Bohemian Style

by Elizabeth Wilhide

Tired of buying your furniture in giant warehouses an hour's drive away and struggling with assembly instructions once home, only to see the same table on the same rug in your friends' houses? Well, don a neckerchief and white blouse, pour a glass of plain old red table wine, put on some Billie Holiday, and prepare to reject "the dull conformity of mass taste and manners." But first, read the opening chapter of interior designer and author Elizabeth Wilhide's Bohemian Style , "Artists in Residence." It's a succinct, erudite history of bohemianism as seen through the lives and often communal homes of 19th- and 20th-century artists such as William Morris, Augustus John, and Dora Carrington. The walls, floors, ceilings, light fixtures, fireplaces, and everything else in these artists' domiciles--country cottages, studios, even gypsy caravans--not only kept body and iconoclastic soul together, but also became surfaces to paint, tile, sculpt, drape, and draw. So--no money for canvas this month? Paint the landscape on the kitchen wall, then. Anything, except the status quo, goes here. The remainder of the book is devoted to the how of bohemian how to paint (including how to make your own paint), applique, mosaic, tile, collage, dye and drape textiles, even turn found objects into art and light fixtures. The emphasis here is on the quick and easy--how to dash off a wall treatment in an afternoon, say. That said, it should be clear that type A personalities may very well find the decorating ideas in this book frustrating, even a shade slapdash. They're not bohemians. A book delineating how to decorate in a style that is by its nature personal and idiosyncratic may seem a contradiction in terms, and in many ways it is, but the how here really consists of seed ideas, ruminations on how bohemians would do it, and tips for making your own visions come to life successfully. Note that there are no step-by-step instructions here; beginners will have to go elsewhere for those. Or make up their own. With its colorful, full-page photos of historic and modern rooms that exemplify the bohemian aesthetic and its intelligently written text, this is a book that can change the way you think about home décor and even how you live in your home. --Stefanie Durbin

Genres: Design

160 pages, Hardcover

Published September 16, 1999

About the author

Elizabeth Wilhide is the author of many books on design and interiors and two novels. Born in the United States, she now resides in London.

Reviews

[Tiffany]

A beautiful book about interiors. With eclectic photos and deft writing. I love this book.

[Bronwyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wilhide provides an erudite and well-written introduction to the Bohemian lifestyle and its artistic legacy in the first half of this book, which I found completely enthralling. The combination of colorful images and the biographies of the even more colorful denizens of the movement left me hungering for more!

The latter portion of the book attempts to translate the various nuances of the lifestyle into an easily digested schema for interior design and inspiration, which means well, but ultimately falls flat in its success.

[Kristal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A richly detailed account of the beginnings of the Bohemian Movement & the people & places that effected it's style.
Born during the late 20th century in the age of industrialization, there were those that felt the traditions of craftsmanship were under threat. Therefore the urge to create art that was not only functional & beautiful but also a way to escape the dull conformity of the mosses emerged. it is not so much a decorating trend but rather a way of life. A way of self-expressions, of using what you love & cherish & not copying a "look". These are the elements of Bohemian style.

[YoSafBridg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am forever reading decorating bks but rarely implementing ideas (perhaps because i like so few of them...) I consider myself quite the bohemian with quite the bohemian style so i thought this would be the decorating book for me. I guess my style is just completely my own...
This book like so many others has great pictures and some ideas but is a little thin on content... (tho it is always nice to look at pictures...)

[White House Public Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book but I couldn't make myself. It just felt messy


I wanted to like this book. But it was messy in terms of decor and practicality. I tend to think I lean toward bohemian aesthetics but this was crazy clutter and unharmonious mis-mash. And I am seriously not the sort of person who criticizes environments of this sort: but I think it would be hard to live like this. It wasn't even fun to look at for "eye candy."

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. But it was messy in terms of decor and practicality. I tend to think I lean toward bohemian aesthetics but this was crazy clutter and unharmonious mis-mash. And I am seriously not the sort of person who criticizes environments of this sort: but I think it would be hard to live like this. It wasn't even fun to look at for "eye candy."

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much that I have read it twice. at first glance it looks like any other decorating book. If you look inside you will find a detailed description of bohemians in history

[Miss Adventures In The Dating World™ · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far...I like it

[Adrianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needs some STYLE!

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I had to return it to the library, but since the pictures (especially those from the homes of the Bloomsbury group) are so inspiring, I'm sure I'll buy it.