The bohemian interior design style has been around for a while now, and like any aesthetic, it can start to feel a little ‘been there, done that’. In today’s post we’re banishing the boring and showing you how to create a boho living room that’ll shine now (hello modern!) and in the years to come (hey timeless!).
As interior designers working here in Melbourne, the team at TLC Interiors have transformed a number of homes in the bohemian style, so rest assured you’re in safe hands as we guide you below on everything you need to get this look right.
We’ll not only give you the best bohemian living room ideas, but we’ll also link you to some of our fave products so you can easily create this chic look yourself at home.
And the added bonus: these modern boho living room ideas work if you rent or own, and if you’re working with a small living room or large one. So we have all our bases covered.
A Boho Living Room Stars with Warm White Walls
I’ve not seen many boho living rooms without a warm white paint on the walls. And the warmth really is key. Many people apply a cool white paint that ends up taking the living space in a really cold, sterile direction.
Your paint supplier will have a booklet that lists out their top white paints in them, which makes it really easy. Locally all the big names like Dulux, Taubmans, Haymes etc have these and you can find them at Bunnings.
Some fave warm white paint colours to explore include: Dulux Whisper White, Dulux Snowy Mountains Half, Haymes Minimalist and Porter’s Irish Linen. Always make sure you get sample pots and test each one on the walls of your living room before you lock in a big tin.
White Sheer Curtains Are Your Friend, But Come with a Warning
White sheer curtains are a staple in any boho living room, so you’ll want to get your hands on some. But they do come with a warning. The warning is: ensure the sheer curtain colour you lock in contrasts to your wall colour.
You’re better off doing a warm white paint on your walls and a cooler, crisp white sheer curtain in your boho living room than the other way around. You definitely want to avoid cool white paint with cool white sheer curtains. That’s a one-way ticket to a clinical living room.
We know curtains can be a confusing topic, so feel free to check out our complete guide to choosing the right sheer curtains for your windows.
Locally we use brands like Shades for our design clients, but we’ve also looked to suppliers like Dollar Curtains & Blinds or DIY Blinds which are a wonderful way to go if you’re on a tighter budget.
Lightly Coloured Hard Flooring Is Your Best Bet
The dream flooring for a boho look living room is hard flooring. It just looks nicer with a rug laid over the top of it in a contrasting tone.
When choosing hard flooring that evokes the bohemian feel, you want to go for a muted oak tone. I say muted to steer you away from choosing one that’s too yellow in colour. And it should be noted that the colour is more important than the material itself.
That’s the best thing about creating a boho living room; it’s a style you can achieve on any budget. If you can’t do actual timber and want an affordable alternative, feel free to embrace laminate or vinyl instead. They can look just as good.
Carpet Can Also Work in a Boho Living Room
You can create a boho living room with carpet if hard flooring isn’t an option. And thankfully the same rule applies as it does with carpet: the tone is more important than the material itself.
A light beige carpet is your best bet in achieving the perfect boho living room scheme. And you want it to feel plush, warm and textured underfoot. For this reason, a loop pile is a top choice. Loop pile carpets also feel more modern and refined.
It’s not your only option though. Twist-pile carpets can also work, as can options like solution dyed nylon, which is the best carpet for pets and kids due to its easy-clean quality.
Remember: Carpet always looks lighter once it’s down, so take this into consideration when choosing the right one for your living room.
You’ll Want to Ground the Space with a Neutral Rug
You can’t create a boho living room without a textured rug underfoot. And yes, even if you have carpet in the room I would recommend a rug over the top. Boho living rooms are all about coziness, so you’ll want to layer up.
The rule when choosing a boho-style rug for your living room is to ensure there’s a colour contract between it and the flooring underneath. For example, you don’t want a beige rug with a beige carpet. You want a slight tonal difference.
Many bohemian living rooms rock white or quite light rugs. And I know what you’re thinking; do these people not have kids, pets or spills? But thankfully there are washable rugs on the market now, as well as easy-clean varieties.
