Bohemian Interior Decorating

Decorate with an array of colorful items to bring out a gypsy attitude in your home.

Bohemian style evokes images of artists, gypsies, travelers, and hippies. Based on the Eastern European traveler gypsy aesthetic, Bohemian styles allows for a broad array of choices for colors, accessories and decorating accents. Decorating a bedroom, living room, house or apartment in Bohemian style allows for your own personal style and aesthetic to show through. Bohemian decor styles are appropriate for decorating on a budget, as you can easily integrate secondhand items and found treasures into your decorating.

Instructions

1. Choose a color scheme. This will affect every step of the decorating process, from the walls to the furniture to your art and decor objects. Bohemian color schemes allow for a varied palette. Dark colors work best and you can use as many as you like. You can go more towards the natural Bohemian "hippie" look of earth tones including deep browns, rust, brick, camel or sunny yellow, or more "gypsy bohemian" with magenta, gold, violet, orange and emerald. Avoid pastels, neons and shimmer paint colors. You can paint each wall a different color or paint one wall with an accent color. Add some extra elements of design and printed wallpaper or stenciling on the walls.

2. Furnish your area. Mismatched furniture, as long as it is not clashing, is a hallmark of the Bohemian style. Place leather Moroccan cushions on the floor to use as seats, or collect several different styles of chairs instead of purchasing a set. Bohemian style embraces the idea that "more is more"; you can decorate with many furniture elements, art objects and wall decor without looking cluttered and busy. As long as each piece is deliberately chosen and placed, your area will appear easy, laid-back and creative rather than messy and chaotic.

3. Add Bohemian decorative elements. Souvenirs and art objects from India, North Africa, Eastern Europe or the Middle East will add an eclectic air and complete the image of the free-minded Bohemian traveler. As with the furnishings, avoid the "matching" aesthetic with your decor, art objects and accessories. You can add more elements than with other decor styles, as long as each object complements the color scheme. Tea sets, musical instruments, hookah pipes, statues or vintage artists easels will enhance the Bohemian artist ambiance. Prizes found in nature or antique stores can be reworked into sculptures or used as unique table centerpieces.

References

• "Bohemian Style"; Elizabeth Wilhide; 1999
• "Found Style: Vintage Ideas for Modern Living"; David Butler; 2003