Traditional or Bohemian

Find your own style and make your home stand out.

By Breanna J. Williams

Bright and vibrant, or neutral and cool? Sophisticated or laid-back? If you are seeking to spice up your space, you are sure to find your happy medium between the traditional and bohemian realm of home décor. A traditional home is defined by classical and symmetrical elements in a room that help evoke feelings of timelessness and comfort, while a Spanish-style home gives you a taste of culture and eclecticism. There is no rule book to dictate incorporating both of these styles into your home for a well-rounded look. Mixing color schemes, architecture and décor pieces is what home decorating is all about! Explore the vibes from each décor approach and decide whether you will use traditional, bohemian or both styles to add some taste to your space.

Casa Bohemia: The Spanish-Style House
by Linda Leigh Paul

Casa Bohemia features eye-catching architecture and essential elements of Spanish-style homes in the Southwestern and Southern United States, Mexico and Spain. Twenty-nine beautifully preserved homes are showcased through vibrant photography to capture the enchanting details of Spanish, Moorish, European and Mexican furnishings, artifacts and crafts. Linda Leigh Paul highlights each home individually by reader to pay attention to the colorful tiles and textiles, crafted glass and wrought-iron aspects of each home. The Spanish-style homes included in Casa Bohemia are dispersed throughout the world, and feature common eclectic details with distinctive differences. Paul gives us a glorious house tour that is educational and eye-opening. Each home is vividly expressed through Spanish characteristics and inspiring energy for all lovers of the bohemian-décor style.

The countertop in the kitchen is white Carrara marble, and the food-preparation space is fresh with green cabinets, a white tiled wall with green trim and a striped stove hood. The small windows have custom wrought-iron gates, and the tall windows have walnut frames. The kitchen also has a rhythmic plaster ceiling featuring a chandelier designed by the architect and hand-blown by local Santa Barbara artist Saul Alcaraz.

Photo by Jim Partsch, courtesy of Rizzoli.

Barbara Westbrook: Gracious Rooms
by Barbara Westbrook

A member of Southern designer royalty, Barbara Westbrook stuns with her Southern charm and European touch in Gracious Rooms. Home interiors designed by Westbrook share a welcoming elegance, whether it is a country cottage or a penthouse apartment. The book features a journey of walking though illuminated lake retreats, contemporary houses and historic mansions. The author emphasizes the importance of utilizing natural elements in every room for proper mood setting, and she pays great attention to details of color to unify spaces. With more than 20 years of experience as an interior designer, Westbrook offers readers her honest advice on transforming any space so it’s impressively charming and comfortable. By presenting a balance between elegance and comfort, Gracious Rooms is a great reference for inspiration on your next home revamp.

“The role of all the materials in this house, soft and otherwise, is the same: to convey a quiet sense of luxury. An antique grandfather clock from Ainsworth-Noah stands sentry at the end of the entry, drawing the eye down the hall form the front door. A French buffet and bench upholstered in cotton provide places for both things and people to land. Balancing elegant imported pieces are antique American hooked rugs and fishing creels. A clipping from a tree outside gives the foyer a welcoming flourish of green.”
—Barbara Westbrook

Photos by Pieter Estersohn and Erica George Dines, coutesy of Rizzoli.