10 Lessons in Affordable Design From a Bohemian Retreat

Let this must-'gram destination inspire your next project

Share

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

By Brittany Albert

Tucked among the Catskills in Upstate New York, you’ll find Foxfire Mountain House. It’s a 100-year-old inn that’s been transformed into a bohemian resort that’s equal parts eclectic, industrial, and rustic. The rooms are cozy and well appointed with a mix of vintage finds, colorful tile, and original details. From DIY projects to styling tricks, there’s plenty to learn from this quaint vacation spot.

Update Your Sconces

Hang adjustable sconces above your nightstand for a unique bedside light source. These black sconces (a Home Depot find!) work as reading lights and provide interesting contrast as sculptural features against a neutral wall.

DIY Daybed

Use industrial piping to make a daybed. This piece was a DIY project combining various sizes of pipe from the hardware store. Top the metal frame with a cushion and vintage pillows to create a cozy, multifunctional spot.

Reimagine Vintage

Repurpose a vintage dresser with paint and new hardware. This sweet vintage dresser with corrugated wood detail on the drawers and simple brass hardware was found at a local Habitat for Humanity Re-Store for $40.

Incorporate Metal

Place a wire side table next to a plush sofa for a modern touch. These tables come in all different colors and suit a variety of design styles. With a natural wood top and sculpted open base, this one adds a light and airy element to the room.

Layer Vintage Rugs

Multiple rugs can warm up a bedroom or living space. In this guest room at Foxfire, they add a boho touch to an all-white palette. This kilim is from Loom and Kiln, a favorite rug source of the inn’s owners.

White-Wash Wood

A washed-out finish softens up mid-century modern lines. This dresser works in the calm space but also adds a modern edge. Colored glasses and a mason jar filled with flowers provide a sweet, feminine touch.

Unexpected Vessels

Blue glass bottles—like this vintage wine jug in the inn’s dining room—add a watery element to an earthy design scape. Find them at flea markets and yard sales—large bottles look great grouped together.

Style Your Collections

The owners of Foxfire collect beautiful ceramic dishes, souvenir carved cowrie shells, silver-plated ice buckets, nests, bones, vases, and many other curiosities. By grouping collections together on open shelves, they read as a unit rather than a bunch of knickknacks.

Creative Ceiling Lighting

Create a vintage vibe in your bar or kitchen with DIY light fixtures and rustic furniture. Behind the bar, vintage desk lights are mounted to the wall as sconces. The light installation on the ceiling over the bar is also a DIY project made from electrical conduit and junction boxes left as raw metal and fitted with dimmable LED edison bulbs. The bar stools, made of wood and metal, add a vintage industrial feel.

Tile a Porch

Use painted tiles on a porch for a colorful and playful touch. The owners of Foxfire found a huge lot of Moroccan tiles on Craigslist and scooped them up from a warehouse in Brooklyn. They have used them everywhere around the inn, from the front and back verandas to the stair risers, commercial kitchen floor, bathroom floors throughout, and even a gorgeous patchwork tile dance floor, which gets put to good use when they host weddings.