How to Design the Colorful Bedroom of Your Dreams
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We'd all like to be on vacation 24/7, but that's not possible for most of us. The only solution, then, is to make sure your house—and especially your bedroom—is a true escape from the hustle and bustle of your everyday life. If the word escape has you picturing a passport's worth of far-flung destinations, then a bohemian-style retreat might be exactly what you need. The best boho bedrooms make you feel like you're coming home to a laid-back, effortlessly stylish resort.
Bohemian design is a well-established style these days—stores like Anthropologie and World Market are practically dedicated to it—but it got its start on the fringes of society among travelers, writers, and artists whose lifestyle inspired an equally free-spirited design aesthetic. Though it has a mass appeal these days, boho design hasn't abandoned its vagabond roots. It still combines global influences and a no-rules approach to design.
To design your own ideal getaway, you'll want to zero in on boho bedroom ideas that mix colors, patterns, and textures in ways that feel eclectic and exciting yet spontaneous. A rich palette of nature-inspired hues and jewel tones is key, as are nubby upholstery and natural textures (think rattan, wicker, and seagrass) that bring nature indoors. Below, we've gathered 25 boho bedrooms from designers to help you create your space.
Go Bold With Color
In boho design, it's not unusual to see many saturated hues combine forces in a singular room. Instead of shying away from color—as many people tend to do in the bedroom—lean into vibrant choices like punchy pink, zesty lemon, and tropical teal as Heather Peterson did in this kids' room.
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Install a Ceiling Detail
More is more when it comes to texture in boho bedrooms—and that includes the ceiling. In this Hawaiian escape, Breeze Giannasio added a grounding layer by covering the vaulted ceiling in wood planks reminiscent of the surrounding bamboo forests.
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Choose a Standout Fixture
For the finishing touch in this Florida bedroom, Lauren Liess relied on a dangling grass chandelier to illuminate the space and bring on the bohemian vibes. Combined with oversized palm leaves, a vintage gilded mirror, and an embellished gold bed, it perfectly channels the surrounding tropical environment.
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Carve Out Some Privacy
Nothing says "private escape" quite like a bed nook where you literally can't be found. Such was the goal in this space by French & French Interiors, designed for the 2021 House Beautiful Whole Home. Though it's technically part of a larger media room, this secluded hideaway—guarded by bold patterned curtains—offers up a dreamlike boho retreat where you can while away the afternoon.
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Pile on the Prints
In a boho bedroom, a singular print just won't do—and neither will two or three. Eschew any rules and pile on the prints for a maximalist look that feels collected and effervescent. In this primary suite designed by Isabel Ladd for the 2023 House Beautiful Whole Home, a spunky Morris & Co. wallpaper combines with an array of prints—from florals and gingham to tiger stripes and ikat—for a room that embodies the "more is more, less is a bore" aesthetic, as Ladd put it.
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Lay Down a Bold Rug
The foundation of your room often sets the precedent for its design, making your rug one of the most important pieces you can pick. Peter Dunham kicked things off on the right foot in this boho bedroom with a bold vintage Indian dhurrie in shades of pink and blue, echoing the Hamptons coastline right outside the window.
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Play With Proportions
If you have the opportunity to renovate or build a home from the ground up, playing with the proportions of your bedroom can be a great way to give it a boho feel. In this space by Melissa Colgan, hand-hewn wood beams and an expansive vaulted ceiling offset large and small windows (both dressed in curtains custom-made using a block print-inspired Martyn Lawrence Bullard fabric). The airy ceilings are high enough for a woven chandelier.
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Incorporate Live Plants
You could make the case for live greenery in pretty much any room, but it's an essential component of a boho bedroom. Here, Justina Blakeney (the indisputable queen of boho design) relied on a sprawling ficus tree to breathe life into the corner of this eclectic retreat, which is made even more enticing by eye-catching wallpaper, a vintage Moroccan wedding blanket, and a duo of French doors leading out to a terrace.
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Add a Graphic Touch
While boho design is largely known for more free-flowing patterns (think ikat, floral batik, and block print), incorporating a more structured and linear print into your design is a great way to keep things feeling balanced. In this Florida vacation home designed by Ashley Gilbreath, striped wallpaper from Farrow & Ball teams with more boho-leaning elements like a rattan chair and printed bed linens for the ultimate mix-and-match bedroom sanctuary.
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Bring Depth With Paint
Boho spaces have a patina to them—they always feel like they've been around a while and have seen a bit of life. To give a newer home the same timeworn feel, consider painting the walls with a limewash paint or Roman clay finish. Whitney Leigh Morris chose a mossy green from Color Atelier to lend aged appeal to her space.
