What is ‘Bohemian’?

When people ask me about my designs and my aesthetic, the word Bohemian comes up a lot.  It occurred to me that I heard and used the word all of the time and while I knew that Bohemia is (or was?) and area of Europe (near Germany??) if I were to say that I knew the history, or what the word even really meant– I’d be lying.  So I turned to trusty old Wikipedia to become less ignorant. I liked what I learned so I thought I’d share here.

So yes, Bohemia was a region in Europe–that region is now known as the Czech Republic. Bohémien was a French term for the Romani (Gypsy), who had reached Western Europe via (what was then called) Bohemia.  And the term Bohemianism, comes from early nineteenth century France, when artists moved into the lower-rent Romani areas of the city.  So, to over simplify–the word Bohemian is the convergence of the French artists and the Gypsy families all living together in the lower-class neighborhoods. Makes a lot of sense–and I can only imagine how amazing those pads were.

My latest Jungalow project– draped fabrics in front of the window seat strikes me as very Bohemian looking–and now that I know where the word comes from–even more so due to the convergence of fabrics from different cultures I’ve employed here.

I’ve mixed new Ikea Swiss Dot curtains with some 100+ year old fabric I bought in Istanbul last year, an antique striped shawl I picked up at a flea market in London a few years back–and added a few pieces of lace, too.  I find that when doing draping like this, so long as the the fabrics are in the same color family–they look really pretty together. I covered the bench in a vintage kantha quilt and a (faux) sheepkin to add even more texture.

I’m pretty much in love with my new Bohemian corner, and I’m also excited to keep studying and learning more about Bohemian history. Learning about it has me quite inspired.