Full of life, carefree and bold colors - this is what boho interiors are like. This is a decor that combines a passion for art, nature and flowers. A cozy boho bedroom includes ethnic elements, family mementos, antique furniture, an abundance of potted plants and a hint of artistic clutter.
Boho is the ideal solution for creating a cozy and warm bedroom. Designers value it for its naturalness, carelessness and comfort, as well as for the unlimited freedom to choose models, materials and styles. Matching textile accessories are an excellent starting point for original compositions in an eclectic, gypsy-ethnic direction.
Origin of the style
The boho (Bohemian or gypsy) style originates from France and spread from there thanks to the creative life of nomadic students who decorated their temporary housing with bright decor at hand.
The interior looks bright, overly colorful and rich, there is an organized disorder that is characteristic of the younger generation in wandering conditions.
Tips for creating a boho style interior:
- Antique and forgotten items for decoration can be found in your grandmother’s chest or attic; items with family history will be a distinctive feature of the interior design.
- There are no rules for combining colors, but in order to avoid emotional discomfort, it is better to think through the integrity of the design, alternating textures and colors of textiles.
- Homemade decor will be the best decoration for a boho interior.
Light
The bedroom should have a soft lighting scenario: provide good natural lighting in the room.
It is advisable that the room have voluminous window openings that let in maximum sunlight.
Artificial lighting should also be kept soft so that it does not hurt the eyes.
Install oriental-themed rice paper lights or fabric lampshades in your bedroom.
Read about how to arrange a loft bedroom in an apartment: all the secrets and subtleties of design, original finishing methods, photos of finished interiors in an industrial style.
See the best design solutions for a small bedroom here.
For a selection of photos of beautiful bedrooms in Provencal style, see the article at:
Distinctive style features and colors
First of all, the boho style is distinguished by its range of bright natural colors and the boldness of their combination. The interior combines from 4 to 8 shades in different proportions and without following the rules of combination.
The basis for color creativity is bedspreads, paths, panels, patterns on furniture, curtains and homemade lampshades.
Boho interior is loaded with an abundance of decor and a lot of accessories that create a feeling of disorder. All decorative items are important for style; only favorite and symbolic things for a person are used.
The creative interior environment encourages the development of creativity, the ability to create new things and implement ideas.
Boho Features:
- Wooden furniture and decor, a large amount of textiles.
- Bright and at the same time natural colors (raspberry, light green, sky blue, marsh).
- Abundance of decor.
- Eclecticism (a combination of different textures and colors, borrowing from different styles).
- Simple furniture, lack of advanced technologies and trends.
The most popular colors in boho style are: red, blue, orange, grass, yellow. Berry and natural shades of these colors are used, there are no acidic combinations. Bright colors are combined in the interior without rules or precautions.
In order not to overload the style with colors, the walls and background furniture can be white, gray or beige.
Living room
The boho style is very fond of artistic works, especially paintings.
And where is the best place to place them, if not in the living room? You can’t expect monotony and rigor from boho. This style simply does not fit into any framework. But you can’t call it chaotic either. This is a creative style, and, therefore, you will need to select things according to your artistic taste. This can be either artificially aged furniture or modern wicker furniture with bright upholstery. Bright and small pillows will complement the look of the sofa. As an additional touch, it is planned to use decoupage on the furniture.
It is imperative to allocate several places for relaxation - this is expressed in small poufs and armchairs. It is enough to simply cover the walls with plaster and decorate the ceiling with valuable wood. This will create the required contrast and make the living room interior unusual.
Boho is not just a mess - it's a creative mess
Varieties of style
The boho style and the nature of its disorder are also different, so you can divide the boho interior into the following categories:
- eco-boho (with wooden furniture and natural textiles);
- hippie-boho (with floral and animal prints, fringe, baubles and beads on floor lamps);
- chic-boho (high-quality furniture and upholstery, expensive carpets, classic decor, clutter);
- art-boho (modern paintings, rhinestones, crystal, glass, fur and satin decoration);
- classic-boho (ethnic motifs, bright natural colors, combination of different furniture).
Eclecticism
An incredible combination of elements that attracts attention. Piles of pillows, colorful curtains, exotic bedding, oriental accessories, a huge number of different pieces of furniture, decorations, lamps, accessories that do not fit together.
