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Design 101
Embrace the Eclectic With Bohemian Living Room Decor
The living room is the heart of your home, often a central space that provides coziness and warmth for all your family and guests. If you’re looking to create a true haven of comfort, consider decorating your living room with bohemian style. Boho living rooms celebrate your artistic and creative spirit with eclectic decor, creating a dynamic yet casual atmosphere that never feels generic or overly serious. Although every boho home looks different, here are five design elements that can instantly add character and personality to your living room.
Lived-in Furniture & Layers
Furniture in bohemian-style homes prioritize comfort and character above all else. For this artful yet relaxed look, consider lived-in furniture like vintage furniture or handcrafted items that lend the space a feeling of organic beauty and authenticity. Even if you’re adding brand new furniture, look for elements that make the piece look second-hand like leather sofas with patina or mismatched chairs that look like they’ve been collected one by one over the years. These upholstered pieces are also essential for building out a large seating area that’s a hallmark of bohemian living rooms. The living room should feel like everyone can comfortably hang out for hours and hours, lost in conversation.
Cozy Pillows & Layers
Say goodbye to cold bare surfaces that are characteristic a minimalist and contemporary space. Instead, bohemian living room decor is all about tossing on extra layers for deep comfort and coziness in every corner of the room. Add plenty of decorative pillows and plush throw blankets, as well as drapes or even macramé wall hangings.
Another mainstay of bohemian living rooms is providing some cozy floor sitting arrangements. Consider layering some area rugs in the living room, along with floor cushions, poufs, and low-level seating that are perfect for curating an informal vibe that invites guests to linger for a while.
Brilliant Color & Pattern
One of the most eye-catching elements of bohemian living rooms is its vibrant use of color and patterns. Transform your home into a dynamic yet inviting oasis with a base of neutral tones like creamy white, earthy brown, and beige, topped with dazzling jewel tones and nature-inspired hues like turmeric yellow, emerald green, ruby red, saturated terracotta, and oceanic blue. The boho color palette is warm, rich, and welcoming, helping create a cohesive image that’s never one-note.
Patterns also abound in bohemian decor, from geometric patterned rugs to tribal print throw pillows to floral wallpaper. Try layering patterns of different sizes and motifs to create an artful vision that conveys your unique personality, spirit, and a love of global, multicultural adventures.
Personalized Decor
It can take extra time, thought, and energy to decorate your living room with a bohemian style. You can’t resort to matching furniture and decor sets — instead, boho style demands that you display pieces that tell a unique story about your personality and style. That said, there are some beloved accessories that tend to crop up in boho living rooms time and time again. For example, you’ll often note a vintage trunk tucked into the corner for storage or uses as a coffee table, handcrafted pottery and vases, family heirlooms and photos, as well as travel souvenirs that provide the perfect conversation started for your next gathering. To house all these trinkets and boho decor, we recommend adding some open shelving or an eclectic gallery wall of mismatched frames, as well as wall hangings like hanging woven baskets, hats, and other three-dimensional wall art.
Eclectic Lighting
Like the rest of your bohemian decor, living room lighting also tends to tell a story of its own. Add an unexpected element of glam style with an ornate chandelier bedazzled with crystals and beads, or maybe introduce some natural inspiration through a Japanese paper lamp or woven rattan lampshade. You can also add more texture and color with interesting glass and metal materials through Moroccan lanterns or vintage floor lamps. Another mainstay of bohemian living room lighting is string lights or candles. They’re the perfect way to add a soft and magical touch of warmth and whimsy to your living room.
And don’t forget the crucial role of natural light in a bohemian living room. We recommend choosing sheer curtains that allow sunlight to filter through, creating a light, airy, and ethereal ambiance.
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