When the spirit of the vagabond takes hold of the aesthete, the result is a nomadic bohemian, whose vibrant home is packed with textiles, ephemera, and anything else picked up during travels in both the actual and virtual worlds. Their homes are about movement: Objects, furniture, and even entire rooms are constantly being relocated. Things move in, out, and about the homes as much as their inhabitants do. Travel is vital.
In Paige’s bedroom, an old table acts as both desk and bedside table. A mix of thrifted and discount-store treasures pop against the dark wall.
DALLAS, TEXAS
Paige Morse’s quaint turn-of-the-century home sits on a tree-lined street in Dallas, Texas. Her home is as sophisticated as it is comfortable. Each room is painted in moody shades of gray so that her beloved patterns and worldly objects pop off the walls. “I am a prop stylist for my profession, so I have lots of stuff,” says Paige. “I have it displayed on rotation in my home. I also have a garage and two sheds full of all the things I just can’t live without. More substance than fuss, but beauty is paramount.”
PAIGE MORSE
Photo and prop stylist, interior designer
STAR SIGN
Gemini
SPIRIT PLANT
French lavender. “It is hardy, beautiful, and wonderfully fragrant, and it thrives in tough conditions.”
ON BOHEMIANISM
“Choosing to live a life less ordinary. It means you aren’t influenced by social norms and pursue a life that fulfills your senses. You follow your whims. Even when you’re poor, life feels rich. You travel without an agenda. You immerse yourself in other cultures. You surround yourself with things that remind you of where you have been and what you have experienced. You love nature and the earth with awe and respect and seek to be surrounded by it and bring it into your home. Patina and decay are as beautiful as objects that are fresh and vibrant. You follow rhythms, not schedules. You appreciate everything that is rich with spirit, soul, and story.”
“I spend a lot of time planning out where the furniture should be placed so it is inviting and comfortable and every seat has a good view,” says Paige. In the living room, a broad coffee table displays little collections of studied objects, including a graphic beaded Yoruba crown. “I travel often and am inspired by the culture and aesthetic of the places I visit and want to incorporate that into my living space,” says Paige.
A vintage painting of a pink sunset discovered at a garage sale hangs above an inherited couch reupholstered in blue velvet and accented with kuba, kilim, and kantha pillows.
The dining room is eclectic and borrows pieces from many eras and pockets of the world. Paige’s grandmother’s 1960s round maple dining table has been painted black. The wishbone chairs add a bit of classic modern feel to the space and are left in their original finish to provide contrast with the table. A peacock chair adds a bit of 1970s funk. The kilim rug was purchased at Wisteria while she was working with the creative team there. The table lamps, though purchased at Lamps Plus, also have a 1970s feel. The vintage toran window valance brings a bit of India into the room. When asked whether her home fits her personality, Paige replies: “My house and style might look a little older and more serious than I actually am. The only thing that may not come across is that I am drawn to antiques and vintage pieces even though I’m fairly young. I usually have hip-hop music blasting and late-night dance parties down in the kitchen.”
A colorful Moroccan rag rug was found at Nannie Inez design shop in Austin, Texas, where Paige grew up. Another toran window valance points to a windowsill full of happy succulents. “I love fresh citrus smells,” says Paige. “I save all my orange, lemon, and lime peels and leave them in the kitchen sink to make the whole kitchen smell of citrus.”
Paige’s favorite red suzani turned pink during a laundry misadventure. It was a happy accident, however, as the resulting pink is unusual and striking against her peach velvet armchair.
In the bedroom, a Bamileke feather headdress hangs above a button-tufted headboard. Also known as a juju hat, it is traditionally worn by chiefs and dignitaries on important occasions in Cameroon. Paige chose black for the walls partially to fulfill a teenage dream of having a black bedroom, one that her mother would never abide. “I didn’t want to just move in and decorate everything in a flash,” says Paige. “I wanted to be deliberate and purposeful about each piece I chose, where I would put it, and how I would use it. I didn’t choose which bedroom would be mine until I had slept in all of them for extended periods to determine how the light would be in the morning, the heat would feel in the summer, or proximity to the kitchen and bathroom would feel. I ended up choosing this room without a closet because I like the morning light here the best.”
