A BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
Decorating is about feeling free, having fun, rejecting traditional notions about what goes with what (especially that everything in a room has to match), and getting a little bit wild. A melting pot of ideas that can be found in the new bohemian home.
From left: A Victorian aquarium, filled with cacti, makes a major statement piece. This informal living space has been styled with Danish-modern sofa, Moroccan tables and colourful cushions
The modern bohemians place a premium on clean lines and functionality to enjoy a lifestyle that is rooted in freedom: free-spirited, free-form, and free of rules. Everything is creative material – we are vintage hounds. I’ve found over the years that resourcefulness and my own imagination inspire me most.
Clockwise from left: This side return has been transformed into a mosaic patio garden with sink, barbecue and pizza oven. A headboard has been crafted from a vintage piece of suzani. Vintage finds on a table at the bedside stand out against the dark wall.
Designers discuss splurging on a £250 doorknob, but the truth is, I live in a rented home, and much of what I have used to decorate it with are hand-medowns and thrift-shop finds. I believe that wealth is not the key to an amazing home and an incredible lifestyle – the key is inside you; it’s your own creativity and being in an environment in which you’re allowed to express it.
From left:The mid-century brass lamp looks inviting on the vintage chest of drawers. A shelved window accentuates the display of glass, porcelain and plants
In my book, The New Bohemians, my goal is to share ideas that feed the imagination – sprinkles of eye candy to make your home a reflection of your personality. I hope that each time you pick up this book it will motivate you to start a new project. Switch out those tired curtains in your bedroom, pry open that can of paint under your bathroom sink and give that little wooden accent chair a kelly-green hue. Let loose. Experiment – get all boho.
The New Bohemians, by Justina Blakeney, with photography by 2015 Dabito, is published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, priced £21.99.
From left: A Victorian aquarium, filled with cacti, makes a major statement piece. This informal living space has been styled with Danish-modern sofa, Moroccan tables and colourful cushionsThe modern bohemians place a premium on clean lines and functionality to enjoy a lifestyle that is rooted in freedom: free-spirited, free-form, and free of rules. Everything is creative material – we are vintage hounds. I’ve found over the years that resourcefulness and my own imagination inspire me most.
Clockwise from left: This side return has been transformed into a mosaic patio garden with sink, barbecue and pizza oven. A headboard has been crafted from a vintage piece of suzani. Vintage finds on a table at the bedside stand out against the dark wall. Designers discuss splurging on a £250 doorknob, but the truth is, I live in a rented home, and much of what I have used to decorate it with are hand-medowns and thrift-shop finds. I believe that wealth is not the key to an amazing home and an incredible lifestyle – the key is inside you; it’s your own creativity and being in an environment in which you’re allowed to express it.
From left:The mid-century brass lamp looks inviting on the vintage chest of drawers. A shelved window accentuates the display of glass, porcelain and plantsIn my book, The New Bohemians, my goal is to share ideas that feed the imagination – sprinkles of eye candy to make your home a reflection of your personality. I hope that each time you pick up this book it will motivate you to start a new project. Switch out those tired curtains in your bedroom, pry open that can of paint under your bathroom sink and give that little wooden accent chair a kelly-green hue. Let loose. Experiment – get all boho.
The New Bohemians, by Justina Blakeney, with photography by 2015 Dabito, is published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, priced £21.99.