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An inexpensive basket takes on new value when turned upside down and becoming a side table. Photo by Dabito
Colors provide a cohesiveness and inviting element to the living room of Michela Goldschmied of Los Angeles. Her home is included in “The New Bohemians.’’ Photo by Dabito
An inexpensive basket takes on new value when turned upside down and becoming a side table. Photo by Dabito
New bohemian decor looks a lot like the easy, breezy style from decades ago, but with a 2015 sophistication. The look is handmade and homey with plants, tie-dye colors and fabrics that don’t match — a do-your-own-thing disposition that is directly opposite of the mid-century modern mentality that is ever so popular these days.
It’s the boho look seen on the runways and at music festivals, but now it’s appearing in home hallways in the form of screen-print linens and fringe-lined pillows and macrame plant holders.
“We’re redefining what home is as that line between work and play continues to get more blurry. More are seeing the home as a canvas to create their own layers of expression,” said stylist Justina Blakeney, who just released her first book, aptly titled “The New Bohemians: Cool & Collected Homes.”
The Southern California-based designer and stylist, who has collaborated with such clients as Anthropologie, West Elm and Target and is working on her own new home in Elysian Park, looks at 20 American homes in her book. The homes include ones in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree, providing a snapshot of the free-spirit and no-rules-apply attitude of the homeowners who live in each of them. Yet that’s not to say the style is a just a random hodgepodge. Blakeney’s works show a sense of comfortable cohesion.
So what’s the difference between an old bohemian and a new one, as the title of her book suggests?
“Both have to do with aesthetics and how you want to live your life,” Blakeney explained. “They’re both rooted in freedom and following your own heart.” It’s about escaping what Blakeney called the “corporate cubicle culture” of today and letting spirits soar. That means surrounding oneself with the colors and objects one loves.
“People are tired of false images. They want their homes to really reflect who they are and sometimes that’s not so pristine,” Blakeney said. “The book takes a look at homes you can realistically live in. … They might not be a dream house, but they tell others who you are and have a flavor of ideas. I focus on real people, real homes, real budgets and real creativity.”
Annette Gutierrez of Potted, a Los Feliz store specializing in outdoor furniture, isn’t surprised a new boho trend is taking hold in homes around America.
“We’re entering a more optimistic time, at least economically, and the bohemian aesthetic captures that optimism. It is a fearless embracing of color, texture and attitude that isn’t hindered by the conventions of one style,” Gutierrez said.
In “New Bohemians,” Blakeney offers adopt-an-idea suggestions throughout, even providing hand-sketched drawings for poufs (a new look at ottomans) and hanging planters. Many similar planters can be found at Potted.
Quatrine Custom Furniture of Long Beach also offers elegant handmade pieces and other accessories that can help one capture the new boho look.
“It’s a good idea to invest in some basics in large pieces, but I say have fun with the accessories because they help add life to the picture,” said owner Gina Quatrine.
For example, one room of Quatrine’s Palos Verdes Estates home has a wooden deer head with glittered antlers next to an 1800s table with a television on top. In a nearby room, an antique mirror from France hangs over a contemporary chaise.
Lisa Fontanarosa likes the unconventional, too, and that means hanging delicate curtains from the ceiling, draping them around windows and letting them cascade from outdoor arbors and gazebos.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve decorated my garden gazebo and pergola with beautiful bespoke textiles sourced on my travels from Fiji and France,” said Fontanarosa, who lives in New Mexico.
“It’s such a simple idea that I remain surprised when people from my neighborhood make my house a stop on their daily walks. They sneak a peek inside and marvel at the textiles that I change with the seasons.”
Fontanarosa represents artisans, but she recently introduced her first collection, Kaveri & Lisa. It’s a collaboration with artist Kaveri Singh, a Calabasas decorative painter who grew up in India but studied art in Europe. The collection features 14 exotic textile patterns that are a loving nod to many of Mother Nature’s endearing creatures, but with a Swinging ’60s flair, Singh’s favorite time period.
The collection is made of cotton silk, cotton voile and washed linen with embroidery and some bamboo dye. The pieces have an ethereal look to them and their materials are meant not to last.
“This is my way of blurring the lines between indoors/outdoors and even rooms,” said Fontanarosa. “They’re almost like veils, piquing your interest, but still allowing for privacy.”
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