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What is Eclectic Bohemian Style and How to Get it

See how to get an eclectic bohemian interior decorating style using modern, global, and eclectic elements in this fun blog hop.

Are you wondering what your home style is? Perhaps what words describe the way you decorate? Then this blog hop is perfect for you!

Welcome to the My Home Style: Mix and Match where bloggers are sharing their personal decorating aesthetics with key elements to achieve their designs. I’m excited to share my eclectic bohemian style and how I get it.

My Eclectic Bohemian Style with Modern, Global, and Eclectic Elements

Traditional Japanese tatami room decorated with American dining table in bird wood with white and black mixed set of chairs.  A Chinese eterege styled with global decor is in the background for a bohemian eclectic stye.
Plants make an interesting and creative centerpiece along with a wrapping paper table runner!

Welcome to My Home Style: Mix, Match, and Coordinate blog hop hosted by the talented Stephanie from  Casa Watkins Living.  If you are coming from her gorgeous home style, hey there!!  

We are a military family living overseas in Japan so I love to share rental decorating ideas and DIYs in our traditional Japanese rental. Our cute home also makes it easy to have an eclectic bohemian style with our global finds. Read on to see how!

My home style modern global eclectic  graphic featuring rooms in an eclectic bohemian styles.
Eclectic Bohemian with Modern Global Eclectic Elements

First, what is a bohemian eclectic decorating style? It simply means that inspiration is derived from a variety of sources and opts for carefree layers of pattern, texture, and color.

You’ve probably heard me call my style eclectic, chic, contemporary classic, vintage, glam, global, and mixed.  Stephanie asked us to come up with only 3 words that best describe our style and I think it’s a really fun and helpful exercise for you too!

Write out as many words as you can that describe your home and then see which ones can be grouped under the same category until you have just 3.

I’ve been thinking about the best 3 words that encompass all the styles I incorporate into our home and here’s what I’ve come up with and why.

A small living room in a traditional Japanese house with American furniture.  A small white campaign-style chest is in the corner with a tv and botanical art.  A cute wood stump table with a black bamboo birdcage sits on top.  Blue curtains frame sliding doors.
Traditional furniture with global decorating accessories looks perfect together.

Drum roll, please… Modern Global Eclectic just like the Japanese glass floats, bamboo birdcages, colorful curtains, and traditional furniture that make up our living area. 

I’m also going to share how these three styles with key elements are used in the connected dining room which is a traditional tatami-washitsu room, and our master bedroom.

Shibori fabric and washi paper print framed for large art over a white faux mantel with a white stove room heater underneath.
Framed shibori fabric and a large piece of washi paper are the focal points over the faux fireplace.

Modern Decorating Elements

Modern comes from my husband’s and my inclination towards contemporary traditional furniture as the base to the natural esthetic for our home. A traditional grey tufted sofa and baby grand piano can be found in many houses!

I’m sure you have many classic traditional pieces as well. You have modern traditional furnishings if most of the lines are clean and simple.

Keeping larger pieces of furniture in a more modern or contemporary traditional style really allows it to be easier to mix in global-eclectic elements and for them to really shine.

A living room in a small traditional Japanese house in Iwakuni, Japan showing an American grey tufted leather sofa with a grey ottoman bench, and white side table.  A baby grand piano is behind the sofa in front of a large garden window with lots of plants.
Plants, mix and match pillows, and more global elements are styled in our living area
A global eclectic living room with bamboo birdcage on a wood stump table next to a white campaign style chest/tv stand with botanical art and a chinoiserie garden stool near a traditional area rug.  Blue curtains and a grey sofa are visible.
No easier way to add a touch of chinoiserie than with a blue and white Chinese pattern similar to our garden stool!

Global Decorating Elements

Global signifies all the souvenirs, art pieces, and furniture we’ve collected from living overseas, shopping in antique and thrift stores, and family heirlooms.  

What’s so great about decorating with these fun pieces is that they remind us of beautiful sentiments and memories of places we’ve been and family vacations. Perfect conversation starters!

They come in the form of textiles, patterns, furniture, art, and accessories! It may even be a traditional tool or item from another country that you are using as decor like a Chinese calligraphy brush.

