Tammy Bolden (@boldenintdesign) wowed us with her fall ‘24 ORC project, which she titled the “Bohemian Rhapsody Powder Room.” We had to know the story behind the room’s memorable title.

The inspiration for the Bohemian Rhapsody Powder Room came from thrifting at the Chicken Alley Thrift Shop in Martha's Vineyard. While searching for the next great treasure, my husband and I came across some vintage LPs. Being an avid collector, he snagged a few gems one being an album by Queen. When I think of Freddie Mercury, I think of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody starring Rami Malek who won the Oscar for Best Actor. 

When designing for myself, I have an eclectic design style. I love mixing styles and creating unexpected color palettes. I discovered the Jamaican Waves wallpaper by Mitchell Black a few months ago and was anxious to use it in a space. When I decided to transform our “vanilla” powder room and participate in the ORC, I knew I wanted to use that wallpaper! The movement in the pattern and the variety in the color (one which is similar to Pantone’s Color of the Year - Mocha Mousse) was a perfect springboard for the design. When thinking about what to do in the powder room, I saw the Queen album on our dining room table. Bohemian Rhapsody immediately popped into my head and the rest is history. The pattern of the wallpaper, the “random" design of the floor tile, the use of rattan and the mixing of finishes on the fixtures provides that Bohemian vibe I wanted.

For me, design inspiration can come from anywhere or anything. I call it looking with "my third eye.”