So Your Style Is: Boho Beach
A beachy boho vibe goes a long way in creating a casually chic and chilled-out abode
I’ve always loved the sense of adventure bohemian-style home decor evokes. It makes me want to cancel all my plans and travel the world ASAP. Preferably while wearing a flowing paisley dress. Embracing creativity, using strong patterns and eye-catching textiles is the aim of the boho game. If you’re also a fan of the bright whites and chilled vibes of coastal style, bringing the two looks together can be perfect, and interior designers completely agree.
According to Monique Sartor of Sartorial Interiors, it’s “a very relaxed, gypsy-meets-driftwood look with lots of natural materials and pastel colours that look sun-kissed or even deliberately, slightly bleached”. Ultimately, the boho beach look should feel like “a casual retreat, which offers complete serenity and relaxation,” says Devon Henriques of Lewisham Interiors. “It can be purposely styled with half-made beds, adding an abundance of cushions and draping layers of chunky knit and pompom throws to help create the ultimate space of comfort.”
According to Monique Sartor of Sartorial Interiors, it’s “a very relaxed, gypsy-meets-driftwood look with lots of natural materials and pastel colours that look sun-kissed or even deliberately, slightly bleached”. Ultimately, the boho beach look should feel like “a casual retreat, which offers complete serenity and relaxation,” says Devon Henriques of Lewisham Interiors. “It can be purposely styled with half-made beds, adding an abundance of cushions and draping layers of chunky knit and pompom throws to help create the ultimate space of comfort.”
Start with white
White walls and/or floors allow any boho pieces you collect to really stand out. Layer items such as plants, colourful cushions and woven rugs as you would brush strokes of paint on a canvas, which in this case are the white walls and timber floor. It’s all about choosing pieces that really speak to you then showing them off, but it’s also about the combination of items rather than the individual pieces.
“The addition of eclectic pieces and a variety of exotic fabrics, textures and patterns in complementary and contrasting colours help contribute to its distinctive appearance,” says Henriques.
Tip: The backdrop doesn’t have to be pristine white; slightly worn white can add character. Imperfections only add to this look.
White walls and/or floors allow any boho pieces you collect to really stand out. Layer items such as plants, colourful cushions and woven rugs as you would brush strokes of paint on a canvas, which in this case are the white walls and timber floor. It’s all about choosing pieces that really speak to you then showing them off, but it’s also about the combination of items rather than the individual pieces.
“The addition of eclectic pieces and a variety of exotic fabrics, textures and patterns in complementary and contrasting colours help contribute to its distinctive appearance,” says Henriques.
Tip: The backdrop doesn’t have to be pristine white; slightly worn white can add character. Imperfections only add to this look.
Level up
Add interest to a room by hanging plants or art at different levels. This draws the eye up, down and across the room and allows for visual interest without the clutter. This helps create the “informal, asymmetrical, come-stay-awhile kind of look,” says Sartor, which boho beach style is trying to achieve.
Pink and purple tones in an all-white room work well here as they’re gentle and add a sense of calm.
Need an expert eye clashing and complementing colours to create this look? Find a decorator near you on Houzz
Add interest to a room by hanging plants or art at different levels. This draws the eye up, down and across the room and allows for visual interest without the clutter. This helps create the “informal, asymmetrical, come-stay-awhile kind of look,” says Sartor, which boho beach style is trying to achieve.
Pink and purple tones in an all-white room work well here as they’re gentle and add a sense of calm.
Need an expert eye clashing and complementing colours to create this look? Find a decorator near you on Houzz
Tile it
Don’t shy away from using bold patterns in the bathroom, like these geometric tiles. They’re a nod back to the ’70s, the heyday of boho.
Tip: Hanging plants create that gorgeous by-the-beach feel for a bathroom, while potted plants can also do the same and are best arranged on open shelving. Choose plants that like shade and lots of moisture for this room.
Well-Hung Greenery: 14 Ways to Take Your Plants Off the Ground
Don’t shy away from using bold patterns in the bathroom, like these geometric tiles. They’re a nod back to the ’70s, the heyday of boho.
Tip: Hanging plants create that gorgeous by-the-beach feel for a bathroom, while potted plants can also do the same and are best arranged on open shelving. Choose plants that like shade and lots of moisture for this room.
Well-Hung Greenery: 14 Ways to Take Your Plants Off the Ground
Position plants galore
The more plant species you can introduce to a room, the better. Combine bold statement plants with smaller, subtler ones.
Tip: Go for low-maintenance varieties like succulents and fiddle-leaf figs to make your life easier. The thinking behind the boho beach look favours the idea that the less maintenance there is, the better.
How Do I… Care for Succulents?
The more plant species you can introduce to a room, the better. Combine bold statement plants with smaller, subtler ones.
Tip: Go for low-maintenance varieties like succulents and fiddle-leaf figs to make your life easier. The thinking behind the boho beach look favours the idea that the less maintenance there is, the better.
How Do I… Care for Succulents?
Recycle it
Second-hand and recycled pieces fit into a bohemian decorative scheme and lifestyle. Maybe you found something special at a market, or bought it off a friend, but wherever your source, embrace a special piece for its uniqueness and display it proudly.
