Bohemian Bedroom Ideas for Your Home

While bohemianism didn't begin with the hippie movement, the bright swirls of colour and busy fabric patterns that became popular in the 1960s are quintessential aspects of this type of decor style. If you want to give your bedroom a makeover in true gipsy style, you'll need to learn about the different elements of bohemian interior design. In this guide, we'll help you get started with a few bohemian decor tips for your bed, nightstands, dresser, and other bedroom features.

Use Bold, Rich Colors

While other decor styles might veer toward a more minimal approach, no expense is spared in bohemian style to fill your space with as much colour as possible. Don't be afraid to use bold shades when you decorate your new bohemian bedroom; hues like burgundy, electric blue, sunshine yellow, and hot pink look great when paired with lava lamps, wall tapestries, and other standbys of this specialized decor style.

Picking a bedspread with rich swirls of colours might be the first step you take to bring your bohemian bedroom to life, but it shouldn't be the last. Paint your walls in bright colours; you may even want to go so far as to paint each wall a different hue. To perfect your bohemian look, try repainting your plain old nightstands bright pink or purple.

Try Eclectic Fabric Patterns

In other settings, it might seem tacky to mix fabric patterns from different cultures. In a bohemian bedroom, however, fabric patterns from East Asia and South America mix like they were made for each other.

Add some Moroccan floor pillows for your guests to enjoy when they come over to sniff your incense and peruse your vintage record collection, and add a couple of Burmese silk pillows to your bed to brighten your room. When it comes to your windows, don't be afraid to layer multiple kinds of fabric to achieve a dappled look whenever the sun shines through.

Set up a Variety of Lighting Sources

In a bohemian bedroom, the light shouldn't come from a single source, and it shouldn't be too bright. Even if filling your room with lava lamps is going a bit too far for your tastes, you should still try hanging a couple of paper lanterns from your ceiling or putting a discrete disco ball light in the corner of your bedroom.

You don't even need to invest in a new light fixture to make your bedroom look bohemian. If you have any patterned scarves lying around, you can drape one of these accessories over a traditional lamp to cover your walls with striking shapes and colours.

Go for the Vintage Look

You don't need to buy your furniture new to achieve the bohemian look in your bedroom; in fact, it's probably better if you don't. Whichever decade's decor you're trying to emulate, the vagabond look has always been a defining feature of bohemian style, so don't be afraid to peruse the shelves at your local thrift store or antique shop as you search for the furniture pieces that will transform your bedroom into a bohemian paradise.

Once you've gotten your hands on some vintage furniture, you can either leave it as it is or paint it in bright, psychedelic colours. You may even want to purchase a matching set of nightstands or dressers and paint each piece a different colour for an off-putting and unique look.

Fill Every Space with Accessories

If you think that you couldn't possibly fit more seashells and incense burners on top of your dresser, think again. Bohemian bedrooms should be crammed to the brim with all sorts of eclectic accessories and oddball knickknacks. Once you've run out of space on your nightstands and dressers, you can move on to your walls and build some shelves to house your miniature disco balls and vintage concert tickets.

Your walls might be blank spaces right now, but try picking up some paintings and posters to liven things up a little bit. While a couple of framed paintings might look nice, don't forget that vintage posters with lots of thumbtack holes in the corners perfectly evoke the vagabond look that has made the bohemian decor style famous.

Flaunt Your Literature

The original bohemian movement began in seedy coffee shops frequented by radical thinkers, so there's no reason to hide the fact that you're a bookworm when you deck your home out in bohemian style. Whether you set up bookcases at the foot of your bed or by your dresser, just make sure that your cases are towering and impressive.

While bookcases are useful if you're a heavy reader, they can also be just for show. Whether or not you've read every book that's on your shelf, a full bookcase lends your space an air of intelligent sophistication that's hard to beat.

Try a Ceiling Tapestry

As the finishing touch in your bohemian bedroom, you might want to look up. If your ceiling has a light fixture in the centre but not much else, it's time to spice things up with a tapestry that spans from corner to corner.

If you don't want to cover your entire ceiling with a tapestry, you might be able to get by with a simple scarf tacked across your light fixture to fill your bedroom with a dim glow. However, huge tapestries with paisley or other intricate patterns are a big part of the bohemian style. These tapestries make it seem like your bedroom is part of a big tent, and they add a layer of softness to your decor that makes guests feel at home and helps you sleep well at night.