In honor of the seasonal light and dark balance of the Equinox, and the shift into the darker months of the year, I’m sharing a client’s bedroom project that had just these themes in mind! We’re calling her Boss Babe master bedroom design her Dark Boho Bedroom.
Equal parts Light & Airy meets Dark & Sexy for a bedroom that brings in all the good vibes!
The Autumn Equinox – A New Season!
We’ve had some cooler nights that warmed up into perfect 70ish degree weather days. There’s been some gloomy, chilly rain. Sunsets happening earlier. And as of that doesn’t tell you Autumn is Coming—the Equinox on Sat the 23rd is your official notice!
What is the Equinox?
I also mentioned this in my last post about when to decorate for fall! My non-scientific, abbreviated answer is: the Equinox is the point between the longest day (Summer Solstice) and longest night (Winter Solstice) of the year. On the Equinox (Fall and Spring), the hours of light and dark are the same–they’re balanced. On the Autumn Equinox, the balance will soon tip towards shorter days and longer nights.
Why is this important for you? Well. This is Nature giving us a chance reflect on where we’ve been, let go of anything negative that’s been dragging us down, wrap up any summer projects, and set goals for the next season!
Another key thing to put on the list for the Equinox? Organizing, Cleaning, and Cleansing your home! It’s the perfect time to set the house up for the seasonal shift into fall and the Holiday season. Hit the image link or click here to get my step-by-step process for how I clean the dust and the energy in my home.
Embrace the darkening days with a Dark Boho Bedroom aesthetic! Here are 7 decor elements to incorporate, plus examples from my recent Dark Boho bedroom client project.
No. 1 | Go with one neutral wall color.
When you’re planning to showcase a lot of things in your room, going with a single wash of color for your walls will keep it relaxing and cohesive. You could go for dark walls here but a lighter neutral wall will help keep the space better balanced between the light and airy boho everyone is familiar with, and the more dark and moody (dare I say. . .Gothic) aesthetic. Also for my renters who can’t paint: whatever your neutral room color is, it’s ok! The rest of this list will get you those dark boho bedroom vibes.
No. 2 | Rich dark woods. Opt for a more detailed Victorian aesthetic, less the clean lines of Mid-Century Modern.
Punch up the romance with more ornate woodwork! This could be the main furniture OR you can probably find wall shelves or one of those corner knick-knack units on Ebay! Whatever you choose, pick pieces with darker tones and more scrolling, curved, and/or detailed wood carving.
No. 3| One or Two complementary dark, rich colors to carry through the room.
Balance the light walls with darker jewel tones. For my client’s room we chose dark teal blues and tourmaline greens. In this great post by Mackenzie Dunn for My Domain, she refers to this combo as “peacock blue and emerald green.”
No. 4 | Plants – real ideally but faux is fine too.
Plants are very much a part of the light, airy, slightly Southwest vibes of the familiar modern boho aesthetic. And greenery is just as important for a dark boho bedroom! Think more untamed, draping shapes. Plants that might be more suited to a tropical shade garden like parlor palms, purple tradescantia zebrina (also called spiderworts), rex begonia, ferns, rubber plants, philodendron, or pathos.
No. 5 | Dark florals or exotic motifs
Give your dark boho bedroom an enchanted boost with moody floral wallpaper or bedding accents. We went with a large wall hanging with a floral/peocock/mandala pattern. My client had it folded up in a closet! We had her seamstress-guru sister sew a pole pocket and hung it on the wall with a whimsical bird curtain rod. It’s the perfect statement piece.
I also painted her bed frame and two tall mirrors I found abandoned in her garage, then added a gorgeous decor transfer called “marvelous gardens” by Hokus Pokus. I just love how all the pieces came out!
No. 6 | Enveloping Textures
- Luxury feels: velvet, suede (real or faux), chunky knits, faux fur
- Natural feels: rattan, macrame, lace, wood beads. Try my DIY wood bead lamp shade!
- You want a balanced mix of natural and luxe materials. This version of Bohemian embraces the maximalist, rather hedonistic Bohemians! I loved this mashup of Bohemian life concepts through the ages on the delightful blog Byron’s Muse.
No. 7 | Eclectic Collection Display
A gallery wall with antique shop vibes, a curio displaying your Steampunk shoes alongside your crystals or naturalistic bits and bones..you get the idea. The dark boho decor aesthetic is definitely about displaying your personality through your collections. Make your room feel personalized & purposeful to you!
One thing to remember: Keep it tidy to avoid your room looking too cluttery. The goal here is to create a cocooning, relaxing space. You want your dark boho bedroom to feel curated, NOT cluttered.
Looking for more inspiration? I loved scrolling the images on this blog post by Steffi at Moda Misfit.
