Explore more about bohemian living room décor and get inspiration for your own elegant and gorgeous home interior.
Boho home decor has really resurfaced in a significant way in recent years, especially with younger millennials and older zoomers.
Boho living room decor had its first big moments in the 1960s and 1970s when hippie culture was in full swing. Now though, it is a mainstream design choice, especially for those who love the eclectic mix of natural, vintage, bold, patterned, and cultural.
You’ll be surprised how easy it is to find your unique boho home decorating style and incorporate it into your space in a way that fits you and your house or apartment- no matter the architectural style.
What is Boho-style decor?
Boho style decor is a free-spirited artistic expression that is often a combination of earthy, natural, and calming mixed in with bold, bright, patterned, and wild. Boho style almost always incorporates several textures, patterns, art, and culture into the design and decor. Natural wood furniture, white walls, wicker, linen, cotton, rattan furniture, house plants, and colorful textiles are common boho elements.
Some bohemian styles are muted, natural, and earth-toned in color, while others are vibrant, lively, bold, and fantastically clashing in color in a fun and eclectic way.
Boho Style Living Room Ideas
Cozy Hanging Chair
This gorgeous space has all the classic elements of a boho living room, from those light and breezy curtains to the round statement rug to that classic macrame hanging chair that is suspected from a natural wooden dowel rod.
There are several wicker, wood, and rattan elements in this space too. Notice the wooden decorative bird cage, ottoman, plant container, and the wooden pallets used to hold those simple yet pretty beige cushions.
Rattan Chairs and Neutral Tones Cloth Couches
What a charming and formal living room. First, notice the door. It has natural wooden beauty with a simple design, and it ties in well with the nesting coffee tables, and the wooden wall tucked behind the neutral cloth couch.
On the back wall, you’ll notice neutral wall art, twinkle ambient lighting, and of course, a monster house plant sitting inside a wicker basket. Throughout this space, there are five pillows, each of which is a cream color but with various patterns, textures, and styles.
The fluffy boho rug is a nice contrast to those beautiful hardwood floors. Lastly, notice the candles tucked away inside those willow lanterns. These add eclectic charms that are cozy and inviting.
Modern Boho Living Room Ideas
For a sleeker and more modern boho look, swap out some of the fluffier cloth materials for sleek and shinier leather ones. In this first space, there is a rich brown leather sofa accompanied by a white and wood accent chair. To tie the white chair in with the leather sofa, a nearly matching leather pillow sits upon the chair.
Beneath the furniture sits a black and tan rug, which perfectly marries the wooden retro chair legs of all furniture with the minimalist black shelves and modern black window trim. These shelves are adorned with dainty houseplants, wooden cubes, and a wooden clock. They pop nicely against the clean white wall that sits behind them.
Everything in this space has a delicious mixture of the 1970s and modern 2022 vibes. It blends nicely and creates a welcoming boho vibe that makes you want to sit and stay for a spell.
In the second space, a darker and moodier aesthetic is achieved with a dark accent wall, darker colored cloth couches, and dark curtains that still allow a lot of natural sunlight to filter into the living room.
A bright white wall to the left houses a large flatscreen television and an entertainment bar below that. This bar has glass and wooden elements, with a generous helping of clear glass bottles, a vintage clock, a snake plant, and a wooden ball filled with wooden accent decor balls.
Finally, let’s look at those two soft wicker baskets sitting in this room, adding a cozy yet functional element to the space. Check some baskets here at Target for ideas of soft baskets storage.
Colorful Boho Living Room Ideas
Bright Vibrant Accent Colors Next to White Walls
Cluttered Colorful Pops of Personality in a Moody, Natural Space
Creative Wall Art With Natural Lighting and Wooden Elements
Jewel Tones Deliciously Mixed With Black and White Moods
When it comes to color palettes, boho decor has so much range.
You can have wildly bold colors on top of a black, white, or neutral backdrop. You can have more muted and sophisticated jewel tones on neutral backdrops. Or, you have wooden elements throughout the space with random pops of fierce colors that command attention and interest.
Truly, no color matching or clashing is wrong when it comes to creating that perfect boho space. It all comes down to what you have on hand and your personal style.
Many millennials and gen Z’s are embracing boho because it is inclusive for all, even those who are stuck with bright white or cream colored apartments and rental house walls. Bohemian decor is about personality, color, comfort, and the little details. You don’t need a specific type of space or style to achieve this look in your living room.
In these images, be sure to notice the use of clashing patterns, contrasting colors, and natural textiles. Terracotta pots, colorful ceramic cups, natural rock plant containers, wicker boxes, and cloth baskets diversify the textures while creating pleasant elements of interest.
Most bohemian looks include natural or soft lighting, though neon wall art signs can sometimes work well too.
Patterned rugs are a must-have because they contrast nicely against hard floors while tying in the other colors and elements that are scattered all over the living room.
Minimalist Bohemian Living Room Designs
Minimalist Cream and Leather Living Room Ideas
Wow, look at that beautiful natural sunlight filtering in through those light and breezy curtains.
