Cozy and functional, comfortable, light, calm – all this can be said about the Scandinavian style. It makes the house more hospitable, filling it with light and good mood. And from fashion, it became a classic.
Scandinavian style in the interior has become a natural response to the cold and practical trends that were at the peak of fashion in the early 2010s. High-tech, loft – everyone who is tired of their straightforward simplicity and some emotionlessness should take a closer look at this northern design, in which everything is done to make a person feel comfortable. And for years now, Scandi has been popular in world design. The focus here is not on originality or the desire to stand out, but on convenience, the opportunity to relax and enjoy life. Creating such an environment is quite simple; you don’t need to have a subtle artistic taste or design skills. Let’s figure out how to do this.
Signs of Scandinavian style
This trend appeared in Northern Europe. Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and other countries in the region are known for their cold weather and short daylight hours. It is against these climate deficiencies that Scandinavian design is primarily directed. It is designed to make the house cozier and brighter so that it will be pleasant to sit in your favorite chair and watch the snow fall outside the window.
This direction personifies the typical Nordic character of its creators. He is characterized by measuredness, restraint, and careful thought. What is valued here is not external attributes, but a deep sense of calm and stability. The rule “be like everyone else” applies, so decoration in this style is not flashy and extravagant. At the same time, if you want to hang an unusual picture in the middle of the living room or decorate some of the furniture with gilding, this is also acceptable, because the most important rule of Northern design is that the house must have a soul. And if to create this soulfulness you have to deviate from the canons, then that’s what you need to do.
Moreover, concentrated Scandi is gradually losing its position: designers are abandoning the strict minimalism and dazzling white color scheme characteristic of the trend, and are rushing towards more subtle shades (primarily in beige and gray palettes ) and freedom in design (still avoiding an abundance of decor, but a sterile environment without decorations is also no longer relevant). Rich tones of blue, turquoise, violet, and other cold colors are also beginning to appear, which was difficult to imagine until recently.
Many people are surprised why photos of Scandinavian-style interior designs are sometimes so different. The fact is that this direction has two quite different currents
- Hygge. This is the concept of maximum comfort. Shaggy skins on the floor and the sofas, thick fluffy blankets that you want to wrap yourself in while a snowstorm is blowing outside, warm colors of decoration, and lit candles – all this is hygge. There are no strict restrictions on the amount of decor: there should be as much as you need to feel enveloping care and security.
- Lagom. In this movement, the main principle is moderation. But not the one that forces oneself to limit something, but the one where the house is filled with things that are guaranteed to be useful. Balance, following basic needs rather than momentary desires, giving up everything unnecessary in favor of high-quality, durable and truly necessary things. This environment looks more laconic and restrained; it gives not so much a feeling of comfort as calmness and balance.
Features of interior design in Scandinavian style
To capture the essence of Nordic design and understand what its charm is based on, the basic principles that characterize it help.
- A lot of space. No unnecessary partitions, minimum walls, maximum air: everything that can be combined into a common room is combined – kitchen with living room, bedroom with office, etc.
- Lots of light. The more light that pours through the windows, the better: ideally, you should give up curtains so that not a single ray of rare sun is lost. Light colors of decoration also serve the same purpose: thanks to them, the room is quite light even with the lights off on a cloudy day.
- Comfortable simplicity. Natural lines and strict geometry without monograms, kinks or bends are preferred. But this simplicity is perfectly calibrated and well made.
- Naturalness. Scandinavians are trying to avoid plastic and other polymers in their homes. The design uses natural materials (stone, wood, leather, wool) or the most environmentally friendly and durable (concrete, plaster, metal, glass).
- Multitasking. When choosing furniture, you should give preference to models that combine several functions at once. For example, an ottoman in a hallway should have a removable lid and storage space inside, a desk with a drawer for small items, a TV stand with a compartment for magazines, etc.
- Unity with nature. To decorate the interior of a room in the Scandinavian style, they use original things made of wood, bouquets of branches and dried flowers in winter and meadow grass in summer, original crafts made of paper, pine cones and other improvised materials. Also in houses with this design, there are a lot of living plants (of course, in clay rather than plastic pots).
- A minimum of unnecessary things. Purchases are not made impulsively: Scandinavians first think carefully about every purchase. Only things that you can’t do without and that will last for many years go into your home. Well-thought-out storage systems (often hidden) also help to maintain order and cleanliness: spacious closets, chests of drawers and entire walk-in closets help keep everything unnecessary out of sight.
Colors
Light colors predominate in the design. However, the snow-white finish has already become a thing of the past, and today designers choose delicate pastel shades of beige, gray and blue.
A creamy vanilla palette that relaxes and surrounds you with soft tenderness and warmth is hygge. The ash-gray palette is closer to the lagom direction – it is more strict and collected, Nordic calm and strict. Due to the abundance of light colors, the Scandinavian style is very appropriate in the interior of small apartments: it visually expands them and makes them more spacious.
Bright colors are not used in large quantities, but with their help, you can create accents that will catch your eye. To dilute the neutrality of the atmosphere, mixed muted colors are used: khaki, dirty pink, wormwood, corn, and sand. In these colors, there can be pillows, several chairs, a small carpet, or a lamp. Scandi also uses black and dark brown, but they should also complement the main palette and not dominate it.
Sharp contrasts should not be allowed; transitions from one color to another should be blurred and not noticeable. Within the framework of the style, a monochrome design is also quite acceptable – in shades of beige or smoky ash.
Advice: Since snow-white walls are no longer in fashion, you can choose white furniture or decor instead – they will add the freshness and lightness characteristic of Nordic decoration.
