Coastal Boho Style - 7 steps to achieve this look

When I think of Coastal Boho Style, I think about people who are relaxed and interesting individuals with a story to tell.  People who take care of themselves, exercise each morning, care about nutrition and their environment.  They like pretty things, hence the gorgeous flowing dresses and tops that you see in Bohemian style fashion stores.  They frequent a local artisan coffee shop and their houses are eclectic with layers of appeal and quirky accents.  Team this up with the classic Coastal look and you have a gorgeous individual style.

My summing up may be completely wrong of course but it all sounds lovely!  If you love this look, I have 7 steps to achieve it here.

7 steps to achieve Coastal Boho Style

Defining the style

I think there is a little bit of hippie in many of us but we are often just too conservative to carry it off.  We admire the restored VW camper van parked at the local beach and think how fabulous it would be to jump in and drive off into the sunset.  In reality though, we would miss our creature comforts too much, so for most of us, it becomes something of a reverie while we have our morning coffee.

But it's this longing that makes us admire the current Bohemian Style trend.  The look is pretty and cheerful.  Skirts are flowing and bangles are jangling.  In terms of home decorating, the style is interesting and quirky.  For many of us though, decorating our homes completely in this style is a leap of faith.  Unless you have a bottomless pit of money, I recommend purchasing a few key pieces of furniture that are classic and then adding to them to create your own look.

Coastal style is a broad favourite.  With it's light and airy colour palette, it has wide appeal and you are able to create a timeless look following this style.

Coastal Boho Style is just a blending of the two.  It is a simplified coastal look with an injection of fun from the gorgeous nomadic Bohemian style.

Setting it apart from a Classic Bohemian Style

I've written before about how Bohemian style has developed into a more contemporary look.  In its heyday, it was a full on riot of colour.  The idea was to be extreme and a jumble of rich and exotic colours was the order of the day.  A contemporary Bohemian style however relies more on a foundation of whites and greys with layers of texture and colour.

The appeal of a Coastal Boho Style is that you have the relaxed feel of the beach with a pared back version of a contemporary Bohemian style.   This is what sets it apart from a classic Bohemian Style more suited to a loft style city apartment or a trendy inner city terrace.

The colour palette

Colours for a Coastal Boho style are fairly restrained as the emphasis is more on texture.  With a Boho style you can certainly introduce colour and the beauty and appeal of it really is that there are no set guidelines, which is pretty true for many interior styles now.  Many people feel that with a coastal style they just have to include some blue and this can look fabulous, but you can also rely on the greys and whites from driftwood and pebbles and goregous rich sand colours too.  My local coastline has sandstone cliffs with gorgeous deep veins of brown and terracotta and it may be that you take your coastal palette from these elements.

Therefore there is no set colour palette, but it certainly should be restrained and rely heavily on neutrals and whites.

Introducing layers of texture

It is a blend of textures that a coastal scheme relies on and a Boho scheme has this in spades.  Here are some of the ways to introduce a Boho vibe with texture:

• Rattan chairs
• Distressed furniture
• Rugs - even better if they are layered on each other
• Oversized rattan pendants
• Baubles and tassles
• An abundance of greenery
• Linen bedding

A Coastal Boho Style kitchen

A combination of white, timber and rattan is perfect for a Coastal Boho style kitchen.  Keep the finishes simple and leave the marble designs for a more refined classic look.  You should introduce oversized timber grazing boards, platters and bowls with rattan trays and accessories.

If possible, always link the outside to the inside of your kitchen as this completes the coastal vibe.

Harpers Project

A Coastal Boho Style bathroom

The image below really sums up what a Coastal Boho bathroom should be.  Simple, nothing too perfect, but with gorgeous views.  Wouldn't this just be bliss?

If you don't have an outdoor bath, and let's face it not many of us do, then an interior bathroom in a coastal boho scheme would see lots of tactile surfaces.  Consider using Venetian plaster with earthy coloured tiles to create a relaxed and warm feel.  The look should be fairly simple and a gorgeous unique stool made from solid timber wouldn't go astray.

Uniqwa Collections

To complete the look you need to consider the right Boho accessories as this will really cement the look for you.  I've dedicated a post to this which you may be interested in: Classic Boho accessories you can't do without.

If in doubt, remember to use some rattan, introduce baskets for storage, beautiful weathered timber and lots of greenery.  A dream catcher or two won't go amiss!

If you love a Bohemian style of decorating you should read my related article:  4 key elements of Contemporary Bohemian Style.

I also have some other related articles to this post: How to style with baskets and The Rattan Trend, how to incorporate it into your home.