Boho Wall Decor Ideas for the Bedroom

A bare bedroom wall is an invitation and a small worry at once. There are plenty of boho wall decor options, from woven pieces to baskets, mirrors and paint, and the hard part is choosing one without ending up with a little of everything.

Below are nine ideas, grouped by type, with a note on what each suits. Before the list come two decisions that matter more than the piece itself: which wall to decorate, and how big the decoration should be.

Decide which wall gets the decor

Not every wall needs something on it. A boho bedroom already has a lot of texture on the bed and the floor, so empty wall is useful: it gives the eye somewhere to rest.

Give the main piece to the wall you see first from the door, which is usually the wall behind the bed. A second, smaller moment can go above a dresser or beside a window. Leave at least one wall plain, and keep the wall around a busy piece of furniture, such as open shelves, quiet as well.

Get the scale right

The most common mistake is going too small. A single little piece floating above a wide bed looks lost. As a rule of thumb, decor above a bed or dresser looks settled when it spans roughly half to two-thirds of the furniture’s width, either as one piece or as a group read as one shape.

Keep it connected to the furniture, too. A gap of about 6 to 10 in (15 to 25 cm) above a headboard is a common starting point; much higher, and the piece drifts away from the bed. Anything above the pillows should be light and soft.

Woven and textile ideas

1. A woven wall hanging

The classic choice: knotted or woven cotton or wool on a wooden rod, usually with fringe. It adds softness and texture without color, so it suits rooms that already have patterned bedding. Size and height are covered step by step in the guide to styling a woven hanging above the bed.

2. A group of flat woven baskets

Shallow baskets and woven trays in three to seven sizes, arranged in a loose cluster. They are light, forgiving to arrange and bring a warm tan tone to a pale wall. Suits a wide wall above a bed or dresser.

3. A large textile on a rod

A flat-woven throw, a printed cotton panel or a quilted piece hung from a slim rod fills a big wall with one calm shape and can stand in for a headboard. Suits rooms with plain bedding, since the textile supplies the pattern.

Mirror and print ideas

4. A rattan or sunburst-style mirror

A round mirror with a woven frame or radiating rays adds shine among matte materials and bounces daylight into the room. It suits the wall above a dresser or beside a window better than the wall above the pillows. The guide to mirror shapes, frames and placement compares the options.

5. Botanical or abstract prints

Simple leaf shapes, arches, suns and soft landscapes in earth tones, in wooden or thin black frames. Prints are the easiest way to bring a specific color onto the wall. One large print reads calm; a pair or trio reads more casual. For subjects and arrangements, see the guide to choosing and arranging framed prints.

Three-dimensional ideas

6. A slim shelf with pottery

A narrow wooden shelf holding two or three clay vases, a small plant and a leaning print gives you decor you can rearrange whenever you like. Suits a side wall or the space above a dresser. Keep what sits on it few and light, and within what the shelf’s maker rates it for.

7. Dried flowers in a wall pocket

A woven pocket or a small wall vase with a handful of dried grasses makes a soft, sculptural accent for a narrow strip of wall, such as beside a mirror or between two windows. Keep dried stems well away from heat sources and any open flame.

8. Hats or woven fans on pegs

A row or loose group of straw hats, woven fans or a market bag on wooden pegs is decor that stays in use. It suits a wall near the door or the closet and adds shape and natural fiber without a single frame.

A paint idea

9. A painted arch behind the bed

An arch in terracotta, clay or ochre painted on the wall behind the bed frames the bed like a headboard and brings in a large block of color without filling the wall with objects. Keep whatever goes inside the arch simple: a small woven piece or nothing at all. Paint is a change to the room itself, so if you rent, check your lease or ask before making changes. The guide to a boho bedroom built from movable pieces has alternatives that lean or stand instead.

Choosing between them

Match the idea to what the room is missing.

• The room feels flat or hard: choose texture, such as a woven hanging, baskets or a large textile.
• The room feels dark: choose a mirror, placed where it catches daylight.
• The room lacks color: choose prints or a painted arch.
• The room is already busy: choose one large, quiet piece, or leave the wall bare.
• You like to change things often: choose a shelf or pegs.

Then pick one idea per wall. A hanging, baskets and prints sharing the same wall will compete; one of them on the bed wall and another across the room will not.

Fixing things to the wall

How a piece goes up depends on three things, and no single fixing suits every case.