Embrace Free-Spirited Style with Bohemian Decor Ideas

Unconventional. Earthy. Relaxed. Unusual. These are just a few of the words that describe this collection of our favorite bohemian interiors.

The word “bohemian” brings to mind travelers, writers, artists, and musicians creating and inspiring others with their work. The term itself originated in the mid-19th century from the French word for “gypsy.” The term referred to residents of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic.

Bohemian, or boho, now connotates anyone with a romantic, wandering, creative spirit. In home decor, it references the physical manifestation of that style. Bohemian decor embraces design elements from around the world, combining objects, patterns, and colors from many nations. It is all at once stylish and comfortable, casual and welcoming.

If you are looking at going down this path with your home decor, read on and find inspiration with these inventive bohemian design ideas.

1. Bohemian Decor Ideas for Your Living Room

Since bohemian decor has no rules, pretty much anything goes. However, certain colors and textures form a solid basis for bohemian style decor. Start with warm earth tones as a base, such as light or mid-tone browns, grays, and greens. Use bright colors for your accessories and artwork.

A boho style living room is the perfect place to show off your favorite color, whether it’s fiery red, blazing orange, or amethyst purple. Bohemian interior design allows you the liberty to use all those colors in one space if you wish. Also, feel free to mix fabric patterns and textures, and make use of layering to capture the boho vibe.

Vintage furniture is at home in a bohemian style living room, particularly colorful mid-century pieces or antiques painted in vibrant colors. Green plants, macramé wall hangings, woven mats, and other natural elements are other key ingredients in creating a boho room.

2. Creative and Budget-Friendly

Bohemian design is perfect for bedroom decor because of its cozy, comfortable vibe. Use a variety of textures in your bedding, such as a silky bamboo duvet cover draped with a chunky, hand-knit throw. You can mix fur throw pillows in with embroidered pillows for a dive-worthy pile on your bed.

Strings of fairy lights add a magical ambiance to your boho bedroom, substituting perfectly for a traditional night light. Use antique mirrors to make a small bedroom feel larger. A plush throw rug, Persian area rug, or sisal mat—or two—adds warmth and character to the space. In addition, rugs can help define areas of the room.

Bohemian bedroom decor can lean more toward a neutral or vibrant color scheme. You may find a white or neutral bohemian bedroom more calming than one that utilizes a lot of bold colors. You can recycle unfinished wood pallets into a bed, adding a rustic edge to your bohemian style bedroom. Watch the video below to learn how to make a pallet bed with hidden storage:

3. Embracing Neutrality

Bohemian decorating is the perfect design style for the artistic person who has a lot of artwork or handcrafted items to display. The open-ended flexibility of the boho style inspires any number of craft and DIY projects. Many modern bohemian homes embrace green home decor principles and the concept of reusing, recycling, and repurposing vintage items. This makes bohemian decor perfect for thrifty or frugal individuals.

Replicate your favorite mandalas and other intricate patterns in beadwork or paint on trays, vases, or picture frames. For a beachy boho vibe, paint mandala patterns on large seashells and arrange them in a rustic woven basket. If you sew or quilt, collect Indian saris or pieces of batik or barkcloth. Patch these colorful fabrics together to make bohemian style pillow covers.

People who enjoy macrame, weaving, and other crafts that use natural fibers tend to gravitate toward bohemian style. Watch this video to learn how to make a macrame wall hanging suitable for any room in your boho home: 

4. Embrace Eclectic Vibes

While most people think of bright colors at the mention of boho home decor, modern bohemian style can be completely neutral. Clean and spacious-feeling, neutral bohemian interior design embraces white walls, pale fabrics, and lots of natural wood finishes.

Textures shine when they are not competing against color. You’ll notice the textures of rope, rattan, wood, and fabrics when they are the main focal points of the room. While the most common neutral boho decor ideas trend toward pale colors, a few darker accessories or a dark stripe in a floor rug can help ground the room.

Make lighter elements pop when you place them against a darker gray accent wall. White macrame wall decor will stand out hung against this darker surface. A dark stain on your hardwood or concrete floor accomplishes the same purpose in showcasing a beautiful area rug or plush Flokati floor pillows.

