The beauty of bohemian style lies in how it weaves together influences from around the world, creating spaces that feel both artistic and lived-in. Bohemian (or boho) design speaks to those who love spaces that feel relaxed and personal rather than perfectly polished.
Want to bring this laid-back spirit into your living room? While boho style celebrates doing things your own way, there are some characteristic elements that help create that carefree, creative feeling. We’ve gathered some ideas to inspire your boho living room transformation, from color choices to little touches that set the perfect mood.
Remember though, the heart of boho style is making your space truly yours. Take these suggestions as a starting point and let your imagination run wild to create a living room that tells your unique story.
Embrace Art and Culture
While many think about fluffy pillows and messy couches when they think of boho, this aesthetic has cultural and artistic connotations. Your space needs to have a soul to achieve that boho vibe, so include meaningful art and decor.
Many boho spaces connect to a specific culture, such as Mexican with painted pottery or African with woven baskets. Even if you don’t have a culture you want to highlight, we recommend filling the space with art that speaks to you rather than pieces you think fit the vibe.
Keep It Homey and Casual
Have you ever walked into a home and felt like everything was so beautiful that you were afraid to sit down? That’s not what we’re going for here. Instead, we want a space that automatically makes people feel welcome and comfortable.
Try to create a conversational and laid-back environment that goes with the flow. Make as much of the space cozy as possible, meaning plenty of soft materials, seating, and surfaces that make people feel at home.
Plenty of Patterns
People often tell you to proceed with caution when using patterns in interior decorating. You want to use only a few patterns and end up with clashing items.
However, boho decorating lets you throw this advice out the window. You can combine all kinds of patterns with reckless abandon if you want a boho vibe. Polka dots can go next to strips, florals next to houndstooth, and anything else you want.
Mixed Textures
Mixing textures is an essential aspect of creating a boho space. Many of the tips we mention here are optional, but mixing textures is a must if you want that cozy, boho feel in your living room.
Don’t be shy! Mix materials like velvet, suede, wool, fur, leather, wood, plastic, and anything else you want in there. You can include metal and glass pieces, but keep them limited to avoid creating a cold feel.
Natural Materials
When selecting furniture and decor, choose natural materials, such as wicker, rattan, wood, clay, and stone. This isn’t a requirement for every item in your living room, but 50-75% of the space should have a natural vibe.
Boho spaces should feel warm and inviting; natural materials are an easy way to create that energy. Genuinely natural materials are ideal, but there’s no shame in some faux wood or stone!
Green Plants
If you don’t have a green thumb, don’t sweat it. Live plants are not wholly necessary to create a bohemian space. However, they do wonders to make the space feel fresh and inviting without being too bright.
We recommend green plants with large leaves and long stems, like pothos and spider plants. However, cacti are substantially easier to care for and offer the same green vibe. If cacti are still too much of a responsibility, get a few fake plants.
Other Organic Items
You can incorporate organic items from outside with your little green friends and natural materials. Just grab things from outside your home and bring them in as decor!
Rocks, branches, and other pieces of wood, as well as pressed flowers, resin leaves, seashells, and more, can all be used as indoor decor. Just be sure that everything is safe, clean, and bug-free before you bring it inside.
Antique and Vintage Pieces
Boho vibes are not necessarily about a particular era, so we recommend combining pieces from different periods. You can thrift some magnificent vintage or antique pieces that add a homey and rustic look to the space.
For example, a vintage poster or antique clock delivers that eclectic and unique vibe we want. However, don’t lean too far on antique and vintage pieces, as too much of either one or both can make the home feel more like a museum than a boho living room.
A Cozy Rug
We want to give you some general ideas for boho living rooms, ones anyone can adopt. However, this tip is particular because it’s a staple in boho rooms: get a large, eye-catching rug (or maybe two).
Rugs accomplish two things simultaneously: they enhance the homey, cozy vibe we want and add more texture and style. We adore a shag rug or patterned design. Find a carpet that can be a comforting but artful focal point.
Soft, Warm Lighting
You know that harsh, white lighting they have in hospitals? We want the exact opposite of that. Imagine the soft glow that a campfire might give off in a cave — that’s what we need for a boho space.
Opt for warm lighting and avoid cool-toned lighting at all costs. You also want everything to be smooth and gentle, so use lampshades, light covers, and even scarves to keep the lighting soft and dim. Bonus points if you get a light with a dimmer!
Timeless Furniture
We want you to mix antique, vintage, retro, and even modern pieces into the space. That’s the beauty of boho; it’s eclectic. However, we recommend selecting timeless furniture that won’t overpower everything else.
Changing your throw pillows or wall art is much easier than changing your couch or dining room table. So, get furniture pieces that don’t feel reminiscent of a certain era but could fit into many aesthetics and periods.
Eclectic Accents
When aiming for a boho look, it’s essential to maintain an eclectic vibe. This means you can’t lean too far into one concept or style. We all gravitate toward certain art and decor styles, so be mindful of curating a collection of diverse pieces.
If you have a few vintage French posters, add some African paintings. Don’t mix velvet blankets with velvet throw pillows. Combine modern sculptures with antique end tables. It may sound impossible, but the goal is a little bit of everything — a chaotic balance or balanced chaos.
