Vintage Martin Classical Guitars

Defying design conventions and embracing all tastes, Bohemian style, or Boho style, is eclectic, bold and, above all, individual. Vintage Bohemian-style furniture and decor feature bright colors, natural materials and a global spirit, ranging from statement pieces such as peacock chairs constructed with wicker and handmade art-glass vases to jewel-toned plush seating like turquoise sofas.

Although Bohemian furniture is not rooted in a specific time and can include Victorian lamps alongside Space Age chairs, its name dates back to the 19th century. Its exact origins are unclear, with some sources linking it to a counterculture formed in the wake of the French Revolution and others to a pejorative for the Romani people in France who were erroneously believed to be from Bohemia, which was part of what is now the Czech Republic.

By the 1850s, “bohemian” was used to describe someone who led an itinerant life, usually an artist, actor or author. This helped shift the term from disparaging to something romantic and evoking creativity, culture and travel. In the 20th century, to be a bohemian was fashionable, and the celebration of free expression in the 1960s gave the Bohemian style a hippie flair. It has remained popular over the years, especially with younger generations seeking to express their personality and individual perspective through furniture, folk art, antiques and other collectibles.

A Bohemian interior exuberantly mixes textures and patterns, particularly through textiles from around the world in tapestries, rugs and upholstery. Bohemian decor can include Japanese shibori, Indonesian ikat and Kazakhstani suzani prints mingling with Moroccan lanterns, Turkish carpets and wall hangings from India. Saturated earthy colors like burnt orange and marigold yellow are common to bring together the mix of vintage, modern and global design.

Find a collection of vintage Bohemian tables, mirrors, rugs and carpets, decorative objects and more furniture on 1stDibs.

The modern floor lamp is an evolution of torchères — tall floor candelabras that originated in France as a revolutionary development in lighting homes toward the end of the 17th century. Owing to the advent of electricity and the introduction of new materials as a part of lighting design, floor lamps have taken on new forms and configurations over the years. 

In the early 1920s, Art Deco lighting artisans worked with dark woods and modern metals, introducing unique designs that still inspire the look of modern floor lamps developed by contemporary firms such as Luxxu. 

Popular mid-century floor lamps include everything from the enchanting fixtures by the Italian lighting artisans at Stilnovo to the distinctly functional Grasshopper floor lamp created by Scandinavian design pioneer Greta Magnusson-Grossman to the Paracarro floor lamp by the Venetian master glass workers at Mazzega. Among the more celebrated names in mid-century lighting design are Milanese innovators Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, who, along with their eldest brother, Livio, worked for their own firm as architects and designers. While Livio departed the practice in 1952, Achille and Pier Giacomo would go on to design the Arco floor lamp, the Toio floor lamp and more for legendary lighting brands such as FLOS. 

Today’s upscale interiors frequently integrate the otherworldly custom lighting solutions created by a wealth of contemporary firms and designers such as Spain’s Masquespacio, whose Wink floor lamps integrate gold as well as fabric fringes. 

Visual artists and industrial designers have a penchant for floor lamps, possibly because they’re so often a clever marriage of design and the functions of lighting. A good floor lamp can change the mood of any room while adding a touch of elegance to your entire space. Find yours now on 1stDibs.