This natural sunlight appears to be put to good use too; five houseplants that range from palm size to almost six feet tall sit near the windows, soaking up the sunshine and offering a natural vibe to the space.
A soft fluffy cream colored rug sits in the middle of the boho living room space. It has the front legs of a long leather couch resting on it, and a round wicker ottoman placed on the end of the sofa. Check Amazon.com for some ottoman-style ideas.
The sofa is topped with throw pillows and blankets of various textures and colors, but each item works well together, in very complementary shades and styles.
White, Cream, and Wooden Elements For a Soft, Minimalist Look
It is difficult to make a space look clean, tidy, and minimalist without losing the warmth and personality that makes a house feel like home. This space has perfectly managed this task.
The simple line art of the woman on the shelf adds a touch of personal style, while the clear wine glasses, cascading houseplant, and crystal candle votives add interest. Still, the right end of the shelf is left bare, which keeps this corner looking clean and minimalist in style.
Below the shelf is a small two-person sitting area. Atop the white table sits a tan woven rope or wicker placemat, adorned by a cream white vase and dry-tan grass elements.
Bohemian living room on a budget
Thrift Store Treasures are Welcome (And Encouraged)
This stunning boho living rooms full of texture, personality, and thoughtful bohemian elements. Together, all of these items look curated, cohesive, and even expensive. But, if you have an eye for design, it isn’t too difficult (only time consuming) to find nearly all of these decor items and furniture pieces from thrift shops and yard sales.
Something to love about the bohemian style is how inclusive it can be for all budgets because of this. Matching furniture that comes in sets is completely out. It’s all about mixing different but similar styles of wood, textiles, and linens.
It’s common to find plain, dated, or simply strange wall art in thrift stores too, which is perfect for the avid boho thrifter on a mission and a strict budget.
Depending on your region of the country, houseplants are a relatively cheap investment that elevates the space and brings your beautiful living room to life.
Minimalist Boho Style For the Win
Mixing minimalist with boho leaves plenty of opportunities to stretch a budget in a way that doesn’t look cheap or strained.
Purchasing one nice focal point item (even if you get it from a thrift store or an estate sale) gives you the freedom to decorate with just a handful of other items in a way that looks curated and intentional.
The green and yellow boho space, for example, has one very aesthetically pleasing yellow couch that is topped with three mismatched throw pillows, and accented by one end table, three houseplants, and an empty photo frame. A matte sage green wall accents the entire scene in a lovely way that adds color without being overwhelming.
Boho Living Room Wall Decor
Macrame Plant Hanger
It doesn’t get much more boho style than a cream macrame plant hanger that is being suspended from a wooden stick against a white wall.
Don’t feel confined to simple photographs in frames or paintings on canvases. Boho wall decor has so much more range than that. Consider adding macrame wall art, hanging plants, shelving, and eclectic knick knacks for those shelves.
Wall sculptures, natural elements, ambient lighting, and patterned wallpaper are all excellent additions that can tell a story, make the space feel cozy, and bring out the boho vibe that you want to create.
Minimalist Wall Art Printables
Soft Cohesive Colors and Earth Tones
Large Statement Pieces that Incorporate Wood, and Blue Print Designs
Your wall art can be crazy, eclectic, and demand lots of attention, or it can quietly add to the space without much fuss or clashing required.
Black and white tend to politely blend into the walls, especially if the walls are black or white. Rainbow colors or jewel tones make statements and command interest. Earth tones fall right in the middle, not adding too much chaos to the scene while still being nearly impossible to miss.
Your wall art can be a single solitary piece that is large and doesn’t need any companions. You can also create a gallery wall for a busier look. If you choose to create a gallery wall, it can be random and eclectic, or it can all match a specific theme and color palette. All of these options, while vastly different, always end up looking fantastic no matter what.
Rustic Boho Living Room Ideas
Colorful Country Bohemian Living Room
Distressed Design Aspects, Flowers, and White Paneling
Natural Colored Adobe Walls
Boho Rustic A-Frame
Moody and Busy Boho Rustic Living Room
Leather, Wood, White, and Natural Elements
It’s not as common, but the overlap of rustic and bohemian is a magical sight to behold. Boho aspires to incorporate several nature textures and elements, and what better way to do that than with rustic elements such as hardwood floors, stone fireplaces, large wooden chests, patterned rugs on the floor, heavy timber beams overhead, and soft, cushy couches and chairs.
If you’re going for a rustic boho space, there are a few minor details that will make all the difference. For instance, swap out tropical houseplants for arid cacti or succulents. Next, bohemian style is all about patterns, but the pattern style is not specified. Try incorporating southwestern, western, cowboy, Native American (aboriginal), or Mexican pattern styles into your design.
Leather is always a good texture to play with too, especially for furniture upholstery. Cowhide, bear, deer hide, and sheepskin make for excellent rugs that are surprisingly easy to clean, full beautiful colors, and definitely add to the number of various textures used.
Tobacco baskets, ox collars, bridles, working rope, and even old cowboy boots can be tastefully added to your living room for more interesting design aspects. If you’ve ever yearned for an antler chandelier, this is the place to use it.
Distressed or vintage furniture is also a great overlap that naturally occurs between the boho and country styles and makes for a great rustic boho living room.