It’s impossible to be bored in such interiors - your eyes will jump from one color to another, from one piece of furniture to another. You may even feel like you are traveling back in time.
Tips for creating a boho interior
Despite the pretentiousness of the boho interior trend, when creating it you should follow a few tips:
- Choose your shades wisely. It is best to use one general tone, and then simply dilute it with accompanying colors, which will be visible in decorative elements, carpeting, and textiles.
- You can use old “grandmother’s” things as decorative elements and accessories. Almost everyone has the following items stored on their mezzanine: vases, figurines, unusually shaped sets, nesting dolls. To make them look even better, they can be restored. Homemade accessories made from twine, vines, and knitting with woolen threads are also suitable.
- All furniture should fit into the interior logically. That is, bedside tables, armchairs and tables should be installed where appropriate and free space allows. In each room, the sets must be independent of each other.
Remember that the finished interior design should not bring emotional discomfort.
What colors are suitable?
In the modern boho style there are no criteria or special restrictions. Here you can choose any color you like
Moreover, it doesn’t matter whether the shades of the interior match or not, the main thing is that you like the chosen tones. Listen to your heart, follow your taste, because everyone’s understanding of comfort is different
At the same time, it is important to create something of your own, unique, unusual, which others do not have. The living space should be individual, but comfortable for the eyes and body.
The only condition for decorating a living space is the presence of rich, bright colors. Quite often, decorative elements of orange, red, lemon, blue, and green are used for this. If you want to smooth out the color saturation a little, then you should try white.
Choice of colors
When choosing shades for the desired interior, you should not adhere to fashion trends. Everything primarily depends on the personal preferences of the owner, as well as the characteristics of the destination. But, there are some nuances in choosing a palette. They are individual for organizing a boho interior in a specific room.
For the bedroom
They try to choose calm, unobtrusive tones for this room. The combination of beige and pink, cream and light brown, blue and green looks great. Moreover, this tandem can be observed in decoration and curtains.
For children's
Here it is advisable to use bright, joyful shades. The combination can be very different. Tones of blue, blue, red, orange, lemon are suitable for children. Bright decor will look ideal in an unobtrusive overall environment.
For kitchen
Both light and bright colors are welcome in the kitchen. But the latest shades should not be poisonous. Immediately avoid lemon, light green, lime, and turquoise. These tones will negatively affect appetite and destroy the psyche.
Dark blue or dark green shades can be left for accent. For example, use them to decorate a work area (apron).
For the living room
If the room is spacious. Then you can play with contrasts. Why not focus attention on a specific object: furniture, decorative wall, mirror frame or lamp. It is important to leave one light element here. They can be curtains or decoration of a visible wall.
Who would suit a boho style interior?
To some guests, a boho interior may seem overly pretentious and oversaturated with things. It is contraindicated for pedantic apartment owners who prefer that every item be in its place. This design is not suitable for minimalists, lovers of free spaces, monochrome walls and strict geometry. But extraordinary individuals, prone to creative chaos and accustomed to filling the house with pleasant things, will certainly appreciate the freedom-loving boho chic.
It is important that it does not imply untidy chaos; behind the visible clutter and diversity, individual harmony and a special order are hidden.
Transform your bedroom into your personal creative studio
Create a little nook for yourself where you can write, draw, create, or do some special creative activity that feeds your boho passion. Display the results of your creativity - your drawings, crafts, poems, hand-painted furniture, embroidery - to constantly feed your thirst for creativity.
Boho renovation
It's almost impossible to recreate boho chic with dark, glossy walls. If you are planning to decorate an apartment in a bohemian style during the renovation stage, then select appropriate finishing materials. Ideally, they will be natural, as in eco-projects; plastic is contraindicated for boho. You can opt for materials that imitate wood, for example, if you are changing double-glazed windows.
Ceramics, parquet or stone, as well as anything that resembles them in texture, are suitable.
Instead of a stretch ceiling, give preference to stucco, open beams or rough whitewash. Walls are rarely left white, but in boho there are no particular contraindications for neutral tones. You can choose muted earthy tones or paint one side with a bright color. Stencil painting, panels and carpet on the wall look good.
