How to Create a Boho Style Interior

Bohemian interiors have long been a favourite look for both city and country style homes. The word ‘bohemian’ dates back to the 1800s and was used to describe people who were wanderers and travellers and would fill their homes (or caravans) with a variety of trinkets and treasures that were a mix and match of cultures, colours and design.

These days’ bohemian interiors take inspiration from bright and bold hippy style accessories and fabrics as well as rich, embellished fabrics and handcrafted furniture with Gypsy influences. This type of interior allows you to think outside of the box and break traditional rules of interior design by using clashing prints and varied materials to give a bold, free spirited style.

Fabrics and cushions are a key element in ‘boho’ home interiors as they provide a burst of colour, texture and pattern that is visually intricate and eye-catching. There are no rules when choosing bohemian style fabrics and don’t be afraid to layer different colours and patterns alongside one another for an amalgamation of styles and designs. Fabrics can range from bright and vivid Moroccan style designs with metallic accents and jewels to more natural and earthen Native American prints that can be showcased in your curtains, rugs, sofas and bedding for a rich and cosy ambiance within the home.

Lighting can also be mixed and matched with a variety of unique styles and colour schemes to create a functional and fashionable focal point within the home. Simple paper lanterns will give a soft and neutral ambient light that looks particularly chic in more neutral cream, brown and burnt orange bohemian colour schemes. If you have opted for a Gypsy or Bedouin style interior then select natural wooden candelabra style ceiling lights and wall sconces that give a traveller caravan style that is cosy and warming. For a bold and exotic bohemian style with worldwide influences and hippy chic glamour then select an array of coloured Moroccan style lanterns in gold and silver finishes with jewelled blue, pink and orange tones that will create a visual area of interest hung above a sofa or dining table area.

There is no such thing as empty space in a bohemian style interior as every nook and cranny is filled with trinkets and treasures that provide colour and pattern throughout your chosen space. Select colourful items such as these Kashmiri spice tins (left), house plants, global travel souvenirs and vintage crockery that will fill the home with detailed and intricate visual accessories that give that famous ‘over-cluttered’ look that we associate with bohemian homes. Hanging accessories are a must have in a Boho interior design with items such as dream catchers, macramé plant hangers, door nets and even hammocks being situated in the corner of the room, across a door or window area for visual detail and style.

Bohemian artwork takes its influences from a range of cultures, countries and time periods and is used as decoration for walls, floors and fabrics. Traditional lace style designs are a popular way of creating texture in a plain or neutral living space with white painted designs being used to create the illusion of a rug on a dark oak or hardwood floor. Lace fabric and Afghan style throws are often stretched along a wall space to create a 3d artwork that looks particularly striking above a bed or sofa area. Exotic Eastern artwork and bold floral motifs are used as murals in place of traditional wallpaper designs while historic Native American paintings, masks and artefacts look great in more neutral and contemporary bohemian interiors.

When selecting furniture for your bohemian interior then break all the rules and go against tradition by selecting a variety of colours, materials and finishes to create a broad range of visual detail within one specific room. Traditional dark hardwood tables and sideboards can be placed alongside rattan and woven seats and stools while Moroccan side tables, reclaimed wood coffee tables and fresh white painted chests will seamlessly nestle side by side for a truly unique interior ambiance. If you are feeling artistic then decorate your furniture with bright and colourful painted eastern patterns, neutral Gypsy influenced designs or inlay the door frames and drawer fronts with wallpaper swatches in tribal and Indian inspired prints for a unique and personalised finish.

For more ideas on creating a Bohemian style home interior, take a look at our latest Pinterest board – Pinterest – Boho Interiors