Paige painted a two-dollar junk-store chandelier black and white to match the color scheme in the bathroom.
1
GOT IT COVERED
I love how Paige uses this fabric as wallpaper and even hangs artwork over the top of it. It creates depth and layers and so much visual interest.
2
BRING IN THE BURLAP
While normally used for holding rice, here burlap makes a comeback as curtains. It’s an affordable and very easy solution that protects privacy but also welcomes the sun.
3
PLANT MARKER
Paige scored this sweet planter at a discount store, but its pattern gave me a DIY idea: Why not take a black permanent marker to a white planter?
4
LOVELY LAUNDRY
Commercial packaging can often make a room look junky. Paige uses a large jar and vintage mug to store and scoop her laundry detergent. It’s old school and chic!
Every single wall of Michela’s living room is a different bright color: turquoise, magenta, lavender, and the tallest wall is covered in bold red brocade wallpaper. But the color crash doesn’t stop there: A green ikat-printed sofa, two velvet settees (one red and one purple), a suzani-covered ottoman and some saturated Turkish rugs are added to the mix, resulting in a room exploding with color.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
It’s hard to imagine a home more bold and confident than that of Michela Goldschmied and her family. Their Hollywood Hills home is a decor experience full of art, pattern, texture, and a healthy dose of color. The high ceilings allow for bolder choices than most homes, but Michela manages to bring it all together in a strikingly harmonious way.
MICHELA GOLDSCHMIED
Fashion designer, interior designer
STAR SIGN
Aquarius
SPIRIT PLANT
Orchid
ON BOHEMIANISM
“Bohemian means to follow your own mind and spirit.”
One of Michela’s talents is how effortlessly she mixes one-of-a-kind and designer pieces with affordable items from big-box stores. Her velvet settees are from Urban Outfitters while the pillows resting on them were custom-made from a kilim rug bought at a bazaar in Istanbul. “In this home, it’s not so much about individual pieces, as how they all work together. Despite the myriad colors, for example, red accents are woven throughout, as seen in the rugs, pillows, lamp shades, doors, and the brocade wallpaper. The matching curtains and the repetition of Warhol collages all add to the overall cohesiveness.
In the bathroom and bedroom upstairs the playful mix of teal and lavender brings a vitality and freshness to the rooms. The Moroccan bathroom tiles are reminiscent of a hammam.
The periwinkle breakfast nook provides a light-filled intimate space for the traditional Italian colazione.
In the foyer that leads upstairs to the bedrooms, vintage swag lamps create an intimate feeling. A painted, thrifted credenza with new hardware sits underneath paintings from Michela’s childhood home.
1
DRESS UP YOUR PATIO
Use a bold-colored sheer fabric to create mood and shade in an outdoor area.
2
A TWEET IDEA
Rig a light inside a birdcage to create a romantic, sculptural pendant lamp.
3
A GOOD WRAP
Wrap an ottoman in a suzani blanket and top it with a Moroccan silver tray to create a coffee table.
In Amhalise’s living room, dark woods and colorful textiles temper the gleaming white floors and walls. A large wooden star, upcycled from lath, is the focal point here. Above the star hangs a fertility mask from the Congo in the shape of a pregnant belly. Acrylic chairs, mid-century cork lamps, and a Franco Albini rattan pouf give the space a modern look, layered over rugs from Uzbekistan and home-crafted elements. When Amhalise found the leather sofa bed discarded on the sidewalk, she brought it home and had the mattress replaced and the leather cleaned. What she got was a “new” sofa.
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Amhalise Morgan lives with her two kids, Harmony Cree and Rebel Spirit, in a turn-of-the-century brownstone in Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. She has spent the last decade making it her dream home, painting the floors white, designing kitchen cabinets and built-in closets, and traveling the world via eBay for the best bohemian bargains. As Amhalise puts it, “What a gorgeous time to be alive. You can visit Sweden and South Africa all in a matter of minutes via blog, or buy things directly from Uzbekistan, all with the click of a mouse.”