SHOP OUR FAVE BOHO LIVING ROOM RUGS
A Sofa Comes Next, and There are Plenty of Options
There are a lot of rules when creating a boho living room, but when it comes to selecting the right sofa, you have loads more options and a tonne more freedom.
From a colour perspective, the sofa for your bohemian living space should be cream, white or light grey. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could opt for a light brown leather sofa as long as it’s quite relaxed/worn and not overly glossy.
You want to keep the colour of the sofa material quite neutral, so avoid any bold colours and dark tones. And when it comes to style, it should feel modern (so no tufton buttons or big rolled arms like in a mid Century or Provincial style).
For shape/style, sofas with clean lines raised off the ground on timber legs are a great place to start. Or you could go for a cushier slip sofa cover that feels more coastal in its aesthetic. Comfort is always king when it comes to the bohemian aesthetic, so make sure it feels cosy.
There Are a Few Options when It Comes to Coffee Tables
It’s a no-brainer to choose an oak coffee table for your bohemian living room. But there are many other finishes on offer that’ll help you achieve the boho vibe.
The rule here is to ensure that there’s a colour difference between the coffee table, side table and any other consoles/sideboard/shelf you’ll have in the room. You don’t want them all to match exactly or be from the same range.
A marble, terrazzo or travertine-top coffee table will bring an elevated feel to your boho living room and are all worthy of your consideration. You could also go for concrete if you want to rough it up a bit, or opt to have some rattan in the top or legs to add textural interest.
Side Tables That Differ from Your Coffee Table Come Next
As mentioned above, a boho living room is all about textural difference. This is why you want your side table to be in a different material to your coffee table. A stone coffee table with a timber side table is a good combo. Alternatively, an oak or rattan coffee table pairs perfectly with a concrete side table.
Side tables can be the lower-cost sister to your coffee table too, so don’t be afraid to look to simple options in white metal or tables that are actually made out of acrylic but look like something more expensive.
Think about how you’ll live in the living room as well. By that I mean, if the the coffee table is big and heavy and likely to sit in the middle of the room, choose light side tables you can lift or drag around the space to put a drink on when watching TV.
Armchairs Can Add a Little Tonal Variance
While the sofa in your boho living room should be simpler in profile and in a more neutral tones, the armchair is where you get to play and experiment a bit more. It can be the piece that brings a sense of the unexpected with it (if you want to get playful).
From a colour perspective, there’s more colour to be had in the fabric. Think tan, camel, rust, walnut, caramel, blush and more. Think rich and warm and you can’t go wrong. The only material I’d suggest you avoid is velvet as it feels too luxe. But everything else is up for grabs.
From a shape/profile perspective, there aren’t many rules. I would suggest you go for something unique though; wackier in look and feel, yet still comfortable. Some options are below in the carousel for you.
Hot tip: While the rattan accent chair used to be a staple in a bohemian look living room, I’d advise exploring different styles that take the vibe in a more modern bohemian direction.
Shop OUR FAVE BOHO LIVING ROOM ARMCHAIRS
In Artworks, Mix Abstract with Photographic and Even Go 3D
The modern boho style is very nature-inspired. So with artwork it makes sense to feature nature-inspired pieces with a sense of calm to them. The colours should remain neutral, but can feature subtle accent tones of blush, blue or green, brown, greys and even a hint of black.
You’d be wise to mix in some paintings too. Line drawings work well, as do indigenous art in dot styles, subtle florals, and abstracts with some attitude (but nothing too aggressive).
Three-dimensional wall art is also a great feature in a boho living room. Think macrame wall hangings, and pieces made from natural textures like wicker, rattan, jute and even timber carvings.
Here are our top art suppliers if you need affordable pieces for your walls at home.
For Cushions and Throws, Get Fun and Tactile
Cushions and throws are always an easy way to introduce colour, dimension and different materials to the scene. In a bohemian living room it’s no different.
