Gypsy in Your Soul: 10 Steps to a Bohemian Bedroom

In my teens I desperately wanted to be Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac. I wanted to wear leather with lace and shawls with long fringes and have mad hair. I also coveted the free-as-a-bird gypsy attitude she embodied — she was my bohemian dream.

Defining “bohemian” (boho) as an interior style is really attempting to label something that can’t be labeled, so dependent is it on the individual. It has elements of Shabby Chic and eclecticism, mixed with an artistic and theatrical flamboyance that has nothing to do with trends. Boho is witty, whimsical and highly reflective of the mind and lifestyle of the person who embraces it. In its way it is an antistyle, but at its heart is a love of art, color, contrasts, creativity, travel, adventure, the past and, above all, freedom from convention.

The bedroom is our most personal space — it’s where we let our hair down and our imagination loose. So if the real bohemian you is just dying to flaunt itself, the bedroom is a great place to start.

Before you start, clear your mind of what’s in vogue. Bohos are not restricted by other people’s opinions. There are no trends in boho decor — forget midcentury modern, French provincial and all the design labels. Bohos are pickers and choosers who follow their own tastes. Boho is a state of mind rather than a look — have you got the boho in you? If so, here are 10 steps to bring it out in your bedroom.


1. Learn about the lifestyles of famous bohemians. Immerse yourself in the bohemian mind-set by reading about the history of bohemianism and the creative people who have lived a bohemian life. Decide if you have their sense of adventure. Hang portraits of your most admired and inspiring bohemians in your bedroom.

5 famous bohemians I admire:
Artist Frida KahloFashion designer Vivienne WestwoodPoet Leonard CohenDancer Isadora DuncanArtist Margaret Olley


2. Enrich your bedroom with art. A blank wall is anathema to a boho — walls are simply there to hold art. Many of us tend to put our best artworks in the public parts of our homes. Also give them a spot in your bedroom, where you can appreciate them in a personal and reflective space.

Bohemianism has always been associated with artists, musicians, writers and designers, and if you are reading this ideabook, you probably have artistic leanings. Why not start work on a bedroom mural or collage that tells the story of your life as it unfolds? This fabulous mural was created by Montreal artist Carlito Dalceggio.


Celebrate the human body in your bedroom artworks. The bedroom is an intimate place, so give it some private sensuality with a little flamboyant nudity. Australian artist Norman Lindsay has been described as a natural bohemian and was famed for his (at the time) provocative depictions of naked nymphs, based on Rubens’ voluptuous nudes. They are still pretty hot today. Lindsay prints can be found on poster websites.



3. Take risks with color. There’s no such thing as the wrong color. Forget paint color forecasts — the world of color is where bohos free their minds. Interior analysts may be perfectly correct in concluding that certain bedroom hues are more sleep-inducing than others. If all you want to do in your bedroom is sleep, read more here. If you want a color-filled oasis that speaks volumes about you, then follow your heart.


The combination of purple, green and blue is not a conventional color scheme, but it looks so free and easy in this eclectic bedroom. The colors play off one another against the aubergine wall, and the white lace is a loose and natural touch.


4. Be adventurous with textures and patterns. This room has abundant textural contrasts that give it loads of personality. From the industrial ducting and warm exposed brick to the richly patterned Tibetan rug, satin bedspread, antique brass, parquet wood and Tiffany lamp, it exudes character. A bedroom with a high ceiling like this one can support many elements without being overpowered.


There’s a knack to putting many patterns together so they interact rather than distract. The effect in this room is casual and unstudied. There is an underlying lacy motif in the fabrics, and the subtle connection of earthy tones links the look, yet the room still appears tossed together with natural flair.

Mix Master: How to Clash Prints and Patterns Like a Pro


5. Make your bedroom a personal creative space. Set aside a small spot for writing, sketching, designing or doing the special artistic activity that floats your boho boat. Put your own creations — your art, your craftwork, a poem, a painted chair, a piece of embroidery or fabric — in view to keep your creative juices flowing.



6. Compose a beautiful bed for sleeping and lounging. Think of your bed as an artwork in itself. Put some thought into what would make you want to spend time on or in it. In this inviting bedroom, the vibrant carpet shades are echoed in the generous pile of cushions, and the rustic wood of the bed and cabinets provides textural interest. The modern hand seat contrasts the traditional Moroccan furnishings and is a showstopping place for tossing an Isadora Duncan–style scarf.


True bohos have never thought inside the square, so they are unlikely to have a padded buttoned headboard that matches their sheets. The backdrop to this exotic bed is a colorful suzani rug that lights up the room. Other ideas are a bamboo screen, a beaded curtain, a silk kimono, an heirloom quilt, a fringed shawl or a length of vintage lace. Draping rather than making hospital corners is the boho way.


7. Light up your boho bedroom — softly. Boho lighting is indirect, warm, flickering, filtered. Achieve this effect with filigree lanterns that hang to the floor, candles, colored globes and antique and vintage lampshades that diffuse light.


8. Mix and don’t match. Many vintage and antique finds don’t come in pairs, but who said bedside tables have to match? A wooden cabinet and a round glass-topped table flank this bed.


This bedroom travels to the beat of its own drum, mixing an Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman with inlaid cabinets, filigree Moroccan lamps, a modern striped rug and eclectic art.


9. Choose furniture that tells a story. Intriguing hand-painted antique furniture adds a layer of unique character to this bedroom and brings its history with it.


Old furniture, like this wildly eccentric armoire, has bohemian painted all over it!


Tell your own story on a revived piece.


10. Show and tell. Bohos don’t hide anything decorative away. It would be a shame to arrange this vivid bling collection tidily in a drawer. If you have unique trinkets and sentimental treasures, put them where they give you pleasure every day.



Ten Ideas for Storing and Displaying Your Jewelry


The creative boho mind will find many ways to add color and interest with unusual display ideas, such as adding a segmented wooden figure like the one hiding here.

Tip: Old dressmaker dummies make for a quirky way to display jewelry, scarves, hats and fabrics, and can be painted and decorated — by you — to make a unique bedroom sculpture.



The bohemian philosophy, perfectly expressed: “Life is beautiful. I accept everyone as they are. I am free.”

In the same way that there will never be another you, one thing is for sure: You will never see another bedroom quite like yours.

More
14 Ways to Bring Bohemian Romance to Rooms
How to Achieve the Bohemian Effect

Are you a bohemian at heart? Please show us your space!

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