AMHALISE MORGAN
Casting director
STAR SIGN
Pisces
SPIRIT ANIMAL
Wolf
HARMONY CREE
Age 12
REBEL SPIRIT
Age 10
ON BOHEMIANISM
“It’s being a free spirit and embracing travel and family. It’s a home filled to the brim with love, adventure, and laughter.”
Sheepskins drape over vintage wooden patio chairs, adding a hint of the Danish modern hygge feel.
“My house was therapy, truly,” says Amhalise. “While other moms I knew went on dates after their marriages broke up, I stayed up late checking out design blogs. If I saw something I liked, I searched for it on eBay. Nine times out of ten, I found what I was looking for at an excellent price. The nine-foot kilim on the floor in my dining area cost only ninety-nine cents!”
Amhalise designed the kitchen with the help of her contractor. The open shelving allows her to keep favorite dishes on display, like a tagine set she picked up in Tunisia. The kiwi-green and brown color palette lends an earthiness to the open space. She added a kitchen island to increase storage, as well as a dishwasher and a wine fridge.
In the bathroom, an oval-shaped nautical window and other brass elements add a bit of natural light and shine to an otherwise dark space. Amhalise found the sink on eBay for $10 and had her contractor build the cabinet it lives in.
Amhalise coveted custom closet doors from the Brooklyn salvage yard Build It Green long before she could call them her own. “I used to visit the doors regularly,” she says. “When I finally saved the money to buy them, I was elated.” The tall doors set against white are striking and ground the space.
In Harmony’s bedroom, a loft was built to maximize space. The library ladder was another curb-side find. The closet doors were fashioned from a wooden screen purchased from Pier 1 Imports.
The natural light that shines into the bedroom is what sold Amhalise on the space. The white floors, walls, and ceiling increase the brightness, and on a sunny day, the room is almost blinding upon entry. The suzani bed cover and cowhide rugs were more eBay scores.
1
BE AN E-NOMAD
The Turkish kilim beneath the dining table was scored on eBay for under a dollar. Sometimes it pays to search auctions with a no-reserve price on eBay.
2
REDO A DONE-FOR CHAIR
Amhalise had this chrome director’s chair with ripped suede sitting in a corner for weeks before she remembered that stack of pillow cases she had bought off eBay . . . and voilà!
3
HOW ’BOUT A RUGGER
What’s a rugger? It’s a rug used as a table runner. Or at least that’s what I’m calling it. Place a small rug across a table to add a pretty pop of pattern.
4
DOORS GALORE
In both bedrooms, wooden doors break up the stark white and add a little history. Try ditching trite closet doors for salvaged or repurposed ones.
Nomadic bohemians gather ideas and artifacts until their homes become a visual album of their expeditions; the walls are covered with souvenirs and seashells, maps and masks, photographs and plants—each item represents an adventure. “I already use my ‘future children’ as an excuse to keep everything,” says Sacha, “and I love that everything tells a story. Every time I do dishes, I look up at the curtain in the kitchen window and think of the fabric markets in Bali. Every time I go to bed, I look at the flag on the wall and think of our sailboat.”
VENICE BEACH, CALIFORNIA
Sacha Pytka lives on Venice Beach. Really—on the beach, a sand-in-your-toes, salty-air, morning-yoga-with-the-Pacific-sunrise kind of on the beach. Her home sits right on the famous Venice boardwalk, where a tinted glass gate allows some privacy from the locals and tourists who walk, skate, and bike right past her front porch. Sacha has lived here for twelve years (her sister, whose home is featured on this page, lives upstairs), and it’s basically the stuff that sun-loving, bohemian California dreams are made of. “Just this morning, I saw dolphins while I was walking my dogs,” she says. “As eclectic and silly as my place can be, I really love everything in it. I’m such a Cancer—a total homebody—and this place is my nest. I think you get a good sense of who I am by looking around: the closet and fashion books, family photos, vegetarian cookbooks, the collection of things on the wall, and the general plop-down-anywhere feeling here.”
