While decorating houses or doing their interior design, homeowners often come across many design styles that are common globally. One such style that has been popular for many decades now is Bohemian style interior design, which is known for depicting individual personalities and adding vibrancy to spaces. Continue reading to understand exactly what the Bohemian style is, how Boho interior decor evolved, its features and how to incorporate Bohemian interiors in your home design.
What is the Bohemian Style?
The Bohemian style is a fashion, lifestyle and design style that celebrates unconventional living. Derived from the French word ‘Bohemien’, this style draws inspiration from the lifestyle of hippies or nomadic people. Boho interior style, or Bohemian chic interior design as it is commonly called, embraces adding touches of individuality, personality and bright colours in spaces. It combines the principles of human-centred design with abstract concepts like freedom, free-spirited living and creativity. This design style challenges the ideas behind conventional styles like minimalism and Modernism (which promote simple and organised designs), encouraging people to live more instinctively.
Evolution of the Bohemian Interior Design Style
The term ‘Bohemian’ has its roots in the Bohemian region located in modern-day Czech Republic. In this region, ‘Romani’ people—a group of ‘hippies’ who lived unconventionally and celebrated concepts of free-spirited lifestyles—are believed to have resided. This lifestyle inspired many artists and designers during the Middle Ages. However, the term ‘Bohemianism’ was first used in 1848 by author and illustrator William Makepeace Thackeray in his novel ‘Vanity Fair’, where it was described as unconventional art.
During the mid-20th century, this term inspired many art and architecture movements like Art Nouveau and the Arts & Crafts Movement. The Boho decorating style and Boho design then began gaining recognition for the freedom that it allowed designers to explore. Over the years, Bohemian design has transformed into a concept that embodies this freedom, rather than a design style with standard principles or guidelines.
Features of Boho Interior Design
Boho chic home decor is an eclectic interior design style with no standard features or guiding design principles. However, a few common characteristics persist in most modern homes with this style, and these include:
Vibrant Colours
Bold colours, such as bright tones of yellow, green, blue, red and orange, are often used in Bohemian chic home decor. These vibrant colours are used on accent walls or furniture and commonly paired with neutral and earthy colours like brown, beige, grey and terracotta, producing trending wall colour combinations for homes with Bohemian style interiors.
Layering
Unlike Modern or Midcentury Modern styles, which typically use monochrome colour tones and smooth textures, Bohemian style home decor encourages the use of layering. This means that bold and contrasting colours, textures, patterns, shapes and forms are often used together to create an eclectic mix. For example, smooth fabrics with geometric prints may be used for curtain designs, complemented by rough sofas and carpets with ethnic prints.
Plants
Plants are a vital component of Boho home decorations. They may be present in the form of small potted indoor plants or semi-open courtyard spaces that blend seamlessly with the indoor rooms. These plants purify air and bring life into otherwise dead spaces. They also help in creating a tranquil indoor atmosphere and promote the principles of biophilic design.
Natural Materials
While the Bohemian style in interior design promotes free-spirited living, it also encourages people to respect nature and ensure eco-friendly home designs. Sustainable construction materials like lime plaster, natural stone and earth are typically used. These are matched with products made of natural materials like bamboo, wood, terracotta and organic fabrics in Boho room decor.
Reclaimed Items
Bohemian chic design often includes items that are vintage or have a notable history. Although these are generally used in their original forms, their purpose may be modified to suit individual styles. For example, a reclaimed wood window may be used as a decorative item for Bohemian wall design, or a Boho bedroom design may include an antique chandelier in the ceiling. Such pieces add character and a sense of nostalgia to spaces.
Tips to Incorporate Bohemian Interior Design
Here are a few Boho room decor ideas that you can include in your home without spending too much money:
Add Boho Decor Walls
Boho theme interiors often include accent walls. Dedicate one wall in every room for this purpose. Use bold colours like fiery orange, carmine red or turquoise blue for this wall and display personal items here, such as photo frames, paintings or even decorative plates and sculptures. Such walls can produce a modern bohemian look without taking up too much space or effort.
Create Cosy Nooks and Corners
Carve out small spaces specifically meant for relaxation in every room. This could be a small lounge seat/ recliner in a living room, a bay window with seating in a bedroom or a dormer window in an attic. Keep such spaces close to openings that offer good views and pair them with Boho-themed decor such as accent walls or natural materials. Add ambient or dimmable lights to these spaces—aligned with the overall home lighting design—to create cosy nooks where you can read books, take short naps or just relax in peace.
Incorporate Personality
Rather than blindly following home design trends, let your instincts take over while doing Bohemian style interior decorating. Boho chic design is all about showcasing your own personality, creativity and individuality. Choose colours, textures and patterns that you feel most comfortable around and which help you be the most productive. Include decor items that inspire positive feelings in you and that you personally connect with (emotionally and/ or spiritually).
Don’t Aim for Perfection
Boho decor rooms embody free-spirited living and are far from visually perfect. Therefore, embrace imperfections and Wabi Sabi, letting products age naturally and appreciating the beauty in their evolution. Let the wall paint fade, the stone lose its shine and the wood crack (but not to the point where they look neglected). These imperfections can help you connect better with inanimate objects and aid in creating memorable spots/ areas in your home.
Integrating the Bohemian Style in Your Project
Boho chic interior design style can get rather messy looking if the design is not done carefully and skilfully. Therefore, it is advisable to consult top construction companies like Brick & Bolt to handle such design and execution. Brick & Bolt employs skilled architects and construction professionals with a deep understanding of such styles, enabling refined designs and expert execution. The design-build company also conducts 470+ quality checks and offers building material supplies to assure premium quality finishes in all projects. Reach out to Brick & Bolt today to explore innovative concepts like the Bohemian style in your residential or commercial project!
Hemali Patel 
Apoorva H P Achar