Boho lighting is lighting made from natural or handmade materials, such as rattan, knitted or woven fabric, fringe, paper, wood and hide, that gives a warm, filtered glow rather than a bright, even light. A boho lamp often looks like a piece of craft as much as a light. Below, each material is explained with what it does to the light, the real sizes of the boho lights we sell, and a simple way to layer them in a room.
The materials that make a light look boho
Rattan and cane. The weave lets light through in a soft pattern on the walls and ceiling. Our Layered Rattan Pendant wraps layered cane petals around an inner fabric diffuser, in Ø 40, 50, 60 or 80 cm.
Knitted and woven fabric. The whole shade glows and shows its texture. The Knitted Shade Wood Wall Sconce has a hand-knitted shade on a turned solid wood body, and the Tiered Fringe Fabric Pendant uses hand-knitted fabric in two-colour bands.
Fringe and tassels. A fringe softens the edge of the shade and lets a little light glow through. Besides the Tiered Fringe pendant, the Tasselled Velvet Floor Lamp has a caramel velvet shade edged with tassels.
Paper. Paper glows evenly, like a lantern. The Japanese Kraft Paper Cube Wall Lamp has stitched twine edges on a wrought iron frame.
Hide, wood and leaf shapes. The Cowhide Tube Floor Lamp glows through natural hide on a wooden tripod, and the Monstera Leaf Wall Lamp shines through the cut-outs of a metal leaf.
Real sizes of our boho lights
All figures come from our product pages. The lighting area is the manufacturer's guide for the space one light covers on its own.
| Light | Type | Material | Size | Lighting area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layered Rattan Pendant | Pendant | Woven rattan cane, fabric diffuser | Ø 40, 50, 60 or 80 cm | Not stated |
| Hand-Knitted Cloth Pendant | Two-tier pendant | Off-white fabric | Ø 45 × H 32, Ø 55 × H 34 or Ø 65 × H 40 cm | 10–15 m² |
| Tiered Fringe Fabric Pendant | Pendant | Hand-knitted fabric, fringe | Ø 36–37 × H 21–22.5 cm, cord up to 2 m | Not stated |
| Wavy Fabric Pendant | Pendant | Natural textured fabric | Ø 45 × H 20, Ø 55 × H 25 or Ø 60 × H 27 cm | 5–10 m² |
| Knitted Shade Wood Wall Sconce | Wall sconce | Knitted fabric, solid wood | H 38 cm, shade 15 cm at base | 3–5 m² |
| Japanese Kraft Paper Cube | Wall lamp | Kraft paper, twine | W 20 × H 23 cm | 5–10 m² |
| Walnut & Hammered Copper | Wall sconce, up and down | Solid wood, hammered copper | H 50.5 × W 19.7 × D 15.4 cm | 5–10 m² |
| Monstera Leaf Wall Lamp | Wall lamp | Metal (iron) | Leaf 34 × 42 cm, stem 60 cm | 5–10 m² |
| Cowhide Tube Floor Lamp | Floor lamp | Hide, solid wood tripod | Tube Ø 20 cm, H 130 cm | 5–10 m² |
| Tasselled Velvet Floor Lamp | Floor lamp | Velvet, tassels | H 158 cm | 3–5 m² |
How to layer boho lighting
One textured pendant as the centre. Choose rattan for patterned light, or a fabric drum for an even glow. The rattan and the two-tier Hand-Knitted Cloth Pendant come up to Ø 80 and Ø 65 cm, large enough to anchor a dining table or a living room. For sizing over a table, see dining table lights.
Low lights at eye level. Add a wall light or a floor lamp whose shade glows: the knitted sconce beside a bed, the paper cube in a hallway, the cowhide tube in a corner.
Mix two or three materials, not six. Rattan with knitted fabric, or paper with wood, keeps the room calm. Wood and copper (the Walnut & Hammered Copper sconce) bridge boho and rustic rooms.
Keep the light warm. Natural materials look best in warm white; most of these lights let you choose it. See warm white vs cool white.
A worked example: a 20 m² boho living room
Add up the lighting areas from the table. One Hand-Knitted Cloth Pendant (10–15 m²) in the centre, one Cowhide Tube Floor Lamp (5–10 m²) in a corner and one Knitted Shade Wood Wall Sconce (3–5 m²) beside an armchair give 18–30 m² of rated coverage for a 20 m² room. In the evening, switch off the pendant and keep the two low lights on for a warmer mood. For more ways to combine lights, read our living room lighting ideas.
Caring for natural materials
Rattan and paper are natural materials: each rattan weave and each hide pattern varies slightly from piece to piece, as stated on the product pages. Dust them gently with a dry brush or cloth; our guide on how to clean lamp shades covers fabric, paper and woven shades, and our rattan pendant lights guide covers cane in detail.
Where boho meets rustic, with wood, hide and copper, read our guide to rustic and wood lamps; for smooth, glowing shades in a lighter material, see acrylic lamps and chandeliers.
FAQ
What is a boho lamp?
A lamp made from natural or handmade materials, such as rattan, knitted fabric, fringe, paper, wood or hide, that gives a soft, filtered light. Our Layered Rattan Pendant and Knitted Shade Wood Wall Sconce are two examples.
What size boho pendant for a dining table?
A common guide is a shade no wider than about two thirds of the table width. Our Layered Rattan Pendant comes in Ø 40 to 80 cm and the Hand-Knitted Cloth Pendant in Ø 45, 55 or 65 cm; the Tiered Fringe pendant is Ø 36–37 cm, small enough to hang in a row.
Can I use a boho wall lamp outdoors?
Only the Monstera Leaf Wall Lamp has an outdoor version, which is waterproof and has a bamboo-style stem. Its indoor version, and our other boho lights, are not described as waterproof.
See our boho and natural lighting collection and our fabric and silk pendant lights, and for related styles read Japandi vs wabi-sabi lighting and French chandeliers and fringe lamps.