5. Minimalist Touch

Few tend to think of minimalism when they hear the word “bohemian,” but it is possible to combine these two elements of design. Although minimalism is all about the “less is more” theory, the bohemian style leans toward the opposite. But you don’t have to apply this “more is more” philosophy across the board. Sometimes mixing it up just a little is the perfect way to enjoy minimalist bohemian style.

You can still enjoy a minimalist boho home while showcasing some of your favorite things. You just have to be much more selective about which unique items come together in this eclectic style. Instead of displaying all the embroidered cushions you purchased in India, put just one or two on the sofa.

If your home’s architecture features modern minimalist details, such as large windows, clean lines, and few frills, bohemian style helps soften its atmosphere. Rich textured fabrics and accessories, hints of shiny metal, and lots of natural wood go well with this decor style. Be sure to include a houseplant or succulent to add a touch of nature to this minimalist room.

6. Boho-Inspired Delight

Bohemian style embraces little details such as fringes, tassels, buttons, and baubles. Ideally, the materials you choose for your boho living room, bedroom, or dining room should look slightly worn instead of brand-new. A vintage vibe is always welcome, as well as anything that appears well-loved through the generations.

Generally, window treatments aren’t a huge focus in a boho space. Look for simple rolling shades or flowing, sheer drapes. A vase of fresh flowers is always a welcome addition to a bohemian room. You can also include nods to farmhouse style, such as rustic shiplap wall coverings or using an old ladder as a design element.

Lighting your boho home requires the use of lamps and candles over stark overhead lighting. Use a collection of lamps—remember, they don’t have to match—and combine floor lamps with table models. Candles are a must for a nighttime glow-up and add a welcoming fragrance to your home. Moroccan lanterns or other hanging lights are also a welcome boho touch.

7. Infusing Bohemian Charm

Most boho furniture tends toward comfort over elegance, and lovers of boho style enjoy having pieces that tell a story. If you need to buy new furniture; sand and distress the new pieces to give them a more vintage feel. Most of all, your chairs and sofa upholstery should be soft, welcoming fabrics that invite guests to get comfortable and stay awhile.

Sofas and chairs with a low profile look great in bohemian-style rooms. Perhaps as a nod to the cultures in which sitting on the floor is customary, floor cushions are common in boho design. Add a leather pouf, soft ottoman, or bean bag chair for more low seating options. Plush rugs can also encourage people to make themselves comfortable on the floor.

Remove any furniture that appears stiff or feels uncomfortable, as formality has no place in a bohemian space. Go for tables and shelves with ornate trim. Search for pieces that look like you picked them up at international markets while traveling around the world. Wicker chairs, Papasan chairs, or hammocks that wouldn’t work with any other style feel right at home in a boho room.

8. Bringing the Outdoors Inside

Bohemian decor is big on nature, and nearly every boho room will include several houseplants or hanging plants. Not only do live plants soften the lines between indoor and outdoor living, but they also purify the air. Set alongside natural wood furnishings, plants bring a welcome touch of nature inside.

Arrange pieces of driftwood in a basket, or use them to hold a sheer canopy over a bed. Arrange dried plants, such as cattails or eucalyptus, in pottery jars or vases. You can buy fairy light strings with a variety of natural design elements. Look for tiny rattan shades on each bulb, or lights shaped like leaves or flowers, and layer them along your wall or ceiling.

FAQs

Can black be used in bohemian decor?

Yes, but sparingly. Lighter, warmer wood tones are more common in boho spaces. If you want a darker wall or other elements in the room, choose a darker shade of a neutral color. Warm gray, navy blue, or deep purple aren’t as harsh as solid black.

What is modern bohemian style?

Also known as “boho chic,” modern bohemian style is all about the eclectic vibe, vibrant colors, varied textures, and plants. Modern boho showcases a collection of globally-acquired goods – or at least gives that impression. Midcentury furniture helps add a modern twist to a Bohemian room.

Is there a difference between bohemian and boho?

Although the word “bohemian” most often describes interior design and “boho” usually refers to fashion, the terms are interchangeable. In-home style or clothing, these terms refer to creative expression outside society’s norms. Comfortable, colorful, and relaxed apply to everything with a bohemian label.