SACHA PYTKA
Fashion designer
STAR SIGN
Cancer
SPIRIT PLANT
Palm tree, “because it’s tall and grounded, but flexible—and I love dates.”
ON BOHEMIANISM
“There’s the obvious that comes to mind when you think of the word ‘bohemian’—fringe, embroidery, vardo wagons, and peace and love—but I think it’s more about the people around me. Some work multiple jobs and others are ridiculously wealthy, but they all have a certain eye for the little details and an uncompromising sense of style that carries through everything they do. There’s an appreciation for quirks and imperfections that a lot of people may not relate to.”
The front patio overlooking the beach features a small garden of cacti and succulents. A daybed and fire pit await the many guests who take advantage of Sacha’s home’s prime location and its supremely laid-back vibe.
Enter the living room from the patio through a sliding glass door and be transported into a Bedouin tent. The dreamy little living room bursts with suzanis, kilims, poufs, and plants—enough patterns to last a lifetime.
The home is so layered with maps and artifacts, it is clear that Sacha has experienced many countries and cultures firsthand. During a four-year stint in Paris, Sacha journeyed to nearby North Africa. She’s also traveled extensively through Europe and far-off locales like Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, India, China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Israel. Panama, where her boyfriend lives, is one of her favorite destinations.
An antique mosaic mirror hangs with a gallery of photographs depicting Sacha’s travels with friends and family.
The club chair was a hand-me-down from Sacha’s father. Its wonderfully dilapidated state is partly the work of many a family cat who used it as a scratching post. The Tiffany sconces were also from her childhood home.
In the bedroom, a huge British flag that used to be on her family’s sailboat covers the entire back wall. Together with a parachute cloth used as a curtain, it sets the tone for a feeling of adventure. A gold-painted ceiling makes the small room feel like a treasure chest filled with little gems of texture and color, including a punched-tin side table, indigo pillows, and a green suzani bedspread. Two classic 1970s cowrie-shell chandeliers frame the bed and a Mexican Loteria card table sits next to the bed. “Someone left that file cabinet on my doorstep ages ago,” says Sacha, “and I used it to store things. One day, I got bored and painted it, glued the cards on, gave it a few coats of polyurethane, and ta-da!”
Sacha’s closet is like a hip boutique in Paris, only nothing is for sale and everything is a size 2.
1
COVERED CUSHIONS
Almost all of the seat cushions at Sacha’s house are covered in rugs and blankets. It is an easy way to change up the look and add a fun pop of color.
2
BUILT-INS ARE BETTER
Ready-made shelves usually don’t fit spaces perfectly. Built-ins maximize storage space and are an easy way to give a room more character.
3
FLAGGED DOWN
Sacha’s enormous flag in the bedroom packs a graphic punch. Hang a flag or other large, graphic fabric behind your bed. It is also an affordable substitute for a head-board.
Make two of these ottomans to use as additional seating in your living room, or make three and line them up to make a bench that sits at the foot of your bed. Put a tray on one, and this colorful ottoman can be used as a side table. This surprisingly easy project brings all those textiles you’ve collected on your travels out of your linen closet and into the spotlight to bring that adventurous nomadic spirit into the home.
MATERIALS
One gorgeous textile. The textile needs to be at least 30" × 30" (76 cm × 76 cm) and should be of a durable fabric. Suzani, kilim, kantha, or even regular old upholstery fabric are all good choices. If you’re cutting the piece from a larger piece of fabric, think about what part of the fabric you want to use for the ottoman. I picked this piece that I found in a large pile of rags at the Pasadena City College flea market because it had square shapes in it that I thought would look fluid when placed onto a square table.
20" × 20" (50 cm × 50 cm) pillow insert. You can get pillow inserts at most fabric stores or places like West Elm or Pottery Barn; I often check stores like Ross and Marshalls for this type of thing, too.
Small side table. I used the 22" × 22" (55 cm × 55 cm) Lack side table from Ikea. It costs $8 and comes in a variety of colors. If you choose to use a table other than the Lack, make sure that the table legs can come off, and be sure to adjust the fabric and pillow measurements accordingly.