A round mirror, as seen above, softens the look of the harder lines of the bed frame and grid-like rug pattern here.
Second-hand and recycled pieces fit into a bohemian decorative scheme and lifestyle. Maybe you found something special at a market, or bought it off a friend, but wherever your source, embrace a special piece for its uniqueness and display it proudly.
A round mirror, as seen above, softens the look of the harder lines of the bed frame and grid-like rug pattern here.
Drape a canopy bed
The sheer canopy draped over this bed makes me imagine lying on an exotic beach; the flower garland on the frame is a nod back to nature.
Tip: Mix up your patterned linen and cushions as an easy way to change up the look of the room.
The sheer canopy draped over this bed makes me imagine lying on an exotic beach; the flower garland on the frame is a nod back to nature.
Tip: Mix up your patterned linen and cushions as an easy way to change up the look of the room.
Balance with neutrals
Neutral colours such as beige and the mellow tones of timber act as grounding forces for more eclectic boho elements. Lighter-toned timbers such as pine, rather than heavy dark types such as mahogany, will help keep the look fresh.
Neutral colours such as beige and the mellow tones of timber act as grounding forces for more eclectic boho elements. Lighter-toned timbers such as pine, rather than heavy dark types such as mahogany, will help keep the look fresh.
Bring it back to earth
The earthy feel to this room is created by the woven rug and textured art print. A seagrass basket is an excellent way to display an indoor plant. Sartor suggests you try whites, pastels and denims in artworks and textiles.
Tip: Sheer curtains let the sunlight stream in through the windows and add to the lightness of a room.
The earthy feel to this room is created by the woven rug and textured art print. A seagrass basket is an excellent way to display an indoor plant. Sartor suggests you try whites, pastels and denims in artworks and textiles.
Tip: Sheer curtains let the sunlight stream in through the windows and add to the lightness of a room.
Encourage an inside-out flow
Bring the look from inside to out with a colourful rug and an ottoman to tap into the Moroccan influence. A key element of the boho beach look is “bringing the outside in with the use of timbers, greenery, raw finishes and natural fibres,” says Henriques. Don’t shy away from vivid colour combinations here though; the brighter the better.
Transforming Your Deck Into an Outdoor Oasis
Bring the look from inside to out with a colourful rug and an ottoman to tap into the Moroccan influence. A key element of the boho beach look is “bringing the outside in with the use of timbers, greenery, raw finishes and natural fibres,” says Henriques. Don’t shy away from vivid colour combinations here though; the brighter the better.
Transforming Your Deck Into an Outdoor Oasis
Create an outdoor oasis
Bring this style outside by surrounding white furniture with lush greenery and adding touches of lace and hanging lights for ambience. This all helps make a more idyllic lifestyle.
“Think long meals on a verandah with friends, warmth, a love of life and balancing exploration of the world with the no-place-like-home feel,” says Sartor. “It’s about creating a setting for lazy afternoons punctuated by kids laughing, with dancing light reflected off water and glass.”
Tip: Drape knitted blankets over your sofa for extra comfort.
Bring this style outside by surrounding white furniture with lush greenery and adding touches of lace and hanging lights for ambience. This all helps make a more idyllic lifestyle.
“Think long meals on a verandah with friends, warmth, a love of life and balancing exploration of the world with the no-place-like-home feel,” says Sartor. “It’s about creating a setting for lazy afternoons punctuated by kids laughing, with dancing light reflected off water and glass.”
Tip: Drape knitted blankets over your sofa for extra comfort.
String up a hammock
Nothing encourages relaxation more than a hammock. The fur seen here creates a contrast to the bright, beachy cushions.
Store some books close by for when you want some time out. Stacking them on top of each other on the floor can channel casual cool. One of my fave adventure memoirs is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. What’s yours?
Your turn
Are you a fan of this style? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Keen to continue this look outside? Read up on 12 Ways to Design a Low-Maintenance Garden
Nothing encourages relaxation more than a hammock. The fur seen here creates a contrast to the bright, beachy cushions.
Store some books close by for when you want some time out. Stacking them on top of each other on the floor can channel casual cool. One of my fave adventure memoirs is Wild by Cheryl Strayed. What’s yours?
Your turn
Are you a fan of this style? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Keen to continue this look outside? Read up on 12 Ways to Design a Low-Maintenance Garden
Sponsored
Free spirits of the world rejoice – boho and beach are both laid-back styles, so combining them doubles the relaxing feeling they promote. Surrounding yourself with the cool whites of beach style provides the perfect backdrop for bold boho colours, and the options for print combinations are endless.
Henriques says the boho beach style is “a form of gypsy-inspired living where culture and history are a strong focus in its design”. She also says it’s about enhancing character and lifestyle. “You can do this by taking reference from the vibrant colours of the Middle East, as well as adding a sense of the pared-back, understated elegance of Scandinavian and coastal living.”
You’ll love it if…
You’re a Stevie Nicks fan, spend hours in the ocean, see your home as a peaceful retreat and/or don’t like to subscribe too closely to one specific style. Give these ideas a go to create the boho beach look.