Bohemian Living Room

Do you want to start the New Year with a new living room?

Here's an easy way to decorate your main living space with a variety of colors and textures.

Collect a few eclectic pieces to display. Go to yard sales and look for items that are really different.

When you walk into the room, you want a feeling of comfort and calm.

You want to surround yourself with items that bring you joy and make you smile.

spend some time looking for botanical prints and fabrics.

Surround yourself with all of your favorite things.

Find a color that you like and paint 3 of the walls in a lighter shade and the remaining wall in a darker shade.

Do not use inexpensive paint. If you do, more than likely you'll need 2 coats which will double the price and the time.

Blue is a color that is calming.

Use painters tape to cover edges so that you don't get paint on things you don't want to get paint on.

I like to paint with a semi-gloss paint because it can be gently wiped but is water soluble.

Tie-dyed curtains with a bright fabric strip valance.

If you don't want to have curtains you could hang bamboo blinds over the windows.

I purchased several yards of 100% cotton bleached muslin and sewed the curtains, then tie-dyed them.

You don't have to buy new furniture if you want a change, place a cover over your couch cushions.

I tie-dyed a 2 yard piece of cotton fabric for the back of my couch.

Purchase or make several colorful throw pillows, or make new covers for your existing pillows.

Square throw pillows are a great beginner sewing project.

Go to yard sales and thrift stores looking for inexpensive, eclectic furniture.

You'll want to have lots of art. paintings and photos for your walls.

There are several ways to acquire these;

Simple colorful acrylic paintings found on Pinterest or google images and have a painting party, create some art with friends and family and make some fun memories! There are several good YouTube videos on this subject.

Purchase frames that will show up on the dark wall.

Enlarge family photos or photos of scenery or photos you've taken on vacation.

Find quirky art at thrift stores. Macrame a wall hanging or make a dream catcher.

Purchase art from live, local artists. (The dead ones don't need the money)

Recover an existing lampshade and paint the lamp base.

Hot glue fringe around the bottom edge of lampshade.

I found an old lamp for $15 and cut a brightly colored scarf to drape over the lampshade.

Sand and paint a wooden bookcase in a pretty color and start collecting books.

You can find good books at thrift stores and used book stores.

Also, you can cover some of the books in pretty wrapping paper if you like.

Here's a cute idea for decorating cans and small boxes.

Make colorful twine to wrap around cans and boxes or weave into baskets.

Use scraps of cotton fabric, cut into 2" widths, varying lengths.

Begin with 2 strips of fabric. Hold with one hand and, using the other hand to twist one of the strips away from yourself. Bring that twisted strip toward yourself and over the other. Take the other strip and twist it away from yourself then bring it over the other one and toward you.

Continue twisting the strips, alternating the twisting and crossing over each other.

When one of the fabric strips is about 3" from the end, place another strip at the end, overlapping about 2".

You don't want the strips to end at the same time because each place where the ends are joined is adds a bit of bulk and is a little weaker so make sure if you see that it looks like the strips are the same length, you can trim about 4" off of one of them.

Continue twisting fabric until you have 8 or 10 yards, enough to glue onto a large coffee can or small box.

Purchase colorful cotton fabric and quilt batting to make a table runner for your coffee table.

Sew a set of dragonfly place mats for your dining table.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/653161005/place-mats-...

Here's a link to my Etsy shop and the pattern for the round table place mats.

Purchase inexpensive candle holders, wooden or brass.

Place your favorite tchotchkes and trinkets alongside your books in the bookshelf.

You'll want several candles in a variety of sizes and colors.

Get an inexpensive basket and spray paint it, then collect several pine cones and paint them too!

Take care not to get too many knick-knacks, you don't want the room to look cluttered.

Get lots of plants!

Paint inexpensive Terracotta pots in bright colors. Spray with a clear sealant.

Place the plants near the windows so they will receive enough light.

Philodendrons are low maintenance and they grow fast.

Last but not least, choose a rug that has a pleasant design or go with a solid color.

I had this pretty green floral rug that I think works well.