Design features
Finishing
To decorate the walls use paint, wallpaper, ordinary or decorative plaster. All materials should be in light colors, plain or with unobtrusive, barely noticeable decor. Their main task is to serve as a background to the rest of the environment, so they should not attract unnecessary attention.
The ceiling is made white and extremely simple: no variegation or experiments with multi-tiered structures. In the “old”, more canonical version of Scandi, stucco is allowed.
The floor can be either wooden or imitate parquet or boards. You can lay tiles in the kitchen, hallway, and bathroom. And again, no dark tones – the floor covering should be moderately light: beige shades range from baked milk to creme brulee and nut, and gray shades from pearlescent to slate.
Furniture
There is also a love for simplicity and clear geometry. Wardrobes and chests of drawers are rectangular, without additional decorations such as carvings or scrolls. Sofas and armchairs are laconic, on straight legs, devoid of any pretentiousness. Despite their modest appearance, all these things are very thoughtful and comfortable.
A distinctive feature of the interior is the small amount of furniture. The bedroom often contains only a bed and a bedside table, while the interior design of the living room in the Scandinavian style involves only a sofa, a couple of armchairs, and a coffee table. Nothing is placed in the room for beauty – only for convenience. Due to this, a feeling of large space and uncluttered is achieved. Classic wardrobes are rarely used to store clothes; they are replaced with inconspicuous built-in storage systems. Decorative trinkets are placed on open shelves rather than behind glass.
The main material for cabinet furniture is light or white-painted wood, and for soft upholstery – natural fabrics (cotton, linen, velour) with a pronounced texture. The shades chosen are light, pastel, often non-uniform, or with a barely noticeable repeating pattern. However, you can make the sofa a catchy accent that will enliven the atmosphere: then choose more saturated colors for it, contrasting with the rest of the decoration.
Textile
The carpet is an invariable attribute of Scandinavian design. In northern countries, where cool weather reigns most of the year, this is not only an element of the interior, but also a completely working method of insulating the house: carpets prevent heat from escaping through the floor, and walking on them is many times more pleasant than on a cold floor covering.
The requirements for this element of the furnishings will be the same: the correct shape (rectangle, square, less often a circle), calm, muted tones, and natural materials (almost always it will be wool, and if the house has warm floors, then jute or cotton). The size of the carpet is selected so that it does not occupy the entire space, otherwise there are no strict criteria.
There are not always curtains in a Scandinavian-style interior, because northerners are used to letting maximum light into the house. But if this option is still acceptable in a cottage, then in a city apartment you will still need curtains, if only to protect yourself from prying glances from neighboring houses. The best option would be curtains to match the finish since they should not stand out; on the contrary, it would be good if the curtains on the windows became an extension of the walls. Most often they are made from the ceiling to the floor and hung on a hidden cornice. The density of the fabric can be very different: from opaque and rigid matting to the finest muslin. You can buy Roman blinds or roller blinds for the nursery, and blinds for the kitchen: with their functionality and practicality, they are fully consistent with the Scandi spirit.
Cozy and warm textiles often serve decorative purposes: fluffy skins, knitted blankets, and fur pillows decorate the apartment.
Decor
As you can see in the photo, the Scandinavian style in the interior of the apartment includes decoration with paper crafts: Scandinavian stars or polygonal figures.
Vases with dried and fresh flowers are placed indoors: just don’t buy expensive roses or eccentric exotics, but limit yourself to what grows right under the windows. Flowers in pots or hanging planters are another style element. And again, no shock: the rooms are decorated with the simplest, most persistent, and unpretentious representatives of the plant world. These can be succulents, non-flowering species (ivy, fern, ficus), as well as plants that grow to impressive sizes (ficus, monstera, dracaena). Moreover, they are placed not on window sills, but on shelves and coffee tables, and the largest specimens are placed on the floor.
In the hygge style, you can often see candles in beautiful candlesticks, and garlands on the walls (both with light bulbs and paper ones, for example, from photographs). Motivational posters are more typical for the Lagom direction.
Which rooms is it suitable for?
This design direction is suitable for both individual rooms and the entire house at once.
Living rooms in the Scandi spirit are very popular, because they feel spacious, even when a cheerful and noisy company gathers. The secret is in a small amount of furniture, the absence of unnecessary things, and light colors of decoration. In addition, many people can be seated on comfortable Nordic sofas and armchairs. And since the layout of the apartment usually involves combining this room with the kitchen, there are no problems with bringing drinks and snacks. It would be a good idea to install an electric fireplace with imitation fire: it takes up little space but brings warmth and warmth.
Scandinavian style in the bedroom interior is the choice of those who want to fall asleep easily and get quality sleep. The discreet colors of the design calm and relieve stress; eco-friendly furniture does not emit harmful substances into the air, which means you will have a healthy and sound sleep. An important advantage of such a sleeping place is that it does not require perfect order: Scandi allows for a carelessly thrown blanket and pillows scattered over it, so you don’t have to rush to make the bed in the morning.
If we talk about the Scandinavian style in the kitchen interior, then it is, first of all, ergonomics and thoughtfulness of every detail. Cooking here becomes a pleasure, not a chore. The absence of obtrusive decor, the laconic look of the furniture, and the open shelves characteristic of Scandi make the space light and add air. When decorating, you shouldn’t limit yourself to the traditional light pastels for this trend: add rich colors and the room will become more dynamic.
Due to its neutrality and calm colors, this design is suitable for a child’s room (just don’t forget to add bright accents), a bathroom, and a guest room. This style is not always appropriate only in the home fitness room and office, where such colors will be too relaxing and will not allow you to concentrate. However, it is enough to pair them with contrasting tones to give the interior a touch of vivacity.
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