For those blessed with adobe or log walls, preserve them and revel in your good fortune because both of these wall types are interesting, beautiful, and unique. If you don’t have them, wallpaper is a surprisingly effective dupe that will fool almost any visitor into thinking you have the real deal.
Lastly, quilts are an effective tie that marries country and bohemian. Break them out of the hope chest, and don’t be afraid to use them in lieu of throw blankets in the living room.
What Does Boho Mean?
Boho is shorthand for bohemian.
Bohemian is a term used to describe objects, places, and even people who differ from what is socially conventional. Usually, bohemian is used with a positive connotation and refers to creativity or artistic features or abilities.
A common misconception is that boho means the same as “hippie”. While these two words can sometimes be used interchangeably, hippie can have political origins, while boho is often free from political affiliation or ideologies.
Additionally, bohemian is generally a feminine decor style, while hippie can be more gender neutral.
What Colors are Boho?
Every color on the spectrum can pass as boho.
Bohemian colors have a much stronger basis in the color palette rather than individual shades or colors themselves.
For instance, some of the most common boho color palettes are:
- black and white mixed with cream or earth tones
- black or white backgrounds with pops of vibrant colors or accents
- black or white backgrounds with jewel tone colors or accents
- earth tones
- bold, bright, clashing colors
Can You Mix Boho and Modern?
Pretty Pastels and Colorful Boho Books
The Modern Boho Library Living Room
The All White Modern Boho Living Room
Colorfully Eclectic Modern Boho Living Room
Terracotta Modern Living Room with Cool Boho Vibes
Boho and modern can be mixed with careful planning and a keen eye for design.
Start with mid-century furniture, and go from there. Mid-century modern offers clean lines, bold yet soft aspects, iconic splayed legs, and neat, tight cushions on upholstered pieces. This is distinctly modern and the perfect foundation to use for bohemian decor.
Use lots of modern textiles and patterns, but with bohemian style color palates (see above).
Keep the clutter and maximalism to a minimum. This keeps the space feeling neat, tidy, and modern and also makes each piece and decor item have more impact in your living room.
Add in organic textures whenever possible too. Wicker baskets, rattan furniture, natural sticks, river stones, reclaimed wood, and salvaged antiques can double as modern yet boho. Look for pendant lights, candles, potted plants, terracotta pots, unglazed ceramics, and vintage items, like neutral colored, earth tone, or jewel-tone books to decorate your space.
Gallery walls can work for bohemian modern spaces, but large, oversized pieces of art or photographs are a safer bet and usually more impactful decorations. Go for frameless art if possible, or modern minimalist frames if not. Another idea is to hang a textile, like a tapestry, quilt, or afghan blanket.
You can also use wallpaper too. Go for a print that isn’t too small or busy, and make sure that is cohesive with your furniture and rugs. Clean lines, minimalism, and gentle colors that are easy on the eyes are probably some of the best bohemian modern wallpapers that you can get.
Can You Mix Boho and Farmhouse?
Woods, Whites, and Simply Natural Elements
The Tan and White Boho Farmhouse Corner
Simple and Modern Bohemian Farmhouse
Use Vintage Finds Like Plates, Pitchers, and Baskets
Boho and farmhouse mix almost flawlessly.
The strongest impact you can have when merging these styles is to remember to drop the clashing bright colors and most of the jewel tones.
To make the boho farmhouse style work, you need to stick to black and white, cream, or earth tones. You can use any of those color palettes in combination with one bright color, like green, red, or blue, but that is about it.
Keep in mind that there are two primary types of farmhouse design that are having a big moment right now: farmhouse theme (sometimes called modern farmhouse) and farmhouse aesthetic (or classic farmhouse).
Modern farmhouse tends to feel more like a party theme. It’s very literal, coordinated, and borderline cheesy. Modern farmhouse uses lots of signs (many of which say “farm-fresh eggs,” “farmhouse,” and “farm-fresh milk.”
Classic farmhouse, on the other hand, is a bit more subtle. Instead of using signs, it uses authentic objects, like wire egg baskets, galvanized milk pails, and white shiplap, to convey the message that it is a farmhouse.
Modern farmhouse usually uses bright whites that are cooler in tone, while traditional farmhouse often leans towards creams and slightly warmer tones.
While some may choose to utilize leather sofas in farmhouse designs, it doesn’t feel authentic to many. It’s best to stick to light-colored cloth couches for this aesthetic. Couch covers are also popular in boho and farmhouses, so if you have a couch you’re tired of looking at, now is the time to change it up for the better.
If you still want a touch of leather and hide, spring for a cowhide rug.
Natural farm elements, such as glass canning jars, leather straps, porcelain jugs, hemp rope, antlers, horns, and firewood add to the bohemian farmhouse aesthetic too. Guitars, saddle blankets, vintage dinner plates, old galvanized milk pails, old license plates, and straw hats add a special touch of personality.
Lastly, one of the best ways you can mix these two styles is to add more houseplants. They add a certain cohesiveness, greenery, and clean feeling to the space that is nearly impossible to be replicated with any other design items.