It’s expressive, relaxed and bursting with colour – if Boho is your thing, here’s how to get the look with interior design and lighting...
What is Boho interior design?
Good question… It’s not easy to come up with a strict definition of Boho style – which is hardly surprising really, since ‘Bohemianism’ is all about being loose and free-spirited; expressing yourself without worrying too much about society’s rules.
The original ‘Bohemians’ were the starving artists and poets of late 19th century Paris, with the term deriving from a French word for Roma travellers. They didn’t much go in for interior design though: if you’ve seen Puccini’s opera La Bohème you’ll recall that the characters lived in a virtually empty garret because they couldn’t afford any furniture.
But somehow that dishevelled but arty vibe got filtered through the luxurious styles of the wealthy Parisian salons of early 20th century (think rich velvets and animal skins), then mixed up with the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements, made groovier by the hippies of the 1960s, spiced up by some global influences from Africa and Asia, until finally we ended up with the wonderful mish-mash that is ‘Boho’.
It’s been with us ever since, off and on, in design and fashion – notably the late-noughties ‘Boho-chic’ boom, when every newspaper front page carried a picture of Kate Moss or Sienna Miller wearing something floaty at a festival.
And while Boho interior design still isn’t easy to define, there are some recurring elements that mean you know it when you see it…
Elements of Boho – inspiration from the interior design experts
To get your creative juices flowing, here are some wonderful Boho and Boho-adjacent rooms we’ve spotted, by some of our favourite interior designers and Instagrammers…
Warm, earthy colours
If Boho were a perfume it would be Chanel No 5, so think warm, woody, earthy colours with vibrant floral top notes. This sublime home office by @retwiggdstylist mixes a warm pink with soft oak and deliciously offbeat floral artworks, while Pooky’s Crick triple spotlight in antiqued brass and Utopia rechargeable table lamp in brass and white marble lamp add those hints of luxury.
Natural materials and greenery
Exposed timber floors, interesting woody pieces are very Boho, while houseplants have always had a place in Bohemian decor, from aspidistras to cascading spider plants to succulents. A little bit of the natural world amongst all the fibres and brassy bits works wonders.
In this beautiful room by @beetrootandblack our Nanga table lamp in bone looks perfectly at home, paired with our 35cm scalloped shade in claret & gold silk Snakeshead by Morris & Co. Just glorious.
Vintage pieces
Well-worn and well-loved furniture always work well in Boho-ish rooms: pieces that hint at a backstory. Mix them with contemporary accessories and individual touches. This lovely laid-back sitting room by Fiona Parke of Johnston Parke Interiors has a sort of understated Boho feel, with the vintage chest/coffee table and the red woodwork on the sideboard and doors. Pooky’s Stella pendant does its bit as a centrepiece.
Layers of texture
Although Boho is all about being free and easy, you can actually take quite a scientific approach to layering textures and colours. Try breaking the room down into separate categories, starting with the walls, then flooring, then furniture, lighting, furnishings, wall decoration, such as paintings or photographic prints and finishing with your favourite decorative items. Take it slowly and edit as you go.
Here's how a real expert does it.... We love this dreamy living room by @claireakennedy (especially with that glorious sun beaming in). Our Rattle table lamp, paired with a Navy Yoda shade, provides some lovely natural texture.
Global influences
Patterns, prints and unusual, handcrafted items, especially from Africa and Asia, sit well in Bohemian rooms, although they shouldn’t overwhelm a space. The fashion and interior design genius (and top Pooky collaborator) Matthew Williamson is a master at mixing influences from all corners of the earth.
This room he created for Belmond La Residencia in Mallorca has a bit of everything: exotic natural illustrations, decadent gold furnishings and those (literally) wild animal print cushions – so Boho...
Get the Boho look with lighting
Inspired? Here are a few favourite Pooky lights that will fit the Boho bill...
Stella pendant
The Stella has become a bit of a design classic for Pooky... it works anywhere, but the angles, brass and the slightly exotic feel make a it a perfect Boho centrepiece.
Safi table lamp in antique brass
North African pieces always fit nicely in a Boho theme. Our Safi table lamp taps into the classic Moroccan Moorish vibe. You can almost smell and hear the bubbling from the hookah pipes, and the throng and chaos of the marketplace...
Lollie rechargeable table lamp in green marble
Lollie is wonderfully unusual in a gorgeous green veiled marble - and it's cordless so you can plonk it artfully in the most Boho part of any room. We've paired it here with a handmade marbled paper shade in Golden Piave.
See lots more Boho table lamps here, and browse our full collection of lights and shades to find your perfect style.
See also:
Classic interior design styles and how to light them - Bohemian
Meet the interior designer: Matthew Williamson
Meet the interior designer: Rosanna Bossom
The Eight Ages of Light – a brief history of home lighting, from Ancient Rome to Pooky rechargeables
