Bohemian Modern

Emily Henson explores the elements that come together to create this eclectic, colourful and contemporary look and draws inspiration from an array of real-life Bohemian Modern homes.

The iconoclastic ingenuity of bohemians, from Gerard de Nerval to Allen Ginsberg, continually captivates the popular imagination; the worlds of fashion, advertising, and even real estate all capitalize on the alternative appeal of bohemian style. Persistently overlooked, however, is bohemians' distinctive relationship to work. In this book, sociologist Judith R. Halasz examines the fascinating junctures between bohemian labor and life. Weaving together historiography, ethnography, and personal experiences of having been raised amidst downtown New York's bohemian communities, Halasz deciphers bohemians' unconventional behaviors and attitudes towards employment and the broader work world. From the nineteenth-century harbingers on Paris' Left Bank to the Beats, Underground, and more recent bohemian outcroppings on New York's Lower East Side, The Bohemian Ethos traces the embodiment of a politically charged yet increasingly precarious form of cultural resistance to hegemonic social and economic imperatives.

Also published in a gorgeous, slip-cased limited edition, Bohemian Modern is now available in this beautiful hardcover edition. Through striking illustrations and stunning photographs, Bohemian Modern explores the unique structural and interior designs that have put California's ultra-chic Silver Lake neighborhood at the forefront of a new style phenomenon. One of the country's most renowned modernist architects, Barbara Bestor has fully embraced and perfected Silver Lake's "bohemian modern" style: a practical philosophy that is Californian in origin but achievable anywhere. It is a look that favors raw, authentic materials, brilliant colors, creative space planning, and a natural flow between indoors and outdoors. The results, as Bohemian Modern presents, are striking: a flawlessly restored Neutra house decorated with both whimsy and restraint, a rooftop constructed for viewing the stars, a lavish outdoor garden delicately integrated into the surrounding architecture, a double-sided bookcase that soars three stories and serves as a functional art installation...there is no limit to the creativity and beauty of Silver Lake style. Both modern and classic, refreshing and inviting, Bohemian Modern will delight readers with its breathtaking, vividly photographed tour of Silver Lake.

Emily Henson explores the elements that come together to create this eclectic, colorful, and contemporary look and draws inspiration from an array of real-life Bohemian Modern homes. The Bohemian Modern home is a place where creativity, individuality, and a bold mix of color and pattern meet in a modern environment. Whitewashed walls and polished concrete floors are brought to life by vibrant rugs and wall hangings; a cozy rattan chair suspended from the ceiling, and a jungle of houseplants—clustered in pots, hanging from the ceiling, or even growing on the walls. The style gives a nod to 1970s chic, with its use of shagpile rugs, Swiss cheese plants, and macramé, but it stands firmly in the present day by boldly contrasting those elements with sleek modern art and polished concrete worksurfaces. Emily starts by taking a look at the different facets of the look: pattern and color, textiles, handmade pieces, living with houseplants, and collections and display. She offers up styling tricks to use at home and timely ideas for recycling and reuse. Next, a series of case studies take a closer look at free-spirited and creative homes and the people who live in them. From a restored barn on the coast of Morocco to a former parking garage in the Netherlands that's been converted into a flexible family live/work space, Emily shows that any home can have Bohemian Modern style.