Know Your Style: A Look at Bohemian Furniture and Its London Roots

Ah, bohemian furniture. A mainstay of design since seemingly forever. Equally applicable to lifestyle choices made in your 20’s, as your eccentric aunts cottage on the edge of nowhere. Perfectly reasonable as a means of decorating a cozy downtown loft. Or a 3000 square-foot ranch-style home in the suburbs, for that matter. Bohemian furniture, bohemian style, whatever you call it, is more about tone than anything else. Right? It seems to be a disposition. It isn’t an aesthetic we might attach with a particular designer or manufacturer. Well there, we might be wrong.

Bohemian style furniture or bohemian decor is the opposite of clean line industrial. It is far from the formal practice of mid-century. It is whimsy incarnate. And it has long been associated with artists or eccentrics. It seems to be a declarative and bold statement, of originality. And for many it is a style associated with thriftiness – to be cobbled together while browsing in antique stores. So it might surprise you that its origins were kept intellectual and also quite posh.

That’s right. The origin of Bohemian style can be traced back to the Bloomsbury Group. For the unfamiliar, they were a writing, philosophical, and artistic gathering from the early 20th-century. An eclectic mix of people, they lived and worked near each other in Bloomsbury, London, hence the name. The group included such famous folks as Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keyes, Dora Carrington, Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell, and others. Alongside their group “studies,” they also felt it was important to allow graphic expression to spread throughout the world. Yep, they had their own design revolution in mind. This lead to the Bohemian artistic movement. While its initial acceptance was slow, it gradually began to gain a following. As you might have noticed. Because it’s still hot, even nowadays – in 2018.

What is Bohemian Interior Style?

So what is it, exactly? And why does it seem to be an evergreen style – that is, almost always popular? Well, to answer the second question first, the Bloomsbury Group created the Omega Workshops. Charged with the creation of art, furniture and various interior fixtures, these workshops spread Bohemian style throughout London and eventually the world. Bohemian interior design rapidly became the style of choice for those seeking a more individual expression in their living spaces. That’s because its main purpose is bringing life, culture, and energy into the home. Bohemian furniture and decor flies in the face of modern sensibilities while embracing a lifestyle that’s carefree and relaxed. Its greatest secret? Variety and originality. While many Bohemian homes share features, the appeal of this style is that no two homes are exactly alike.

Bohemian Colors

And considering the pedigree of the Bloomsbury Group, its no surprise that color plays a huge role. There such a wide variance of color in bohemian style. Its like a supercharged rainbow that follows its own rules. In fact, when it comes to colors, the bohemian style plays by no rules at all. Ranging from metallic to warm and earthy colors, the Bohemian home can have a variety unlike any other. However, a few crop up slightly more often than the others. Brown, terra cotta, gold, silver, and metallic blue have proved to be mainstays. Our advice? The heart and soul of this style is to mix patterns and use colors that may not necessarily go together. This eccentric mash-up is an essential demonstration of your individuality. And that is what this style is all about.

Choosing Materials

Materials work just like colors in this style – mix and match is the name of the game. In many ways, the field is wide open – bring in whatever you can get away with. But natural materials like burlap and sisal work best, so long as they have a worn look to them. And if you’re using Bohemian rugs, make sure they have fringe on them to give the appearance that a band of merry gypsies danced on it well into the night.

Bohemian Accessories

Accessories are the essence of the Bohemian experience. However, don’t expect to walk into a typical store to find them. Instead, shop unique online furniture stores with a refined aesthetic. You can also explore thrift shops, estate sales, and even junkyards to find your hidden treasures. Look for the offbeat rather than the glamorous. Such items as vintage bottles, mismatched china, maps, and other items work well. Soon, every room will be brimming with stories.

Bohemian Furniture

Like accessories, bohemian furniture takes patience and taste. They are out there, waiting to be found. But they can’t be found in any old strip mall. Start looking about, and soon you will develop a sixth sense. And while many people choose to look through secondhand stores to find the perfect piece, others realize they can find high-end Bohemian furniture online. Yep, we went there. And hey, why not? It is quite possible to achieve the Bohemian look without “dumpster-diving.” And sturdy construction and high-quality matters in this flamboyant style as much as any other. Besides, you can always sneak a few worn pieces in as well.

So, to conclude – while most Bohemian furniture nods at a pseudo-Victorian nature, it is popular today as a distinctive style, with its own nostalgia. For those who march to the beat of a different drummer, there’s no better way to add expressive (and soulful) vibrations to your home than to summon the spirit of Bloomsbury. And its as easy as unveiling out some Bohemian rugs, adding some eccentric colors and patterns, and filling up on adornments and unique furniture. So what are you waiting for? Pay homage to the Arts and Crafts Movement as well as the colorful soul of the old-style artistic rebel deep inside yourself.