Bohemian Direction

I got a great question (from my mom) in the comment section on last week’s State of the Home post.

What kind of vibe are you going for in the new place? Will you keep the eclectic mid-century/urban look, or go for something else?

It has been a real head-scratcher as to why I can’t seem to catch my last place’s mojo and infuse it into the new place. I have the same furniture and the last place had all white walls. Should be easy to translate to an all-white apartment, right?

Wrong.

I know I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. We just moved in three weeks ago? Anyway I was trying to put my finger on it and I realized a few things.

1. The old place was oozing architectural details–the fireplace, vaulted ceilings, arched doorways, to name a few.
2. The old place was broken up in a much more chunky way.
3. With lots more windows (see #1) there was more opportunity for texture- like lots of different curtains and the bamboo shades.
4. While I thought the last place was dark (and it was compared to our light-soaked loft apt) this place is even darker! In order to put a positive spin on it, I’m going to call it “moody.”

Instead of clinging to the light and airy eclectic-meets-mid-century-mod feel of the old place (what a mouthful!), I think I need to make a slight shift to the bohemian side of things. Obviously I can’t just ditch all the existing furniture, but I can reuse items in ways that seem more laid-back and incorporate more fabrics–getting more creative than just curtains on windows to add texture, and bring in more aged objects (maps, etc). I live in California now, after all, I should be able to find tons of old hippie cast-offs at area thrift stores.

Naturally, I turned to Pinterest for inspiration. I have written before about my technique. I do not look for inspiration by searching Pinterest for a key word, nor do I look at old pins, but I look at what I have pinned in the past and what images I am still drawn to even now, a few months or even a year later.

I have a bright white dresser acting as buffet/sideboard–it is the first thing one sees when entering the apartment. Gotta soften that corner somehow. I also have three bright white bookcases now (post coming on those soon!). So the place is leaning a bit towards “mod” at the moment and I need to lean it back toward “boho.” There: a goal has been set.

Images: Please click through for the full tours and much more!

1. Giovan & Chloe’s Handmade Honeymoon Home on Apartment Therapy
2. Tommy & Todd’s Bohemian Chic Collection on Apartment Therapy
3. Michael’s Masculine & Modern Open Studio on Apartment Therapy
4. Justina Blakeney’s Bohemian Bedroom <$1000 
5. A room Julianne Moore decorated, photo linked by Emily Henderson

So, in conclusion: 

• I’m going to fill up the walls.
• I’m going to find some kind of awesome brass accent.
• I’m going to dial down the colors a bit from bright to muted.
• I’m going to hang way more curtains than necessary.
• I’m going to layer rugs on top of carpet.
• I’m going to get a plant and try to keep it alive!
• I’m going to make the open layout work for me not against me!

And with that, I have created myself a compass to look at while making decisions! Do you have a decor compass you use when you’re stumped?