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by Lauren Finney
Found Objects
What makes a space truly global chic more than anything are the collected objects that you’ve procured throughout your life — from the small sentimental gifts you’ve been given to the carefully sought out objects in markets around the world. Make sure your things have a purposeful home, such as a
Layered Textiles
Don’t be shy — layer up all that goodness that you’ve curated! Mix and match textures within textiles for a room that’s visually and tactilely rich.
Otomi Prints
This traditional Mexican embroidery on muslin cotton is a show-stopping piece in its multi-colored form, or in a single color like this one from textile purveyor St. Frank. It blends together the white, brick and greenery nicely, and is unexpected as a framed art piece instead of as curtains or upholstery.
Rattan
Dried, shaped palm stalks are banded together to make rattan pieces, which have been traditionally used on patios and in other outdoor environments. For a nomad-inspired look, bring a little of the outdoors in with a rattan piece — our favorite is the hanging chair, which can easily be put onto a metal stand in rentals.
Hanging Plants
Ferns and other flora and fauna brought indoors serve not only as a pretty, natural accent to a room, but also help purify air, release fresh oxygen and can even help as home remedies for some aches and ailments.
Kilim Rugs
Getting nerdy here for a second: kilim means that the weave and weft lay flat, as opposed to the thicker piles you find in oriental rugs. What were originally known as Persian prayer rugs now have a starring role in almost every bohemian, global room.
Shibori
The Japanese dyeing tradition of shibori (similar to tie-dye) is another staple of a good modern global room; we love the stark contrast of the indigo against the crisp white chairs here.
Moroccan lanterns
Metal lanterns and light pendants are a sure-fire way to add a little bit of North African flare to any room. Start small with tea lights to cast romantic, mysterious shadows around a bedroom, or go bold with a large pendant fixture like this one.
Cacti
Perhaps the easiest and most cost-effective way to start your journey into Bohemia is through the use of cacti — the house plants thrive on negligence and make pretty sculptural shapes in lieu of art.
Arches
Whether you create them yourself through crafty contracting or you’re lucky enough to have a home that came with some character, arches are a good way to add a bit of eclecticism to a room.
Serape Blankets
The serape, or striped and colorful Latin American blanket, is part of the heritage of Mexico and Guatamala and adds a wonderful burst of color and personality to a room.
Sheepskin
If ever there was a modern global way to add some texture to a room, it’s sheepskin, which is just at home in an all neutral Hamptons-style house as it is in this funky California abode.
Midcentury Lighting
Worldly interiors means having a bit of Americana in there, too, such as a California cool, mid-century modern lighting fixture like this industrial exposed bulbs one.
African Baskets
Whether you choose to go colorful or stay more neutral, baskets like these are great holdalls for blankets, toys and knick-knacks — or even plants.
JuJu Hats
Dyed wild bird feathers tied together in a circular pattern make up these symbols of prosperity that can double as 3-D artwork on a wall.
Something Pink
The color of love is also a must-have hue when it comes to global interiors; it’s played an important part in cultures ranging from French to Japanese. In modern times, it’s more of the embodiment of whimsy and signifies that the room has a sense of humor.
White Walls
The single most common denominator in a modern bohemian room is a clean slate — that is to say, white walls. More often than not, white painted brick, wood or plain old walls make a perfect canvas to show off all your worldly wares.
Tassels
What’s certain to be a fashion accoutrement this summer also translates over into interiors; tassels of all shapes and sizes are now used as fun texture more often than as curtain tie-backs.
Moroccan Pouf
Perhaps it can be credited with the new wave of global glam interiors: Moroccan poufs have been a staple for quite some time to add color, texture and extra seating to rooms.
Books
Books are the easiest personal touch in any room, and they bring your specific personality and life into a space. Global interiors are lived-in, and there’s no better way to say a room gets use than to stock it with books.
Brass
The name of the game in global interiors is to make sure that the rooms look well used and well loved, and brass pieces and brass-colored pieces help achieve a not-so-perfect look.
Exposed Brick
Exposed brick signifies some history to a space, and the range of colors, from brick to pink to white can help as a starting point to incorporate your treasures into the space seamlessly.
Lucite or Acrylic
Something clear goes a long way to open up a space to make the room feel lighter and easier; acrylic is a good alternative if true lucite isn’t in the budget.
Hanging Tapestry
A college dorm room covering this is not: The modern nomad can use a souvenir tapestry to remind themselves of a certain place or time, while creating a large and colorful art piece at the same time.
Industrial Lamp
A little bit of industry can bring structure and clean lines to a bohemian space that, on principle, is less about order and more about thoughtful collecting. Whether in brass, black, or even a color, the simple lines of a lamp like this will bring a bit of modernity and minimalism into the space.
Natural Wood
If you’re lucky enough to have a house old enough to have exposed beams, maximize ‘em. Use them as a focal point in your space, as opposed to covering them up, or if you want to get crafty DIY some beams yourself.
Maps
Time to get literal — commemorate your travels with a good, old-fashioned map. We love the unexpected way these line this entryway.
Mirrors
Spaces, especially small ones, need some eye-trickery in the form of a mirror. If you can’t drag one back from a flea market in Paris or Rome, try putting together some unique global-inspired ones in place of a gallery wall for a functional wow factor.
Lanterns
White paper lanterns are popular for everything from birthday parties to weddings to porches, but take it a step further and try incorporating some colorful lanterns from your travels.
Macrame
Macrame is just a really fancy-looking technique using knots and string or cord; it was popular in interiors in the ‘70s, and we’re happy to see its resurgence.
A touch of black
Having just a touch of black accents — whether via rug, lamp, table or trim — helps ground the space and bring some neutrality to the found feeling.
Suzani
This embroidered cotton or silk textile from Central Asia is now usually a gateway drug to the global look, and definitely a great way to bring in a lot of color and style quickly into a room. Look for motifs such as flowers, vines, fruits moons and even birds.
Leather
You could go with a more mustard tone for that throwback look, or go with more of a whiskey or cognac color — either way, a loved leather piece will give your home a lived-in feel.
Tile
This might be one of the easiest fixes to a blah room — add a splash of global-inspired tile to bring some life to an otherwise simple space. Try it in unusual spaces, such as hallways or bedrooms to really bring the wow factor.