Find out more about the lives of famous bohemians
Immerse yourself in the bohemian way of thinking by learning more about bohemian history and the creative people who lived the bohemian way of life. Think about whether you have their characteristic adventurism. Hang portraits of those representatives of bohemian culture who admire and inspire you the most.
Here are 5 famous representatives of bohemian culture that I admire:
- Artist Frida Kahlo
- Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood
- Poet Leonard Cohen
- Dancer Isadora Duncan
- Artist Margaret Olley
Boho and classic
Designers prefer to prepare a project for renovating and decorating an apartment in advance. It is assumed that all rooms will be designed in the same style, although they may differ in color and decorative nuances. But if you want to bring a piece of bohemianism to just one room, then adapt it to fit the general framework. Boho can fit into a classic interior.
The original bohemian trend is actually close to eclecticism, so carpets, paintings and even colorful wallpaper will not spoil the overall impression, complementing simple doors, furniture and a fireplace.
Key Features
Let's understand the main features of the style before recreating it in the bedroom interior. Design experts have identified a number of features that distinguish this direction:
Dominant preference. This style is individual, but it contains features of other directions. Before decorating the room, decide which motifs will prevail in the decoration.
The bedroom can be furnished in a modern style, in a European or Oriental spirit.
A color palette or accent details selected in these areas will unite all the interior components into an overall composition, form a genuine style, and it will not in any way resemble a collection of mismatched items.
Numerous textile products. The room is filled with a variety of decorative elements, lamps with fabric lampshades and cute little things arranged on open shelves.
Boho fills life with celebration, so it does not accept gloomy shades and boring color schemes.
Loft in boho style
Industrial style also features natural materials, raw surfaces and flea market bohemianism. Therefore, loft can easily be combined with boho, filling the space with bright paintings, colorful carpets, wooden chairs, bedspreads, blankets and a knitted hammock chair.
The massive ceiling structure and brick wall are consistent with the mixed style, and green potted plants bring coziness to the former factory space.
How to apply boho style in the interior: tips for different rooms
The advantage of the boho style is that the size of the room is not important. It will look great in a small room, a small apartment, or a large house. The main thing is to correctly combine furniture, decor and lighting.
Boho apartment
Before you start applying the boho style to the interior of your apartment, you can prepare it: plaster the walls in relief, paint them in the main color of the interior, or stick on wallpaper with a bright print. You can focus on one of the walls and apply patterns on it with a stencil. Wallpaper can even be glued to the ceiling. If the walls are brick, highlight them, do not cover them. Also, do not hide communications - pipes, beams, radiators.
For the floor, it is better to choose natural materials - boards, parquet, tiles, or rough finishes, aged ones. Various stained glass windows and mosaics are perfect for decorating an apartment in the boho style.
Boho house
Not all household members may like the boho style in the interior of the house, so it is worth consulting with family members before deciding to furnish the entire house this way. If there is no single solution and the whole house in a bohemian style does not happen, then you can stop at the living room, dining room or bedroom.
And so that the interior does not fall apart, the space can be united by common style elements - for example, colors, decor, finishing, bright accents, living plants.
Boho living room
A boho living room does not have to look like an art gallery and be overloaded with decor, figurines and flowers. It can be bright and spacious if you organize all the space correctly and adhere to the general line.
But for a boho living room interior you definitely need armfuls of colorful pillows on the sofa, poufs and benches that can be used both as seats and as tables, a variety of floor lamps with unusual lampshades, a grotesque chandelier with crystal or colored glass.
An old velvet chair with a blanket thrown over it, a shabby chest of drawers inherited from my grandmother with a collection of elephant figurines on it, and a wrought-iron table will fit perfectly into the interior of a boho-style living room. The walls should be decorated with bright paintings, photographs, masks, tapestries. Place thin carpets and straw runners on the floor.
Boho bedroom
The main accent of decorating a bedroom in the boho style in an apartment is a wooden or wrought-iron bed with a chic canopy, many bright pillows of various sizes and shapes and a bedspread with ethnic patterns. All together they transform the sleeping place into a fairy-tale tent of an oriental princess.
The role of a canopy can be played by a piece of chiffon fabric, a huge lace blanket, or several huge scarves-bedspreads connected together with various ornaments or patterns brought from a trip.
