swivel chair. Img: Moon to Moon–
Could you recreate this private little jungle in your sun room? Image Sarah Kaye–
Create a bohemian decor #2: layer your textiles
Do you love traveling to exotic places? Ever been to Marrakesh or Ecuador? I bet you came back with some pretty throws in your suitcase. Use them! Drape them over the sofa, hang them on the wall. Other essential textile items are rugs, shaggy or oriental ones, ideally slightly worn. Check Etsy for some amazing Floor cushions, great for adding some bohemian style to your room.
A rug draped over the bed? Why not. And hang those guitars up in case you feel like serenading your loved one in the morning. Image Magic Dream Life
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Who needs matching cushions anyway? Great mix of textures and patterns going on here. Image The Jungalow
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Create a bohemian decor #3: house plants
House plants are great to add a bit of bohemian style to your room, the larger the better! Hang them suspended from the ceiling in macrame hangers or just place them on the floor in a big ceramic planter or old tin or brass pot. Did you know plants clean the air in your house, making your living space extra healthy? Better than any artificial air purifier. Here’s some more useful info I shared on the blog earlier.
Great combination of a large houseplant in an old brass pot, a vintage chest, natural wooden flooring, colourful art and layered textiles on the sofa. Image Pinterest
Create a bohemian decor #4: add vintage finds
Love going to flea markets? Collecting weird and wonderful items? Show them off! Vintage finds are ideal items for creating that bohemian vibe in your interior. Group your vintage finds to create little collections and displays, on a shelf on the wall, a table or in the window. Lanterns are great to collect and display together, both inside and outside – because why stop indoors? Create a magical bohemian corner in your garden, on your balcony or decking. Oh and get that peacock chair out when it’s sunny!
Oooh…this makes me long for summer. Gorgeous lanterns. Image Residence Style
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Ceramics and crockery! Mix and match, collect beautiful ‘orphan teacups’, bring back decorative bowls and dishes from your holidays abroad, find fabulous plates in the charity shop. They will look fab all together in your vintage kitchen dresser. Image via Life is in Everyhting Beautiful / Tumblr
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Group fresh green leaves and a single pink rose in vintage bottles together against a dark painted wall. Image via Bloglovin
Get a bohemian decor #5. Art. Lots of it. And books. Lots of books.
I have a weakness for art, whether it is big oil paintings, graphic design, prints, black and white photography or sculpture. I LOVE art and when I see something that catches my eye and ‘speaks’ to me, and is within budget – I have to buy it. You’d be surprised how often you may find original art that isn’t expensive. A little bronze sculpture at a yard sale, a vintage oil painting in a charity shop or a cool film poster at an auction. You really don’t need to fork out thousands to buy original art by famous names to get a great collection going. Just do it.
Try also going around exhibitions in your local area to discover artists in your own community whose work may be more affordable than you think. Or how about framing some of your children’s drawings to add to the mix? Or an illustrated page from an old book? To get the bohemian vibe going, group your framed art on a wall to create a colourful eye catching gallery. Lean them against a wall, overlapping even, or arrange them on a shelf if you like changing them around every now and then.
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Old paintings, framed prints, stacks of books, vintage furniture and oriental rugs. Oh…and that mid century chair…what a gorgeous mix. Image Lonny
These are the type of paintings you could easily come across at flea markets or charity shops. Group similar ones to create a colourful ‘themed’ wall. Image Happy Loves Rosie
Not into paintings? Frame your plants and dried flowers! Collections are all about reflecting your own personality, so be creative and think outside the box. Image Our Southern Home
Inspired? Have fun giving your own interior the bohemian touch. And remember:
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