Abundant Wall Art
Nothing about bare walls screams “boho,” so cover as much wall space as possible. Many fabulous boho living rooms feature gallery walls with an extensive collection of frames, posters, and canvases. However, all wall art is welcome.
Galleries require many items to work, which can be tricky. Rather than rushing in and buying lukewarm pieces, you can find a few large pieces to cover your walls. Tapestries, woven wall hangings, and massive posters are excellent options.
Personal Belongings
Part of the hominess of the boho aesthetic is its personalized and unique nature. Someone should be able to look at your living room and know that it’s your space.
The best way to make your boho living room uniquely yours is to incorporate personal items. These could be family photos, artwork you made, travel souvenirs, or custom art.
Quirky Furniture Pieces
The bones of your living room should be timeless, meaning relatively basic furniture. However, you can spice up the space by adding one or two eccentric pieces of furniture. This is not a requirement, but it is fun.
Some ideas to inspire you include:
- a hanging chair
- leather pouf
- bean bag chair
- peacock-inspired couch
- fluffy ottoman
- floating bench
- marble end table
These items should be stand-out pieces that immediately grab someone’s attention and create an unorthodox vibe.
Bohemian Color Palette
Okay, what are boho colors? Funny enough, there are no blatantly right or wrong answers here. All colors can fit in a boho space! However, you can choose from different types of boho color palettes.
If you want moody boho, opt for deep, dark colors like navy, plum, jungle green, and burgundy. For a breezy boho, opt for lighter, more neutral shades like sage green, beige, cream, and apricot orange. Playful boho can use Barbie pink, sky blue, and frog green all at once!
Extra Throw Pillows and Blankets
In a boho living room, there is no such thing as too many pillows, blankets, or cushions. Add as many comfy elements like these to your space as possible. They don’t have to look prim and perfect; they can be piled on the floor or strewn across the couch.
The eclectic rule applies to pillows and blankets, too. Try to combine different colors, patterns, materials, shapes, and sizes. We challenge you to create a pillow and blanket collection in which no two items are identical.
Hanging Items
When in boho doubt, hang something from the ceiling. Empty ceilings and walls are the enemies of the boho aesthetic. Hanging items create a more intimate and (tastefully) cluttered space that suits the boho vibe.
Hanging plants, chairs, baskets, lights, lanterns, macrame art, pom-poms, and more can elevate your living room. We recommend hanging them near the room’s corners for that snug, safe feeling.
Tasteful Clutter
The boho style might not be for you if you’re highly organized. To curate a boho aesthetic in your living room, you need to let things loose a little. You simply can’t create a boho aura if everything is perfectly tidy.
Let pillows fall on the floor, don’t fold your blankets neatly, and let trinkets pile up on the coffee table. Embrace the clutter, but don’t let it get out of control. For example, your McChicken wrappers are not “tasteful clutter;” those are just trash — sorry.
Whimsical or Supernatural Themes
You can skip this one if you want, but we love it. Many boho spaces include something a little magical or paranormal. At its heart, bohemian means something out of the norm, so a touch of magic or a supernatural element can complete the boho aura.
Some examples are spellbooks, crystals, fairy art, references to mythology, an Ouija board, evil eye symbols, dreamcatchers, astrology posters, or extraterrestrial artwork. Again, you don’t need to include a whimsical element, but if you enjoy any supernatural concepts, why not tie them into the space?
Low and Thick Furniture
This one is also not 100% necessary, but low and thick furniture is more conducive to a boho space than other styles. Slender furniture with high seats and surfaces leans toward a modern, minimalist vibe.
The boho aesthetic can undoubtedly fall under the maximalist category, so avoid pieces that feel minimalist. Chunky, low-sitting couches are more inviting than spindly bar stools, and we want that inviting, come-sit-down-and-read-with-me kind of feel.
Treat Your Windows
Windows are consistently overlooked in home design. A brilliant way to curate that dreamy boho feel is with thoughtful and warm window treatments. These add to the decor while helping reduce bright light.
Some boho window treatment options include bamboo shades, floor-length patterned drapes, lightweight curtains with tassels, crocheted curtains, multi-colored fabrics, and even lace window treatments. The perfect choice depends on your color palette and existing decor.
Several Statement Pieces
An exciting part of the boho style is that you can fully embrace statement pieces and items that draw focus. In many aesthetics, you can only have one or two statement pieces to create a focal point. Any more, and the room looks messy.
Well, messiness is okay in a boho room! If anything, you want many statement pieces to create that balanced chaos and eclectic vibe. Without any statement pieces, the room will be dull, and with only one or two, they might command the room too strongly.
A Boho Atmosphere
A boho space isn’t just about the furniture and decor. To achieve that bohemian vibe, you must set the mood and curate that laidback, tranquil atmosphere. Hit all five senses with boho energy.
Candles are sensational, as they can create that cozy aroma and soft light that completes a boho space. Music can be important too! Boho music can be indie, alt-rock, folk, smooth pop, experimental, or anything else that sets the right tone.