SUPPLIES
Staple gun
Staples
Fabric scissors
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the fabric facedown on the floor.
2. Center the pillow insert on the fabric.
3. Place the tabletop facedown on the pillow. Fold up one side of the fabric so that it rests flat on the back of the tabletop.
4. Making sure the fabric grain is straight, staple the fabric to the back of the tabletop at the center, then move out toward the corners, placing the staples about 2" (5 cm) apart. Pull evenly out toward the corners of the table to get any lumps out, and stop 4" (10 cm) from each corner. Repeat on the opposite side.
5. Trim the fabric down around the screw holes so that there is room to screw the table legs on.
6. Staple the fabric on the remaining two sides.
7. Finish the corners as if you were wrapping a gift. Feel free to cut and remove fabric under the corner folds, but be careful not to cut any of the fabric that will be visible at the end. Pull one side over the corner edge and secure to the tabletop underside with staples.
8. Screw the table legs onto the table and enjoy your brand-new nomadic ottoman!
I love the bold graphic jolt a suzani pillow or blanket brings to a chair, couch, or bed. On a trip to Istanbul, I bought a few suzani pieces, so I can tell you from firsthand experience that suzanis are expensive. (I haggled with the merchant for 45 minutes to get him down from $350 to $250 on the cover I bought.) This project is for a pillow that provides the same visual pop of the embroidered ones, but instead of embroidery, the look is easily re-created in felt using an appliqué technique. It’s also cheap and isn’t too hard to make.
MATERIALS
Black felt at least 21" × 21" (53 cm × 53 cm)
Four small pieces of felt in contrasting colors. I used yellow, pink, red, and navy blue.
4' (4 m) of pom-pom trim
Polyester fiberfill. I like to use the recycled poly filling you can pick up at any craft store.
SUPPLIES
Printer
Scissors
Scotch tape or masking tape
Fabric scissors
Sewing pins
Needle and thread (or a sewing machine)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Print out 4 copies of Circle Template A from http://www.abramsbooks.com/new-bohemians-templates, enlarging them by 4 times.
2. Cut Circle Template A from each copy and tape the pieces together to create a full circle.
3. Cut two circles from the black felt using Circle Template A.
4. Print out 2 copies each of Flower Templates A and B from http://www.abramsbooks.com/new-bohemians-templates, enlarging them by 4 times.
5. Cut out all the Flower Templates and tape them together to create one large floral shape, alternating A and B. Pin the template to the yellow felt and cut the floral shape from the felt. Cut the rounded rectangle shape marked inside the floral shape from the felt (fold the felt in half to facilitate cutting).
6. Remove the paper Flower Template and pin the cut felt to the center of one of the black felt circles.
7. Stitch the yellow flower to the black circle on both the outer and inner perimeters using a straight stitch.
8. Using the Rounded Rectangle Ring Template from http://www.abramsbooks.com/new-bohemians-templates, printed out and enlarged by 4 times, cut out one pink and one red rounded rectangle ring.
9. Stack the pink ring and the red ring on top of each other. Cut the rings into 8 pieces as indicated on the template.
10. Alternate the pink and red pieces inside the yellow flower on the black felt to create the inner ring. Pin and sew them into place. Save the extra pieces for a second pillow.
11. Cut out 4 more flower shapes using the Small Flower Templates from http://www.abramsbooks.com/new-bohemians-templates, enlarged 4 times, in 4 different colors. Pin the smallest one to the next-smallest one and sew it in place. Then pin those two to the next-largest one and sew them together. Continue until all of the flowers are sewn to one another, always sewing around the perimeter of the flowers. Then sew the largest flower to the black felt so that all the flowers are attached to the piece at its center.
12. Sew the pom-pom trim to the edge of the black circle.
13. Put the two black circles face-to-face (tuck the pom-poms to the inside) and sew around the perimeter with a small seam allowance until the pillow is four-fifths of the way closed. Turn the pillow right-side out.
14. Stuff the pillow with the fiberfill.
15. Stitch the opening closed by hand. Now toss your new pillow onto your bed, sofa, or favorite chair to add that sunny burst of suzani.