A boho styled bookcase with lots of plants, green decor, books, and global accessories.  Beautiful carved wood drawers.
A Chinese eterege that we found at a local recycle (thrift) store for under $100!
Close up of a bookcase styled with plants, copper, green, and pops of orange.
Lots of global decor and books.
Mix copper pots, terra cotta, plants, books for a global eclectic bookcase as shown in this picture.
Mix in faux with real plants and other natural elements like feathers and shells.
A mix and match dining table set in a tatami room in a Japanese rental home with lots of plants.
Our mix and match dining table set.

Eclectic Decorating Elements

Eclectic is a mix of different styles featuring pops of chinoiserie, boho, and glam.  I add these elements with plants, layered textiles, and gold. 

An eclectic mix can be a specific era of furniture like Mid Century Modern used with thrifted or second-hand decorating accessories or a mix of different pieces from various time periods.

Color has a huge role in eclectic interiors, but you can also have a natural eclectic style. If you enjoy many different styles, it is safe to say use the word eclectic to describe it!

Mixed boho pillows and white cover on a gold Moroccan styled canopy bed.
Mix pillows featuring global textiles.
Close up of mixed pillows with florals and bright colors on a white bedspread.
A global textile is tied around a white pillow.
Colorful baskets for global bedroom decor next to a tan barrel chair and window in a Japanese rental home.
Threshing baskets turned into  DIY Basket Wall Art .
A woman's bust to hold necklaces in a global eclectic bedroom.
A woman’s bust displays necklaces.
Global bedding with color and patterns on a gold canopy bed with a shell hanging.
Global bedding on a white bedspread and gold canopy bed.

You can probably tell that two of my favorite decorating elements are faux and real plants and books. They are wonderful for creating a curated space and can work with any style but are always in an eclectic mix.

Find more inspiration in my home tours on this page.

This post contains some affiliate links for your shopping convenience.  You still pay the same price but I receive a small commission.   Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Use these key elements to help you get this look! 

my-home-style-shopping-guide
Modern Global Eclectic Key Elements

Bamboo Bird Cage | Faux Succulents | Japanese Glass Floats | Kilim Pillow |  Mustard Yellow Shag Pillow | Teal Blue Curtains | Faux Hanging Plant

Join me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes, DIYs, decorating tips, room tours, and home inspiration. I’ll see you over there!

Make sure to check out my girl Jess from Domicile 37 next on the blog hop!  She has amazing style and ideas!

My Home Style blog hop graphic.
My Home Style Blog Hop

Wednesday Home Styles

Casa Watkins Living

Up To Date Interiors

Domicile 37

A Designer At Home

Cassie Bustamante

Haneen’s Haven

Thursday Home Styles

This Is Our Bliss

Willow Street Interiors

Iris Nacole

Blue i Style

Oscar Bravo Home

PMQ For Two

kathy
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28 Comments

  1. perfect words to describe you- i always love the global touches you bring in, and your unique style! i love, too, that your global look is inspired by places you’ve really been! my global is all places i’d love to see. 😉

  2. I love your home, Kathy, and I can’t believe it’s a rental! It has such a story and sense of time and history about it. You’ve done a fabulous job curating all of your lovely things. What a fun and inviting style you have! xoxo

  3. I’ve always been in awe of how you can move in to a new space, and within days can create such warm, and beautiful spaces for your family! You’ve got a gift girl, and are such an inspiration!

  4. You better believe that I pinned the heck out of this. I love all the little touches you bring to a space. Your bedroom is still one of my favs!

  5. Great point you make about collecting furniture from various and often unconventional places. As you say, it certainly makes for an interesting talking point for new visitors, plus helps to evoke happy memories of travels and explorations!

  6. Hello!

    I have literally pinned everything from here. I have been looking everywhere for a bookshelf like in the pictures. Where did you get it from ?

    Thanks!
    K

    1. Oh that’s so sweet! Thank you. The bookshelf we found at a thrift store in Japan but if you search for a Chinese or Asian eterge you should be able to find something similar. Good luck!

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