Boho Decor Ideas: A Style Guide
Boho decor is warm, relaxed and collected: earthy colours such as terracotta, rust and sand, layered natural textures like rattan, macramé and jute, and plenty of plants. For the walls, choose warm, hand-drawn art: botanicals, desert scenes, sun motifs and soft earthy abstracts.
Below: what boho style is, the colours and textures that define it, how to choose art for it, and ideas for the living room and bedroom.
Prints for this look
The colour palette
What boho style is
Boho is short for bohemian, a word once used for artists and travellers who lived outside convention. In interiors it means relaxed rooms that look gathered over time, from markets, travels and family pieces. The key traits:
- An earthy palette. Terracotta, rust, sand, mustard, sage and cream.
- Natural textures. Rattan, cane, macramé, jute, woven baskets and wood.
- Layered textiles. Patterned rugs, throws, floor cushions and tassels.
- Plants everywhere, from trailing pothos to a large palm in a basket.
- Low, relaxed seating and handmade, global objects.
Boho vs eclectic: eclectic decor mixes any styles and eras, often with sharp contrasts. Boho is a particular kind of mix, always warm, earthy and natural. You could call it eclectic with a palette.
Choosing art for a boho room
Boho art feels warm and handmade. Good choices:
- Hand-drawn botanicals and line drawings
- Desert scenes, cacti and sun motifs
- Earthy abstracts with soft, organic shapes
- Folk and textile-inspired patterns
- Figures and faces in warm, sunbaked tones
Avoid cold greys, stark black and white, and hard-edged geometric prints, which feel too sharp for the style. Natural wood frames suit boho best, and the hanging can be relaxed: lean a print on a shelf, or mix prints with a woven wall basket or a round mirror.
Start with our terracotta wall art, then look at desert wall art and botanical prints. For more on the look, read our guide to bohemian style for homes.
Boho living room and bedroom ideas
Boho living room. A cream, tan or rust sofa, a patterned rug layered over jute, a rattan chair and floor cushions. Above the sofa, hang one A1, or build a relaxed gallery around an A2 anchor with smaller prints and a woven basket or two. Keep 15 to 25 cm between the sofa back and the bottom of the art.
Boho bedroom. Linen bedding in sand and rust, a rattan or cane headboard, and a trailing plant on a shelf. Above the bed, choose one A1 above a double, or a pair of A2 prints above a king size, in warm earthy colours.
Modern boho. For a calmer take, keep walls warm white, limit pattern to the rug and cushions, and let one or two earthy prints and plenty of plants do the work.
Sizes at a glance
| Size | Centimetres | Inches | Works for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 | 8.3 x 11.7 | Shelves, desks, small gaps, sets of 3 |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 | 11.7 x 16.5 | Hallways, side walls, pairs |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 | 16.5 x 23.4 | Above a sideboard or small sofa, the anchor of a gallery wall |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 | 23.4 x 33.1 | Above a standard sofa or bed |
| A0 | 84.1 x 118.9 | 33.1 x 46.8 | Large walls, open-plan rooms, statement pieces |
All our A sizes fit standard off-the-shelf frames, and every print is made to order on museum-grade matte paper.