From a colour perspective, it’s all the same earthy tones we suggested for the armchair above (tan, camel, rust, walnut, blush, caramel and more). Stick to warmer colours here as opposed to greens or blues as that’ll take you out of the inviting easy-on-the-eye boho style you’re trying to create.
Also look at different patterns and textures. Woven cushions, cable-knit throw blankets with tassels or fringing, and even floor pillows on top of area rugs are great ideas. The more tactile embellishments the better.
Here out our top cushion suppliers if you’re struggling to find something you love.
Sideboards, Shelves or Units with Texture Work Well
If you’ve gone for timber and stone in other furniture pieces like coffee table and side tables, it’s time to mix it up in storage solutions like your sideboard, shelf or entertainment unit.
Think outside the box here, and look at furniture with interesting front profiles. Rippled front drawers are winners. Rattan-front doors are genius. Curves on sides instead of corners are excellent options too.
You might even want to introduce some bone-inlay furniture. If you’re a lover of vintage pieces of furniture, these can also work really well too as long as the timber tone is kept light.
Basically, be adventurous here and make this piece of furniture a focal point rather than an afterthought.
When Choosing Boho Decor, Embrace Natural Elements
When creating a boho living room, you want your decorative elements to work with all of the furniture and foundation beneath them. The key to getting this right is to keep the feel earthy and organic, but have the pieces differ in texture to whatever piece of furniture they’re sitting on.
For example, on a marble coffee table: stack books, a big round glass candle and a timber bowl or string of beads. If the table is timber: dress it with a concrete candle, some books and flowers in a ceramic vase.
Hopefully that makes sense. As with every other styling moment in a bohemian living room, you want lots of textural variety (not marble candle and marble vase on a marble table, for example. Get it?).
Rough it Up with Textures like Leather and Concrete
A lot of the tips on how to create a boho living room are very female-skewed. And I hate to use gender labels like this, but hear me out. What I mean is, they can go very light and pink and feathery. In other words, more suitable for a female bedroom than a communal living space.
With this in mind, you can and should make your boho living room a bit grittier and earthier by including some concrete and leather, weathered timbers and even the occasional pop of black metal in furniture legs or photo frames.
Doing this will balance out all of the lighter/ethereal elements and make the room feel more resolved. And every room should feel resolved!
Indoor Plants are a Great Way to Add Free-Spirited Style
While bohemian interiors are all about an earthy colour palette, one of the best ways to create some eye-catching colour is through indoor house plants. It’s the most common way to add life to any space, but in a bohemian living room they really shine.
The lush green foliage not only looks stunning against warm wood tones and rattan furniture, but it also pops when trailing across white walls. And that’s the secret really; to let the plants in your boho space go wild. You want each one to be a free spirit.
Plant varieties like Devil’s Ivy (Pothos) are perfect for trailing across the entire wall, but also look to potted options for tabletops like String of Pearls and Philodendron Cordatum, as they tend to have a relaxed look to them too.
Here’s our top ideas on decorating a living room with plants if you need more inspiration.
Lastly, Please Avoid Cheapening the Look with Melamine
The affordable stores love melamine. They specifically love white melamine. And that is absolutely OK (we love showing you low-cost decor that looks expensive). But when designing and styling a boho chic living room, you want less shiny white melamine, and more matte-finish timber furniture.
You actually want to avoid high-gloss furniture and decor as much as possible. A bit of shine in a marble piece, sure. But you definitely don’t want shimmer. That’s why, despite melamine being super-affordable, you want to try and avoid it here.
It can work wonders in interior design styles like Coastal or Modern Hamptons because both looks call for more crisp whites. But when creating a bohemian design living room, you must steer clear of over-melamining it.
Has this helped you get a better understanding of boho interiors? While this post is focussed on living rooms, we’ve also showcased boho bedroom ideas here if you want to carry the look into other pockets of your home.
