Colors, materials, furniture, and decor – we tell in detail and show with examples how to decorate an apartment in a Scandinavian style.
A practical approach to the design of space has long gone beyond the northern countries, where it once originated, and has gained immense popularity around the world. Simple and budget solutions are suitable for any home: from a spacious three-room apartment to a tiny studio. And most importantly – all of them can be implemented independently. This article has collected the most striking features of Scandinavian-style apartments and photos of beautiful interiors. Get inspired to renovate!
Peculiarities
This direction perfectly reflects the restrained mentality of the Nordic countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. Despite the lack of heat and sun, the Scandinavians have learned to squeeze the most out of small apartments, making them simply cozy and bright. This formed the basis of the style, which is loved all over the world for its accessibility and versatility.
The main markers of the Scandinavian style:
- Simplicity. Northern Europeans are unusual for ostentatious luxury and a clear demonstration of wealth. That is why in the Scandinavian countries the approach to furnishing is primarily practical, which makes the direction truly universal: you can fill an apartment with designer furniture, or you can find everything you need in the mass market. The rooms should have only the essentials. Finishing – basic, furniture – simple, without unnecessary decor. Decorations complement the design with minimalist elements but do not overload the room and do not create visual noise. It is not a heap of assorted things that helps to make the interior more interesting, but a variety of textures, deep noble shades, and high-quality materials.
- Naturalness. The Scandinavian style is about closeness to nature, even if it is the harsh northern landscapes and the absence of bright colors. Everything in the apartment should be as natural as possible: colors, materials for decoration, and furniture, decorations. As much wood as possible is used in any form: natural array, derived raw materials, and high-quality texture imitations. The connection with the surrounding nature is emphasized by living and artificial plants, as well as thematic decor “straight from the forest”: driftwood, hemp, pebbles, dried flowers, intricately curved branches, etc.
- Practicality. Another important point for the Scandinavians is practicality. Finishes and furniture are not only harmoniously combined with each other, but are also selected taking into account the realities of everyday life. Therefore, the priority is closed storage, all kinds of organizers and other small household helpers, washable finishing materials, and anti-vandal fabrics. For Scandinavian, not just a beautiful picture is important, but how comfortable it will be to live in the interior.
- Light and space. The main task in the design of living space in this style is to compensate for the lack of heat and sun. This is helped by a number of techniques that are suitable for any apartment: open layout, easy zoning without blind partitions, maximally open windows, and light finishes. That is why white is the main color of Scandinavian. It visually enlarges the space and fills it with air, raises the ceilings, and “pulls apart” the walls.
- Smart storage. The Scandinavian style is loved by the owners of small apartments, largely due to the rational approach to organizing storage – and this is the main pain of all small apartments. To use the limited area to the maximum so that the rooms do not seem cluttered, thoughtful, mostly closed systems help: wardrobes, shelving with various sections, chests of drawers, and cabinets. At the same time, it is important not only to choose a design that is suitable in size but also to get the most out of it – with the help of dividers, multi-tiered hangers, drawers, drawers, hanging modules, and various organizers.
Scandinavian-style apartment design
Let’s take a closer look at what Scandinavian interior design consists of and how to apply these ideas in your apartment.
Palette
The color scheme of any Scandinavian interior is based on light colors – they not only visually increase the area of the room, but also make the space brighter and more comfortable. And for the northern countries, where there is always little sun, this is especially important.
Base colors for the palette this style:
- White.
- Any shades of gray.
- Beige, sand, cream.
- Brown.
The palm in this list, of course, goes to white – it is the main color, on which brighter details are applied, like on a blank canvas. A neutral background emphasizes furniture and decor, offsetting their simplicity and not drawing attention to themselves. But it is very important to complement it with other shades so that the space does not seem hospital sterile. Here, tactilely pleasant cozy textures come to the rescue, which balances the cold tones of the palette characteristic of Scandi.
For bright local accents, rich natural shades are suitable:
- Emerald, herbal, pistachio, olive.
- Blue or dark blue.
- Yellow and orange.
- Wine red, berry, etc.
The palette necessarily contains black, dark gray, or brown elements – they add contrast to the space, set off a calm base, and “collect” a light interior, making it more graphic and voluminous.
Finishing
Finishing materials are selected taking into account their practicality, environmental friendliness, and price-quality ratio.
Light, even a little ascetic interiors need an additional feeling of comfort, so solid parquet or engineered board is well suited for the floor. If necessary, you can replace it with a high-class laminate. And for wet areas, moisture-resistant and durable materials are used: ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware, and quartzite (by the way, it perfectly imitates natural wood).
The ceiling is usually made as simple as possible: a white stretch fabric or a painted slab. In typical apartments, it is important to create a feeling of spaciousness in a small room, so the more concisely the ceiling is decorated, the better. If the area allows and you love eclecticism, you can decorate the surface with ceiling cornices or a chandelier rosette with neat stucco.
The walls in most cases are left plain. Materials can be used:
- Paint.
- Decorative plaster.
- High-quality eco-friendly wallpaper (regular or paintable).
If a completely light finish seems too boring to you, you can add color and patterns locally: for example, wallpaper a small room or one accent wall. Choose a medium-sized and low-contrast ornament so that it does not ripple in the eyes and does not draw all the attention to itself. Floral, simple geometric, and abstract prints are suitable for Scandi. Most often, wallpaper with a pattern is glued in the bedroom, nursery, or in kitchen.
Furniture
Furniture in a Scandinavian apartment is simple in form but solid. The best material is natural wood, but you can replace it with MDF and even high-quality chipboard (for example, in the living room or hallway).
The design is concise and discreet, without unnecessary decorative elements. Maximum – carving on the facades of a headset, cabinet, or chest of drawers. All silhouettes should be simple and clear. For small rooms, light furniture is most often chosen, as it looks lighter and does not visually overload the space. But for accents, some items can be dark or bright: for example, dining chairs, bedside tables, bedside tables, walls in the nursery, etc.
Visual simplicity is balanced by a variety of textures. Add as many objects with a pronounced texture as possible: different types of wood, natural or eco-leather, wool, rattan, velvety upholstery fabric, glass, and metal. Combine several textures in one room to make the situation look more interesting: a soft sofa with a cotton cover, a leather armchair, and a wooden dining table. Scandinavians also love natural elements: for example, a stump coffee table or a floor hanger stylized as a tree with branches.
Much attention is paid to functionality. Furniture should be primarily comfortable, mobile, and – ideally – multitasking. Storage systems are capacious and mostly closed, so as not to create visual noise and simplify cleaning. In small apartments, you can not do without multifunctional products: a sofa bed in the living room, a transforming table in the kitchen, or shoe racks in the hallway.
Decor and textiles
Decorative elements help to enliven the discreet gray-white-beige interior. As in the choice of finishing materials, naturalness is, first of all, welcome here.
Often used as decoration:
- Posters and paintings by contemporary artists.
- Ceramics (especially good if it is handmade).
- Decorative vases.
- Live and artificial plants.
- Scented and ordinary interior candles.
- Wall decorations – panels, figures (for example, a stylized deer head), etc.
- Hanging decor – paper stars, garlands, macrame compositions.
Textile plays an equally important role – it complements the overall design and makes the space more comfortable and habitable. Bed linen, blankets and carpets should be made from natural or high-quality combined fabrics. When choosing curtains, remember that windows should be as open as possible – in the northern latitudes, there is not enough natural light and sun. Roman or roller blinds, wooden blinds, light curtains to the floor – or even their absence – are well suited for this. In the bedroom or nursery, you can hang light blackouts – they completely block the sun if you need darkness, but at the same time do not overload the windows.
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