Decorating: 16 Ways to Incorporate New Bohemian Style

Be brave and take the plunge into Bohemian style with these easy and stylish tips

Becky Harris 18 April 2015

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More

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Some hear ‘bohemian’ and recoil in fear of dust and clutter and being trapped beneath a Stevie Nicks collection–sized pile of scarves; I know this because I’ve seen your comments here on Houzz. But this is a misconception. The truth is, there is only one hard and fast rule for bohemian style, which is to express your own unique creativity however you want to. New bohemians know that a quirky but curated collection isn’t clutter and that unplugging and lounging a bit can fuel creative fires. If you’re having trouble letting your new-bohemian flag fly, here are a few elements and loose guidelines. Put on a kaftan, fire up some tea and get inspired by these modern-day looks.

Design Manifest

Fearlessly celebrate textiles
In the great trials of mixing and matching, there are no rules. Kuba cloth, suzanis, ikats, paisleys, crochet, geometrics, even tie-dye fabrics with pom poms – they’re all fair game. In fact, the more you mix in, the better they’ll all work together.

Bench, Ballard Designs in custom fabric. Art, vintage, artist unknown.

Browse a selection of fabulous fabrics for the bedroom

Rikki Snyder

Be artful in new ways
One big watercolour wall in this bedroom is unique and soothing. While one might think this wall was painted during a creative spurt involving throwing paint on the wall straight from the tin late one night, this bohemian look was created in a modern way. It is a digital image taken from a small watercolour image, printed on canvas.

Create a print like this via Duggal Visual Solutions. Bed, custom with an antique panel from Jen Going Interiors. Pillows, Kiska Textiles. Stitched bedding, John Robshaw.

Rasa en Détail

Enjoy alfresco meals
Forget the melamine plates and plastic silverware. New bohemians deck out their outdoor tables like something you’d find in an elegant desert caravan tent. Intricate metal placemats, candleholders and ornaments, layers of luxe fabrics, stunning china and plenty of candlelight create extravagant settings for outdoor meals.

Ashley Camper Photography

Bring the indoors out
When I think of bohemians, I think of that iconic photo of Yves Saint Laurent and Marian McEvoy lounging on a rug and large pillows laid atop the grass outside his home in Morocco.

New bohemians take advantage of warm climates and all of the new sun- and fade-resistant textiles available. On this lanai in Hawaii, tribal-print curtains, a chunky knitted throw and a birdcage painted gold provide just the spot to recharge artistic batteries in the fresh air.

Justina Blakeney

Conversely, bring plant life indoors
Full of textiles like kilims and a suzanis, along with plants, African masks and most important, sunlight, design consultant Justina Blakeney’s home, dubbed The Jungalow, has become a well-known example of modern-day bohemianism. She incorporates plants into every room.

Skirting paint, Mint Sprig from Behr. Chairs, Panton from Vitra.

Discover the health benefits of indoor plants

DiSipio Building Group, Inc.

Embrace botanicals
In addition to live plants and flowers, go for plants in your prints, artwork and fabrics. In this room, embroidered botanical patterns on the pillows and a large-scale birch tree print on a screen bring the feeling of nature indoors.

Charmean Neithart Interiors

Create focal points and curate
One thing people fear about a boho look is chaos. But many new-bohemian rooms are layered yet ordered and well curated. In this room a red paper lantern from Vietnam draws the eye, and the furniture and accessories are centred around a metal Moroccan table.

The room’s decorator, Charmean Neithart, also taught us a great trick for salvaging an antique rug too torn up to use on the floor: Have salvageable pieces sewn into beautiful pillow covers, such as the ones on this daybed.

Breeze Giannasio Interiors

Don’t resist the fade
The wear and fading on this floor’s antique rug only add to its appeal. Also, the striking suzani on the wall is full of deep colours; the faded rug allows this piece to be the focal point.

Ggem Design Co.

Find an artistic community
Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles is a hotbed of new bohemians. The community is full of artists, actors, designers, writers and musicians who eschew the usual trappings of the Hollywood lifestyle. At actor Ian Harding and artist Sophie Hart’s house, a paisley umbrella and Moroccan lanterns set the scene for alfresco meals.

Part of the Laurel Canyon culture is Photo Day, when residents gather at Canyon Country Store to have their picture taken together.

Rikki Snyder

Embrace a fringe element
Like the suede swaying on ’70s fashion icon Jane Birkin’s coat, fringe enhances new-bohemian rooms. It can appear in the form of macramé (as with the top plant holder seen here) or at the bottom of a window treatment.

Artisan Books

Practice the art of lounging
Throughout history bohemians have been known as being carefree, or sometimes looked down upon as being idle. New bohemians have no problem unplugging from all the distractions of modern society, shutting out the noise and taking time to get inspired. Access your inner zen while lounging on a Moroccan-style daybed. No Wi-Fi is allowed during recharge time.

Deborah French Designs

Take the lounging to the floor
New bohemians know that floor pillows and poufs serve as comfortable seats and lolling spots. This designer used kilims from Morocco. Also, the coffee table was crafted from a Moroccan window topped with glass, and the screen on the right was crafted from an Indian gate. This designer had the sofa pillows made from textiles from Uzbekistan.

The magic of Morocco’s textiles and style continues to influence today’s bohemians, whether they ever spent a year or two traveling the country or not.

Sofa, Ralph Lauren, upholstered in Holland & Sherry rust velvet fabric. Rug, Irish Matting from The Natural Carpet Company.

Alida And Miller

Add layers in the bathroom
While soaking, new bohemians like to have textures and artwork around them, as well as a place to set a steaming cup of Darjeerling tea. Woven rugs, wicker tables, interesting patterns, artwork and flowers all enhance this room with bohemian style.

Urban Chandy

Catch your dreams
New bohemians are dreamers. These webbed pieces, made of sticks, feathers and often a gem, were originally created by Native Americans. The most popular lore is that they catch bad dreams while letting the good ones filter through, while some clans believe they promote natural wisdom.

M.A.D. Megan Arquette Design

Let your beads hang out
Whether replacing a door with hanging beads, using crystals to harness good energy or simply showing off a favourite turquoise necklace, new bohemians know the power of beads.

Rikki Snyder

Know that architectural style doesn’t matter – boho can go with anything
Whether they live in a strictly traditional or an ultramodern home, new bohemians can cosy it up. In this deconstructed saltbox, the owners did it with textiles, Asian vases turned into lamps, lots of textures and a photograph collection casually displayed on a big beam.