The boho style in the bedroom interior is complemented by antique chests, dressing tables, and wicker poufs. You can decorate the room with dream catchers, bird cages, photographs, paintings, candles and aroma lamps. The best boho decor in a bedroom interior is floor lamps with colored lampshades or just scarves thrown over them, which give the room the right dim light.
Boho kitchen
For a boho-style kitchen, chairs of different colors and styles, gathered together at one table, are perfect. Or you can even do without chairs - they can be easily replaced by a wooden bench with soft pillows or mattresses.
On the shelves and tables you can display samovars, clay pots, decorative dishes with oriental ornaments, jars of spices, hang dried flowers, bunches of red onions from the ceiling, add bright towels and deliberately homemade ceramic dishes. As for the cabinets, they should be wooden, varied, in Provence or country style.
Attention! The boho style in the kitchen interior is contraindicated for any appliances - all refrigerators and microwaves should be built into the furniture or hidden behind screens or other decorations.
Boho bathroom
In the boho style, the main thing in the bathroom interior is vintage and pretentious details. Vintage chests of drawers, distressed cabinets, distressed retro faucets, custom bathtubs and Moroccan-style bowl sinks are better suited to the boho style of a bathroom than glossy modern models.
If there are windows, insert stained glass; the tiles should be subdued or absent altogether.
It is better to paint the walls and hang them with drawings, carpets and mirrors with blackened amalgam. You can add all kinds of wicker boxes, caskets, baskets, plants, candles - any boho style decor in the bathroom interior is good to muffle the coldness of modern plumbing.
Children's boho
A children's room in boho style is a fairy-tale world in which imagination can run wild. Complete permissiveness and freedom to fill the space with whatever you want allows you to easily create a boho interior with your own hands.
What can be used to create a boho-style interior: handmade patchwork blankets, pillows, a canopy tent, colored garlands, poufs, frameless loungers, a lot of drawings on the wall, funny, tacky chandeliers and even a hammock or hanging chair.
Dacha boho
The dacha is the most bohemian place possible. The boho style here crystallizes gradually, by itself. First, a massive old wooden table appears, then someone brings the remains of chairs from different sets, which are a pity to throw away, mats and straw bedding are added to them - and now someone weaves macrame for curtains and bedspreads, sews a patchwork bedspread, and covers them with multi-colored pillows a hard homemade ottoman and places dead wood in old metal cans.
Surface finishing
How to decorate the walls, floor and ceiling in the bedroom? There are no clear rules. The parquet boards on the floor sit beautifully next to the whitewashed walls, and the chic stucco elements on the ceiling go well with the modest carpet flooring with traces of scuffs.
There is only one rule that is recommended to be followed when arranging the interior - the materials used in the decoration must be natural.
When creating such a decor, you need to abandon glossy and metallized parts and surfaces typical of the high-tech direction, linoleum flooring and blinds on window openings. It is desirable that the frames on the windows are wooden and not plastic.
In addition to parquet, you can lay tiles or make a stone covering on the floor in the bedroom.
If for some reason the listed options are not suitable for you, laminate with a texture that imitates a real board is acceptable.
The ceiling in the bedroom does not have an intricate and original design. Most often, the ceiling surface is whitened or a matte tension structure is designed. The canvas should have a natural color scheme.
Decorations can include wooden beams and stucco elements.
It is preferable to paint the walls in a bright monochrome color, decorate them with paintings, a colorful carpet or panels with oriental patterns.
Another good solution is wallpaper with a contrasting print, focusing attention on a specific wall. For this purpose, it is best to use photo wallpaper.
Wallpaper with photo printing, stylized as painting, will look original. This design of the walls will give the bedroom interior a chic and exclusive look, adding glamor, even if it is furnished with modest furniture.
Choosing furniture for a boho style interior
For a boho stylistic solution, furniture is selected individually. It all depends not only on the purpose of the living room, but also on its area. Mandatory attributes in this direction are an ottoman, a wooden sofa, a bed, and armchairs. The main feature is the plain upholstery.
Sofas and armchairs can have a wooden frame or be frameless. Then it is necessary that their texture is strong enough. The following materials are suitable: artificial leather, eco-leather, velvet.
Vintage furniture fits harmoniously into the interior. Pre-revolutionary headset items are also suitable. They can be found in grandparents' houses. These include couches and poufs with “luscious” patterns.
