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FLOWING WITH

FREEDOMFOUR RULES FOR BREAKING THE RULES WHEN IT COMES TO BOHEMIAN STYLE.

BY STEPHANIE BAKER •• PHOTOGRAPHY BY DABITO

WITH AN UZBEKISTAN RUG ON THE FLOOR,a fertility mask from Congo hanging onthe wall, and a sofa that was found on thesidewalk, this living room feels like it hasbeen everywhere. The dark wood and col-orful materials contrast nicely with thedazzling white from the floors and walls.

THE HOMEOWNER PURCHASED THIS TURKISHFLOOR RUG on eBay for only 99 cents! As

Justina says, “Wealth is not the key to havingan amazing home and an incredible lifestyle—the key is inside you; it’s your own creativityand being in an environment in which you’re

allowed to openly express it.”

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WHAT MAKES A PERSON BOHEMIAN? Is it her restless spirit,her unusual outfits, or her ability to find beauty in anything?Typically, bohemians were people without homes, living asvagabonds and actively engaging with the world around them.But what exactly does that look like in a home?

In her new book, The New Bohemians, Justina Blakeneyexamines what a Bohemian style looks like today. Just as theoriginal bohemians had no separation between work and play orbetween any aspects of their lives, so these new bohemians“seek to erase the distinctions between work and play, and ourliving spaces reflect that lack of boundaries,” Justina says. “Thenew bohemian home is a multifunctional playground for explo-ration and experimentation…our new bohemian lifestyle is rootedin freedom: free-spirited, free-form, and free of rules.”

In her book, Justina describes six bohemian styles that allshow off their free and wild side in different ways. Here, we high-light some of the common characteristics between the six tobring you the top four rules for bohemian décor.

NO ITEM HAS A SINGLE, DEFINITE PURPOSE.Don’t be afraid to take an item and use it for something not in itstypical job description. Have some random assortment of colorfulscarves bundled up at the bottom of a drawer? They can easilybe used as curtains, bedspreads, canopies, or even rugs. Oldfamily quilts are thick and sturdy enough to be a portiere or door.You can also use colorful fabrics as wallpaper or old burlap ascurtains to add an unusual touch of character to a room.

GUESTS SHOULD WANT TO OVERSTAY THEIRWELCOME.Feather your nest so that it’s impossible to leave. Colorful combi-nations and ample light make a room feel warm and inviting—having plenty of comfy seats helps, too. Rugs and floor pillowscan contribute to the cozy feeling of a room, and low-to-the-ground furniture can subtly encourage guests to relax and stretchout on the floor. Floating bookshelves and displays of your owncollections or hand-crafted items can make your guests feel wel-come to explore your home and maybe even get some ideas fortheir own.

INCORPORATE FAMILY.Whether you frame your daughter’s childhood paintings andhang them on the wall or you make an old heirloom coffee tablethe focal point of a room, you can easily add a sense of historyand life to a room. By reupholstering an old couch or refurbishinga dresser, you can breathe new life into old heirlooms and stillfeel connected to your ancestors.

BRING THE WORLD TO YOU.Travel is not necessary—though it may be desired! When yousee something you want, search eBay to find bargain deals for it.This style has no limits. As Justina says, “Decorating is aboutfeeling free, rejecting traditional notions about what goes withwhat (especially that everything in a room has to match), andgetting a little bit wild.”

THE HANGING PLANTS, THE BRIGHT ORANGE CHAIR, and the blue throw onthe bed all work well together, thanks to the large rug hanging as the focalpoint of this bedroom. The colorful fleece knot rug was a DIY project the

homeowner attempted—with a great result!

BRIGHT COLORS AND A PLETHORA of pillows contribute tothe homey feel of this living room. The Indian rugs bring asense a family and history, as they were passed down tothe homeowner from her father.

OUR NEW BOHEMIAN LIFESTYLE IS ROOTED IN FREEDOM:FREE-SPIRITED, FREE-FORM, AND FREE OF RULES.

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opposite •• THE GLOBES UNDER THEFIREPLACE point to a theme of world-liness that many bohemians try to in-corporate. The homeowner purchasedthe art pieces framing the fireplacemantel from her brother’s art gallery,bringing a family feeling to the seem-ingly-cluttered mantelpiece. “There isa fine line between collecting andhoarding…the line is drawn at organi-zation,” says the homeowner.

SHOWCASE YOUR PERSONAL STYLEthrough colors, patterns, quilts, ora unique set of stairs hand-paintedand placed wherever it pleases

you. This homeowner placed a setof stairs here so her Chihuahua canclimb onto her bed. She chose todecorate her bedroom with em-broidered and decorative tribal

materials made from Central Asiancountries.

The New Bohemians: Cool & CollectedHomes by Justina Blakeney, Abrams Publica-tions, ©2015; abramsbooks.com.