Mid Century Modern turns Bohemian: How to Incorporate Decorative Souvenirs

Aug 15

Aug 15 Mid Century Modern turns Bohemian: How to Incorporate Decorative Souvenirs

Since my trips to the middle east this past year I have been stocking up on some great artifacts, textiles and souvenirs. I knew I wanted to include them in our new home and with our move done I am so happy to share how I have added these unique pieces to my design.

While on my trip in Doha (you can read about it here!) I picked up the most magical lamp. It is absolutely swoon worthy and every time I see it all lit up I fall in love with it all over again. It matches absolutely nothing in my home-or so I thought. But upon closer inspection there are a lot of greens and blues which I tend to have a lot of in my home.

I also have that gorgeous prayer rug that I mentioned getting on my trip to Abu Dhabi (read about that here!) I had it framed and centered above my couch in the living room. It is absolutely stunning and I can not imagine anything else here-nor would I want to.

While in Abu Dhabi I also picked up some post cards at Qasr Al Hosn, a historic building that was home to former rulers. The postcards are taken from carved plaster bas-reliefs used to decorate the rooms in the 1940s. I loved the colors and designs and purchased the postcards not sure what I was going to do with them. In the end I had them framed in a picture collage and hung above my kitchen table. I paired them with some Mexican pottery from a recent beach trip in Playa del Carmen and they all blend like they belong!

While I tend to favor the mid-century modern designs, I feel I am becoming more bohemian. Our new home was built in the post-war era and has lots of cute retro details (i.e. built in bookcases, a vanity nook, and curved doorways.) I love all things retro and vintage so I heavily leaned into it when decorating. In the end I think that whatever speaks to you, you should keep. It will all look right together in the end because it’s all an extension of you. That in itself is its own design style.

You can read more about incorporating travel ideas into your designs on the article I wrote for Thrive Global.