The Ultimate Guide to the Boho Style
You don’t need to be a professional designer to recognize a boho style; that’s how obvious this style is! Any home bursting with patterns, colors, rugs, and greenery can fall under the umbrella of a boho style. A space designed in a boho style feels welcoming and cozy, and it also looks like something anti minimal.
Image Courtesy: Medium
Origin and Evolution of the Boho Style
Initially, writers and artists in Paris started using the term Boho to describe themselves as outsiders and creative people. Then bohemian style started becoming a way to describe home décor and clothes that have an artistic aesthetic.
Now, when we talk about home décor, Bohemian style has morphed into the blanket term Boho. Boho style embraces patterns, lots of greenery, furniture made of natural wood, and layered rugs.
When we go back in time, we can see the influence of boho style in the 60s and 70s hippie style, from home décor to clothing. It was all about freedom of expression and experimentation, about mixing non-related pieces at your home.
If you search some 70s home décor on google, you’ll see things like macramé wall hangings, wood and bamboo kitchenware, and floral designed drinking glasses. A lot of retro patterns from the past are having a comeback like paisley, and they also fit perfectly into the boho theme.
Types of Boho Style
After years of research and experimentation on patterns and what people feel while selecting décor for their homes, various types have evolved. The experiences and memories, along with the out-of-the-box decoration, are the main elements that form a bohemian style home. So, we have mentioned a few important types of boho styles; read on to see what kind of style you would prefer for your home.
French Boho
French bohemian style adds elegant and balanced characters in the home. Pastel shades combined with the quirky ones, use of fine art like creatively crafted vases, planters, and paintings, etc.
A French boho home is also full of vintage windows and rustic décor. In addition to it, for furnishing, the style uses shaggy rugs, striped bed sheets, solid-colored pillows, or cushions with a tint of faded colors and rich fabrics and textures.
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Moroccan Boho
Vibrant lanterns, floor cushions, and low tables bring a summer Bohemian vibe to outdoor spaces. Some plush furnishing, ottomans, lanterns, netting, and a bold-colored feature wall all integrate to evoke a view from a bright Moroccan market. When it comes to the Moroccan boho interior, you’ll observe multi-tonal ikat-inspired prints complementing in a melting pot of textures, patterns, and colors.
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Modern boho-chic
In a modern boho-chic interior, you’ll see white painted timber floors, plush furry throws alongside a vintage couch, and fairy lights to form a canopy above the bed. Rich textiles and bold hues balance the white walls and earthy plants to form a more laid-back atmosphere.
You can never have enough prints or plants and personal things such as indie wall art or your old guitar collection for a modern boho-chic look. With the addition of ornate pillows and rugs, an all-white palette can always have the 70s- inspired twist.
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Boho Rattan
A boho rattan house is styled using décor items from flea markets and eclectic designer furniture. The adornment of the space is primarily done using furniture generally made of cane or bamboo. Additionally, there are also accents of different colors and textures such as wall hangings and macramé art to decorate the house. You will also observe the headboard of the bed distinctively designed inside a boho rattan home.
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Bohemian Colors
- With bohemian, since there are no rules, there aren’t standard main colors or accent colors. You can go for a clean look, a bold style, or somewhere in the middle.
- If you want to keep a cleaner look, select a more neutral base such as white or tan, using the more intense colors in your textiles and décor in layers.
- If you want to create a bold statement, choose a striking color such as vivid pink, amethyst purple, clementine orange, avocado green, or azure blue for your walls, adding more colors through your décor choices.
- Metallic golds and bright shades of emerald greens, royal blues, pinks, and reds are important in a bohemian-styled space. Bright colors set the stage for the eclectic mesh of style.
Bohemian Furniture
Ever since the online market has taken a flight, we can find boho-style furniture almost anywhere; but the true boho furniture can not be found on any online store. Pieces are found and gathered over time and are usually secondhand, vintage, or bought from local artisans. A vintage shop is the best stop if you want to shop for boho-style furniture; couches and chairs tend to be comfortable and plush, creating a sit back and lounge-around kind of feel. You’ll also find daybeds, chaises, and hanging chairs.
A facet of boho design is the contrast between old and new. You can place your secondhand vintage pieces next to something completely modern. A clean-lined chair can have a fringed throw draped over it, or a sleek table can hold a lamp with a beaded shade. The gist is that not everything needs to go together perfectly, but rather, should follow a more laissez-faire approach.
Integrate Boho style into your home
Now let’s dive into the deep colorful ocean of Boho to learn how we can infuse this style in our homes without creating a mess.
Choose Lots of Rich Colors
Walking in a Boho room, you can expect any color of the rainbow in it; typically, rich colors and earthy tones are found common. Use olive green, magenta, deep blue, or saffron. Boho theme allows you to layer plenty of colors and lets you mix warm and cool colors.
Layer Textures and Patterns
A key element in a Boho home is the addition of natural textures. Include a lot of woven materials like rattan, sisal, knits, and hemp. Cover your wall with handmade tapestries like macramé, weaves, batiks, and more. Fringed and kilim rugs are also welcomed and look great in a Boho interior. Mix and match different patterns; floral, stripes, ethnic prints, paisley, anything goes with this style. Enjoy the freedom of experimentation!
Mix Old and New Furniture
Typically in a Boho home, a few secondhand or vintage pieces are included. Whether old or new, furniture pieces must be fluffy, plush, and welcoming. Create an ambiance that is casual and unpretentious — use floor cushions, poufs, and footstools. A weathered curio cabinet and a few oversized pillows in the corner to create a reading nook will look fantastic.
Bring the Nature in With Plants
Adding plants in your space will amplify textural elements, bring beautiful colors, and intensify a vibrant, unpredictable feel. Try to blur the line between inside and outside as much as possible in your Boho home. Move beyond fresh-cut flowers in vases by adding dried tree branches in glass vessels and arrange a few spectacular terrariums to bring a wild vibe inside.
Add your Travel Adventures
The Bohemian homes usually have a Moroccan look, but it’s not only restricted to only one cultural approach. Decorate it however you like it to be!
Display all your travel adventures and art pieces that you have collected until now. Arrange painted art alongside textiles and sculptures gathered from around the globe in a haphazard but happy pile. Collection of artwork from different countries is a sure way to spark an interesting conversation with your guests.
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