Sienna's style adds boho chic

Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

To create the boho chic look in your home think Sienna Miller. Imagine her reclined on a sofa dressed in Robin Hood pants, knee-high boots, and peasant shirt with a funky big belt. Like Sienna's wardrobe, boho chic is a little bit ethnic, with a touch of the east, but always sharp and clean for that contemporary edge.

Expert tips from Kate Smith, of Trinity Interior Design

1. Introduce beaten, tarnished metal. Look for accents with a reflective quality such as pewter, brass, burnished copper, tarnished silvers and gold.

2. Where possible, strip back floors to the original timber, then stain in dark chocolate, or keep them natural with a coat of clear lacquer. Alternatively, you can whitewash them, paint them, or even try painting decorative patterns such as borders. Cover floors with rugs. Choose antique Persian and oriental rugs, as well as animal skins.

3. Filter the natural light through transparent sheer curtains such as muslin, linen, and organza, with delicate embroidery details and trimmed edges.

4. Colour is a key to achieving boho chic. Use wallpaper with decorative patterns such as peacock feathers, paisleys, and William Morris prints. Colours should be rich and sumptuous, with flashes of intensity. Try ming blue, deep purples, dirty oranges, and emerald greens.

5. Loads of cushions and throws are vital. The key is making it appear as if they have been thrown together, though it can take some time and effort to get the mix just right. Look for cushions with detailing such as crochet, quilting, tassels and fringes, beading, patchwork, applique, buttoning and ethnic weaves.

6. Have lots of vases around your home, filled with simple but striking bunches of a single bloom, or a dramatically sculptural tree branch. Look for vases that have been hand-potted and crafted, and those with organic shapes and ethnic influences. Better still, have vases that are mementos of your travels.

7. Fill book cases, make piles on the floor, and stack up your coffee tables with books on subjects that you are passionate about.

8. Boho furniture is all about texture. Combine the warmth of timber with the strength of metal, mix the rough with the smooth, and combine different eras and styles together.

9. Mix oil paintings and prints with vintage photographs. Fill surfaces and floor space with sculpture and hang objets d'art such as a mask or traditional head dress.

10. Indulge more than one sense. Burn candles and incense to give your home an exotic aroma. Invest in a chandelier, or try some wind chimes for delicate background sound.