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Cut a Curvy Figure
Boho design is all about uniqueness, and that extends to the shape of your furniture. Instead of sticking to a standard design, look for a creative headboard that can double as art. In this city escape, designer Nick Olsen made an intricate curved and notched one—upholstered in bright fuchsia—the focal point of the space.
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Hang a Playful Touch
The number-one rule of boho design? Don't take it too seriously! With an ethos this irreverent, there's always room for a playful touch or charming accent. The macramé hanging chair (complete with a cozy sheepskin) that Schuyler Samperton worked into her Miami Beach getaway is a fun example.
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Anchor With a Dark Hue
Boho design may be notorious for its brighter color palettes, but every room needs a hit of black to ground it. In this stunning Los Angeles home, Nick Olsen anchored an assortment of reds, burgundies, and deep pinks with hits of black, namely through accessories and painted window casings.
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Highly Quirky Collectibles
Put eclecticism at the forefront of your boho bedroom by trading the traditional art-focused gallery wall for something a bit more unexpected. In this New Jersey beach house (which belongs to the owner of Anthropologie), Colleen Bashaw hung a creative collection of mirrors—all with different wood detailing—above the headboard in place of artwork.
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Incorporate Tons of Texture
News flash: Neutral colors can skew boho too! The key lies in your mix of textures, which should appear throughout your entire space to keep things visually interesting. This vacation home bedroom by Nicola Manganello offers up a master class on striking that perfect balance, incorporating everything from planked wood ceilings and woven lampshades to bouclé armchairs and a sheepskin rug.
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Create Some Balance
If you go hard in any singular vibe, you run the risk of your room feeling themed, which is why designers tend to mix elements from different styles and eras. To tone down the eccentricity of boho design, consider incorporating some traditional elements, as seen in this bedroom dreamed up by Color Drunk Designs for the 2023 Whole Home. Pro Jenna Gross teamed whimsical wallpaper and boho-esque prints with traditional furniture and timeless lighting for a look that'll last the ages.
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Frame a Few Textiles
At its core, this primary suite is pretty simple, with white walls and streamlined furniture that doesn't lean too heavily in any one design direction. To make it stand out—and dip a toe gracefully into a boho aesthetic—Shazalynn Cavin Winfrey turned to vintage textiles, which she set in minimalistic black frames for a sleek yet collected look.
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Add Some Edge
While boho design is traditionally thought of as light and airy, there's no rule saying you can't experiment with its darker side. In her teenage son's bedroom, Shavonda Gardner combined inky black mudcloth-inspired wallpaper with a Moroccan pouf, patterned quilt, and neon sign for a space that's packed with personality.
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Drape Some Curtains
For a soft and billowy effect that just begs for an afternoon nap, hang a few sets of bed curtains. Traditionally seen on (and added to) canopy beds, this luxe addition calls to mind breezy poolside afternoons, but you can easily bring that feeling indoors. Here, Bailey Li added privacy to her loft "bedroom" and called attention to its soaring ceilings with gauzy curtains.
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Lay Low
There's just something about a low-slung platform bed that feels casual and welcoming, making it the perfect piece for a boho bedroom. In this sunny space, the design pros at Studio Shamshiri opted for a streamlined walnut wood platform bed, piled high with boho textiles and pillows.
Create Contrast
Contrasting trim is a trick straight out of the traditionalist playbook, but that doesn't mean it can't work in a boho-leaning space too. In this happy escape designed by Kerri Pilchik, globally inspired prints mix with paisley wallpaper and a high-gloss grassy green trim for a room that transcends design boundaries.
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Don't Forget the Details
Hammering home a design aesthetic often comes down to the smallest of details, like the vase on a bookshelf or the harp on a lampshade. In the case of this Isabel Ladd–designed bedroom, it's the painted detail on the built-in wardrobe that, teamed with tassels and peek-a-boo coral interior, lends a feminine, boho touch.
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Go Bold With a Mural
You may not get to look out your window onto a Hawaiian beach, but you can still enjoy a view from your bed. By covering your wall with a mural, as Breeze Giannasio did here, you'll bring color, vibrancy, and visual interest to a space. Our tip? Choose something to inspire your wanderlust to go along with a global boho outlook.
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Shop For Vintage
A boho aesthetic is all about a collected, layered look—a bedroom full of pieces that have been carefully acquired over time and tell a story. Translation: Designing your space entirely from a big box store won't give you the same appeal. Instead, comb antique stores and flea markets for furniture with patina, like the vintage bed frame seen here in a project by Kati Curtis.
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Spread Out a Coverlet
All-white bedding can be beautiful and inviting, but it can also feel out of context in a vibrant boho space. Instead of opting for a plain old duvet cover, consider a more intricate blanket. Here, Jayson Home's Devin Kirk complements the soft salmon pink paint on the walls and vintage rug in his primary bedroom with an equally stunning Suzani-inspired blanket.
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