Antique furniture is very easy to restore to fit the boho style. It is enough to simply remove chips, remove scratches, paint or decoupage. One or two pieces of furniture are enough in any room. The main emphasis will be placed on them. The main headset is:
- old chest of drawers;
- vintage sofa;
- wooden chairs with paintings on the back;
- armchairs with stylish colorful upholstery.
On a note! If you still have an old sofa, you shouldn’t throw it away. Just throw on a bright patchwork blanket and the design in the room will immediately transform. This effect is an excellent solution for the boho style in the interior.
Materials
Boho style decor is characterized by natural materials
A crazy kaleidoscope of colors, patterns and motivational posters
There are only 2 key points in the choice of materials – environmental friendliness and naturalness. The main preference is given to two types of textures - wood and textiles, with iron, stone, and ceramics serving as auxiliary elements.
Advice! If you have a modest budget, you can use cheaper substitutes, but true boho involves originals, even if it is a cute old thing, but from a basis close to nature.
Wood and textiles are the main materials for boho style
There is a place for everything in a boho style interior
A little about textiles:
The use of textiles in the boho style implies only one rule - there is no such thing as too much fabric. It has filled everything that is possible and even that which would not be worth it, but this is boho, it allows textiles to be located anywhere and in any quantities, things do not even have to be combined in the same style. This is precisely what creates the very flavor of “intelligent gypsies” or “flower children”.
There's never too much textiles here
Beautiful bedroom interior in bohemian style
Everything is combined here - cotton and velvet, silk and linen, designs inspired by the East, ethnic America of the Indian times, Asia and Africa. Fancy bright bedspreads, pillows and sofa bedspreads with embroidery, woven carpets, rugs, rugs, curtains, all kinds of chair covers, poufs and other textile extravaganzas create that very unique flavor.
A glass table will always help make a room visually more spacious. And it combines especially well in this style with a forged frame
Selection of textiles and curtains
In boho style there is never too much fabric; it hides the simplicity of life and old furniture. Textiles do not match each other in texture and color, this creates a Bohemian interior. Cotton is combined with satin, linen with velvet, almost the entire interior is created from boho-style fabric: chair covers, bedspreads, runners, carpets, rugs, poufs.
On curtains you can often find Moroccan or oriental designs, Indian and African motifs. Curtains should be as loose as possible, with drapery and abundant waves that will echo the canopy or tablecloth. Blinds, roller blinds, and tulle are also suitable.
Choose furniture that can tell its own story
Interesting, hand-painted antique furniture adds a touch of personality to this room and tells its own story.
Old furniture, like this extremely unusual ornate cabinet, simply exudes bohemian character. Tell your own story with furniture brought back to new life.
Lighting and decor
Lighting
There are as many sources in the room as needed for sufficient lighting; in the boho style, the emphasis is on the appearance of the chandelier and floor lamps.
You can decorate an ordinary lamp yourself by making a frame and hanging ribbons, lace, colored threads, and tassels. Designer chandeliers made from bottles or cans are suitable for the kitchen.
Glass sconces can be painted with stained glass paints, and fabric floor lamps can be decorated in a boho style with beads, beads and glass beads.
Decor
The boho style is manifested in the little things, it is the complete opposite of minimalism, the shelves are replete with figurines, books, boxes, paintings, there are bright panels and paintings on the walls, there are a lot of plants on the windows, and collectibles are stored on the shelves and on the floor.
The boho interior emphasizes the creativity of the apartment; hand-embroidered, painted paintings, decoupage, and crafts made from wool and beads can hang on the wall.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD YOU CONSIDER WHEN CREATING A BOHO STYLE IN YOUR APARTMENT?
Is it fair to say that the main rule of boho is that there are no rules? Yes, but not really. To avoid turning your apartment into a barn, follow these tips from professional designers:
- It’s better to choose a general tone for the room and dilute it with accents. The casual combination of different shades is, in fact, a well-thought-out alternation of colors;
- some accessories with history can be found in the attic on the mezzanine, in the pantry, in grandma's chest and other places where old things are usually stored that are a pity to throw away;
- when selecting furniture and accessories, follow the promptings of your heart, but make allowances for logic.
