The bohemian look: Where more is better

Akarsh Designs created this free-spirited bohemian room for a service apartment in Bengaluru.

A cosy room by Affordable Boho Decor, featuring a low-rise sofa, and colours like pink, mustard yellow, and orange.

This room by Weespaces has a white and blue palette, with textures like brick, wood, and rattan.

Bohemian style of interior design, which uses bold natural elements to give one’s home a comforting look, is a top pick in interior design. Unlike modern minimalist homes, it doesn’t shy away from décor. In bohemian interiors, the more the better.

Such interiors allow you the freedom to express yourself. This easy-going aesthetic is growing in popularity among homeowners, say interior designers.

The style

Biju Varghese, founder and CEO of Blucap Interiors, notes that the bohemian style originated in France amongst artistes and creatives outside the mainstream professionals. “Bohemian design tries to be laid back and close to nature,” he says.

Charuta Raykar, founder of Akarsh Designs claims that a bohemian theme allows homeowners to express their personality. “It features a cohesive blend of different accents and accessories. Handcrafted pottery and tapestry from various cultures add diversity to a home,” she says.

Founder of Weespaces, interior design company, Vinithra Amarnathan describes the bohemian style as one with a “casual narrative”. “The visuals are engaging and striking but retain a relaxed nature” she notes.

For Anizia Pereira, proprietor of Affordable Boho Decor, “a perfect bohemian house is one with imperfect elements.” The undone and handcrafted nature of such interiors lend to the cosy factor of a home, she says.

Furnishing formula

To stay consistent with the casual theme, Vinithra suggests seating arrangements that have lower backs and deeper seats. She prefers light or medium-tone wood over dark wood. “They keep the room less formal,” she explains.

Anizia prefers small furniture like low-rise sofas and pallet seats. She advises against metallic furniture that have lustre, and suggests using a natural material like pine wood. “Small swings or hammocks also serve as a good change from the typical L-shaped sofas,” she notes.

Charuta believes that when furnishing a bohemian house, finding balance is key. “First decide on what you wish to create and then select materials that complement the idea. While solid wood furniture is closer to nature, metallic furniture can give the house a rustic, almost vintage look,” she illustrates.

She feels an open storage unit that lets you display your collections and souvenirs is ideal and suggests adding a ladder shelf, which will let you hang and display your decor.

“If you live in an area which is relatively dust-free, then open cabinets and shelves can be built,” says Biju.

Incorporate textures

Since bohemian designs are close to nature, it is important to bring in certain textures, explains Biju. Adding throw pillows, rugs and curtains, along with handmade paintings, which embody a certain kind of earthy texture is crucial.

Anizia prefers furniture that retains the natural texture of the material they were sourced from. She avoids smooth plywood and sunmica laminates and opts for veneer sheets when creating a bohemian look. She also uses “live edge” furniture which has a raw finish that brings about texture. For fabric, Anizia goes with textured fibres like cotton and linen and avoids smooth fabrics like velvet. “Wall cladding, a method of layering materials over one another can also introduce the element of texture to a room,” she says.

Vinithra suggests that handicrafts can include various textures on the walls. Hanging decor like macrame and crochet hangings do the trick, she adds. In flooring, she says adding wooden panels helps. Among a variety of options available, Vinithra suggests using light-tone wood or bleached wood panels. “Patterned tiles made of limestone are also used. Avoid marble tiles as they are associated with formal places and take away the casualness in the style,” she adds.

Vibrant patterned rugs and carpets are also popular in bohemian, and Charuta suggests one with a bold yet soft texture. “It evokes a warm and inviting feeling in the house.” She stresses colours of the rug must have interesting contrasts of bold colours, and not gel with the furniture.

Enriching the environment

Biju stresses on the importance of wall colours. Deep and rich colours like red and green work well to make the environment more vibrant. You can also base your palette around jewel tones, he advises. “Jewel tones like amethyst purple, ruby red and topaz yellow bring life to a bohemian home,” he adds.

Speaking about colour, Anizia says it depends on what the client wants. “You could keep it simple and go with browns and whites, but colours like pink, mustard yellow, orange, and olive green are also common sights in bohemian décor,” she details. Anizia also urges on allowing as much natural light as possible to complement the interiors. “Once the sun is down you can use warm lights,” she says. In bohemian décor, lamps that have a “softer” and “rounder” shape are preferred, informs Vinithra. “Rather than sharp geometric shapes, the lamps should be fluid in form,” she explains. Dim yellow lights must be used to complement furnishing, says Vinithra.

Anizia and Vinithra also recommend adding plants to these interiors. Generally, green, leafy plants suit the bohemian aesthetic, says Anizia. Vinithra feels that leafy plants and natural flowers also add to bohemian interiors.

Include these plants

Banana palm

Snake plant

Fiddle-leaf fig

Money plant

Key features

Close to nature

Not minimalist

Texture is essential