I've been really enjoying the beautifully bohemian homes I've been seeing on Pinterest lately. Scattered with rugs, festooned with ferns and styled with lots of pattern, this is maximalism with a sophisticated, elegant palette.

As a look I think it's not something you can 'pull off' or 'recreate', it feels like it's something you have to earn.

You need to put a bit of time in going to flea markets and antique stores looking for just the right coffee table or cabinet.

You have to spend some hours gathering cuttings of interesting succulents and cacti from friends and relatives, repotting them and maybe even macrame-ing some hanging planters.

Throws, rugs, cushions and paint all bring the look together, giving a rich colour palette of reds, maroons, deep blue, indigo and more.

And when you finish it.... sorry, that was a trick, this is a look you never finish because there will always be one more rug you can layer up, one more candleholder to place, carving to hang or plant to tend. It's a look that rewards patience, perseverance and a magpie-like eye for beautiful, quirky objects.

In fact, it's more than a look, it's a hobby.

So here's just a few of the beautiful boho homes I've been coveting recently... now I'd better get planning some treasure-hunting trips!


Bohemian bathroom (spotted on Lonny Magazine)


Bohemian warehouse style from Williamsburg, New York (Image: Emily Johnston)


A jungle indoors via Apartment Therapy


A clever mixture of colour, texture and pattern makes this feel cohesive, rather than clashy (Image: thedesignfiles.net)


A simpler take on the bohemian look, still featuring bold patterns and warm colours, but pared back slightly for a more contemporary feel (via Frenchy Fancy)


A rustic bedroom with casual curtains and a patterned rug (from The Style Files)


A glorious bohemian bedroom, with high ceilings, a dark wooden floor, white walls and big plants. (via VSCO)

And finally... a bit of original source material in the form of Charleston House, the home and country meeting place of the Bloomsbury Group:

I love the paint effects on the wall combined with the warm woods and beautiful art collection. This is definitely on my list of 'must see' places for visiting this summer.

If you're interested, here's a little more info about this artistic group and their country home:

Charleston is a seventeenth century Sussex farmhouse that, from 1916, was the home of two of the most important, influential artists of the twentieth century – Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.  It was the country retreat of the group of individuals known as Bloomsbury which included Vanessa Bell’s sister Virginia Woolf and husband Leonard Woolf, the economist John Maynard Keynes, the art critics Roger Fry and Clive Bell and the biographer Lytton Strachey.

After Duncan Grant’s death in 1978 the house fell into disrepair with many of its unique interior paintings and decorations deteriorating badly. The Charleston Trust, a registered charity formed in 1980, raised over  £1,000,000 to restore the house and in 1986 it opened its doors to the public.

You can find out more on their website and plan a visit to Charleston House.

What better way to enjoy bohemian style than at the very place it came from!

Becky