How do you ‘Boho’?
I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘Boho’ when talking about interior design styles. Modern Boho a popular choice, and for good reason! But as with any design style, it’s not always so easy to apply when it comes down to nailing the look. Just looking at a pretty moodboard is inspiring, but what you really need are DETAILS!
So I’m going to expand a bit further on what the Modern Boho style is all about, and how you can get this look in your Airbnb holiday rental.
Boho itself comes from the word ‘Bohemian’ meaning unconventional in an artistic way. [Well that’s me sold on it straight away! Unconventional and artistic are two words I LOVE!] For me the modern boho interior style is very calming and only unconventional in the way it fights against a formal, strict and precise way of styling a space, being much more carefree, relaxed and free-spirited.
This style, then, lends itself perfectly to interior design for holiday rentals and short term lets - a space which needs to be like a home-from-home for your guests; somewhere they can chill out, relax, and enjoy their time. Boho is ideal if this is the feeling you want to create for your guests.
So how do you ‘boho’? Here’s how I do it in a version which I term ‘Boho Calm’:
Your colour palette. Colours in the modern boho style are grounded in nature - earthy colours, natural tones giving both light and warmth to a space. Think neutrals with a warm edge, mixed with greens and terracottas.
Texture. Boho is ALL about texture! Bring it into your soft furnishings with tufts, tassels and tactile fabrics, but also in other items - natural woods, imperfect finishes and hand-made qualities.
Plants are key! The ultimate natural element of an interior design - and one which you can’t do without in a boho style. The colours and the shapes of plants are the epitome of the boho style - natural and relaxed. There can never be too many!
Natural, raw & rustic - These three words illustrate the kinds of woods, rattan and wicker which are a staple of the boho style. Use them in every room to create coherence in your scheme, and have that constant natural touch throughout.
Patterns are mixed - from traditional, tribal and ethnic to abstract, geometric and figurative. And mixing them is fine! You can put a Persian rug with Ikat cushions alongside pebble-shaped artworks or line drawings of the human form and all will work perfectly if linked by colour and texture. One thing they all have in common is a calming simplicity, evoking a tribal, community feeling so prevalent in boho spaces historically.
Go all out with art and culture! What you put on your walls is always important, but never more so when the style you’re aiming for is so heavily rooted in art. Make sure that your walls are adorned with works of art - and art which also expresses the emotion of the boho style - calming, care-free and relaxed, or a more modern version through the use of abstract shapes and flowing line art.
Moodboard for my Boho Calm Ready-to-Go Design Scheme & Specification
Modern Boho is as much about the FEELING you portray within the space as it is about the things you put in it. To create this feeling you have to go ‘all in’ - embrace the style and make all your design decisions based on the philosophy behind it. If you don’t, you will loose that flow, and it will fall flat - far from what it could have been had you had more confidence to go for it.
So, do you think you could ‘boho’?
If you’d like to ‘Boho’, but don’t have the time to plan, find and source everything, my Ready-to-Go Boho Calm Design Scheme & Specification will be right up your alley. It will give you everything you need to create this look in YOUR interior in a matter of weeks.
You could be wowing those boho guests before you know it!
I love Boho. Do you?