Bohemian decoration is very on trend this year. See our advice for bohemian decor in the home.
Trends
What does this style look like ?
Like a wind of change and a return to simplicity, there is a new appetite for the bohemian style as a decorating style in recent decor trends. Unaffected design, offering gentleness and sobriety, based on a need to return to basics, a desire for the natural, quite the reverse of our too speedy lives.
This interior decoration, popular for arranging modern rooms, means sobriety, nature, and it's all very chic. Originally, the bohemian lifestyle, on the edge of the romantic movement, is a carefree way of living day-by-day, rejecting the materialism of industrial society. Today, the cosy ambiance of the bohemian character comes from the trend to accumulating and mixing, but in a sober and specific arrangement. While bric-a-brac objects and travel souvenirs reflect a nomadic life, the bohemian style also encompasses raw materials like wood, rattan and seagrass. Quality textiles like linen or pure cotton play a vital part. From sofa covers, to cushions and curtains, household linen and fabrics figure strongly in shades of white, ideal for combining with hotter colours.
The bohemian style upsets perfection and rationality, and prefers the imagination of recycling and the authentic craft look. In the spirit of the slow life, which counters the consumer society, every decorative item tells a story. This quest for meaning is not lost in design.
This art of living, more than simple interior decoration, tends to be associated with the Scandinavian style. Its preference for natural materials, pastel colours and clean lines, creates a harmonious difference with the nomadic look of the bohemian spirit.
How to give your home the bohemian look ?
Before decorating your house, you have to clear the decks. Clear the space of any furniture or things that are useless or too bulky. The base should stay sober and refined. For your floors, ideally go for stone, solid parquet or tiles which give a real tone. For the wall paint, prefer light shades. Some coloured notes from a carpet, suspended baskets or cushion covers enliven the space. In a bohemian interior, hot colours, like terracotta red or spice yellow, are good choices.
Natural light comes in to soften the atmosphere. Also, it is recommended to increase the light sources, with a bric-a-brac lamp, a brass or raffia hanging. For the furniture, distressed raw wood suggesting the passage of time is popular. For the seating, fabric armchairs and sofas covered with a wealth of throws and cushions. And, portable furniture also suited to outdoor use will be perfectly at home. Designed with a clean light, airy line this chair type also elegantly intrudes indoors.
Ethnic style woven rugs with Moroccan, Mexican patterns or Berber, Kilim rugs, echoing caravan life, will sharpen your decoration. The collector look adds a personalised touch, with glass-fronted cabinets of curiosities, where travel books are combined with objects gathered from the ends of the earth
Essentials for an interior in the bohemian decor style
Boho interiors diffuse a warm atmosphere specific to cocooning decor. To soften the environment, you should pick natural fibres. As well, reckon on hemp baskets spread about as you like, plaited light fixtures, linen curtains or vintage rattan armchairs... For your comfort corner, in a small room or on a veranda, why not hang a hammock between two beams. Let the outdoor world and escape enter the heart of your home. Nature is welcome here, and this means green plants are essential. To highlight this botanic touch, use a mixture of materials and unusual accessories. For the more inspired, you can have fun arranging cactus, dwarf palms or grasses with glass photophores, coloured vases, clay pots or wickerwork.
As a final touch, certain decor accessories alone symbolise the bohemian spirit. To brighten a wall pick a mural macramé, , a sun mirror adding volume, and black & white landscape photographs or old maps hung up. Each detail is an invitation to travel. The bohemian style means an interior that is pleasant to live in and always ready for meetings and having guests.