Bohemian Modern: Creative and Free-Spirited Contemporary Homes

by Emily Henson

Emily Henson explores the elements that come together to create this eclectic, colorful, and contemporary look and draws inspiration from an array of real-life Bohemian Modern homes.

The Bohemian Modern home is a place where creativity, individuality, and a bold mix of color and pattern meet in a modern environment. Whitewashed walls and polished concrete floors are brought to life by vibrant rugs and wall hangings; a cozy rattan chair suspended from the ceiling, and a jungle of houseplants—clustered in pots, hanging from the ceiling, or even growing on the walls. The style gives a nod to 1970s chic, with its use of shagpile rugs, Swiss cheese plants, and macramé, but it stands firmly in the present day by boldly contrasting those elements with sleek modern art and polished concrete worksurfaces.

Emily starts by taking a look at the different facets of the pattern and color, textiles, handmade pieces, living with houseplants, and collections and display. She offers up styling tricks to use at home and timely ideas for recycling and reuse. Next, a series of case studies take a closer look at free-spirited and creative homes and the people who live in them. From a restored barn on the coast of Morocco to a former parking garage in the Netherlands that's been converted into a flexible family live/work space, Emily shows that any home can have Bohemian Modern style.

Genres: Nonfiction, Interior Design, Design

160 pages, Hardcover

First published February 10, 2015

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything in here is GLORIOUS.
I'm a sucker for an iconic bathroom. The Japanese cedar bath tub with science laboratory taps? SWOON 🛀

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many examples, not enough elaboration on concepts and ideas

[Lorilin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bohemian modern? ….or horror movie set? I still can’t decide.

[NAOMI POINDEXTER · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it- I am studying design styles and the intersection of Wabi Sabi and Boho Chic. This book is a personal portfolio of the author'r designs which seem fluid , yet principled. The amount of color is Boho chic is something I would like to manage- which in itself is a design conflict. However, designing my studio and garden with more Wabi Sabi and less Boho is possible, I think.

[Lisa Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated her "creativity before consumption" motto. The writing sometimes rambled and often stated the obvious. It didn't add much to the photos of lovely homes. I enjoyed looking at the photos of people's homes, but the "how to" section was pretty standard.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really took my time reading the descriptions and poring over each image. A really beautiful collection of homes, each with their own take on ‘bohemian’.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the rooms kind of looked the same.
White walls. Lots of plants.
Now and then a really cool piece of furniture.
Ho-hum.

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lived in spaces with cool architecture.

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books like these can always be hit or miss, it depends on the readers style. I have always tended to favour a more bohemian decorating style than any other so I was excited when I discovered "Bohemian Modern" by Emily Henson.

The beginning of the book was filled not only with beautiful pictures of bohemian rooms, but it also spoke to styling hints and tips, textiles and contrasts, collections and plants (which you can never really have enough of!) and a chapter dedicated to "Creativity before Consumption".

The rest of the book devoted itself to different types of bohemian looks, focusing on houses around Europe and their owners who have incorporated their own personal boho style into their humble abode. I hadn't really thought about all the different types of boho that are out there. Retro Boho, Technicolour Boho, The Greenhouse and Bohemian Grandeur to name a few. The pictures were lovely and I definitely got the feel and sense of what the homeowner was trying to convey but none of the styles were really my type of bohemian, which is probably why the book didn't resonate with me as much as I thought it would when I first found it.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the book, or the styles showcased in it, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Thankfully I took out 2 bohemian decorating books from the library, so it's on to the next.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully photographed depictions of modern boho styling at its best. Specifically, Henson focuses on Europe and Africa to shed light on the "upcycle" trend more Americans should adopt. Buying new furniture isn't necessary; in fact, it's not nearly as chic and creative as restoring the old. The only issue with the book seems to be the organization -- it lent itself to repetition. Starting off with sub-categories about different styling techniques, to then showcasing specific houses, all proved redundant. Why not just focus on each house as its own distinct chapter, highlighting the styling strategies within? All in all, a strong illustrative reference for decor enthusiasts.

[Tasneem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great photos and nice layout. Interesting commentary. I enjoyed the Moroccan and Middle Eastern homes featured because they were so very different to the norm. The book does give you an understanding of what can be achieved.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome interior design book! Thanks for ordering it, DPL collections librarians! ;-)

[Rin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous book! Each home featured had at least one thing that made me want to redecorate immediately. A visual feast, as well as very detailed info on the homes featured.

[Ambur Taft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of interesting interior design and decorating in dwellings in London, Morocco, Belgium, & the Netherlands.

[Hardly · Rating 1 out of 5]

You should have seen my face this whole book. Mind you, it introduced me styles like Scani-Boho but...nah. This just looked like slap dash meets money

[White House Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! Great photos and lots of terrific design ideas.