The Scandinavian interior design, which favours functionality and simplicity, is still trending in our homes and has now become a furniture classic! Born in the Nordic countries, this style brings a natural and uncluttered atmosphere into the home that goes perfectly with both modern and classic interiors. But how can we perfectly adopt it? We’ll share our ideas on creating a Nordic home.
What are the Nordic style principles?
Born in the past century, the Scandinavian style comes from the Nordic countries which include Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Norway, where winter is usually harsh and not very bright. The house therefore becomes a shelter that needs to be turned into a warm and welcoming place.
The Scandinavian style is much more than a home furniture style; it’s a life philosophy in these nations that share the Nordic furniture roots, but also play a different role in its evolution. Minimalism, simplicity and functionality triumph in this style, but there are many other elements that contribute to furnishing a home in true Scandinavian style!
Minimalism is the keyword to a Nordic style home
A Nordic home is characterized by open and bright rooms, and by the space that allows you to easily move in any environment. Furthermore, it must be neat and clean because it must evoke a feeling of calm and serenity. It is therefore essential to get rid of any unnecessary or cumbersome things in order to make our space functional and practical.
The mantra “Less is more”, typical of minimalism, plays a fundamental role in choosing the decor of a Scandinavian home. Every visual element, from the furnishings to the accessories with clean and straight lines, must be privileged! You can also opt for furniture with doors that offers a dedicated space for organising everything you own and that you don’t want to show everyone. The goal is therefore to show a visually relaxing home.
Opt for light and neutral colours!
In terms of colours, the Scandinavian style favours white, but other natural and soft shades are widely used such as cream, beige or even light grey. With these rather neutral colours, pleasant contrasts with bright colours such as petrol blue or mustard yellow can be created. These colour combinations will form a dynamic contrast in your room.
Less strong contrasts with pastel colours such as powder pink or sage green are also gaining ground in Nordic home decor. A touch of black can be added to the furniture or textiles to give your Scandinavian style an industrial edge and make it more modern. This will have to be used sparingly to avoid weighing down the room.
There is never enough light in the Scandinavian style
In a Nordic house, natural light never lacks! Indeed, to counteract the difficult and long winters of the Nordic countries, the Scandinavians give great importance to creating bright interior environments. For this reason it is essential to let in as much natural light as possible through large, clutter-free windows.
If you still want to add curtains for privacy reasons, we advise you to opt for a light and thin fabric that allows external light to pass into the room.
What furnishings to choose for a Nordic-style home?
A fundamental rule to furnish a Nordic-style home is to adopt practical and functional furniture that takes up little space. Furthermore, Nordic countries share numerous values related to ethics and morality, respecting the relationship with nature. The use of natural materials in furniture is therefore predominant in Scandinavian interior design.
Wood becomes the absolute space star because it makes the room bright and warm without using only light colours. It can also be combined with other elements such as wicker or even stone. This allows us to create, in a Scandinavian interior, the same feeling of relaxation that one feels in the midst of nature.
The shape of the furnishings plays an equally important role. Clean and defined lines are welcome in Nordic home decor, but not only! You can also add some softer and more fluid shapes of furniture such as a round mirror to hang on your wall.
However, if you want to modernise the Scandinavian style of your home, the latest trend is to select furniture that combines metal and wood elements. This combination of materials allows you to create an impactful space. A functional sideboard with a slightly industrial style will allow you to give your space a modern touch!
The room-by-room Scandinavian style guide
Nordic style living room
The perfect Scandinavian living room must give a simple, functional and, above all, welcoming feel. You must therefore mainly focus on furnishings with a simple and clean design to organise your living room the best possible way.
Living room furniture is particularly suitable for plays of colours and materials. You can actually combine different wood finishes and match them with the colour white , the star of your Nordic living room. For the coffee table and TV cabinet, opt for models that combine these two shades. They will become the main elements of your room and must therefore match the Scandinavian style features to perfection!
All you need to do is add a furry rug, cushions of different sizes, a few wicker baskets and some plants to create a perfectly comfortable environment. In the blink of an eye, your living room will transform into a welcoming shelter where you can do nothing but relax!
A Scandinavian style kitchen
The recipe for creating a perfect Nordic-style kitchen is based on three elements: minimalism, soft colors and the presence of wood. With these three ingredients, it will be very easy to create the Nordic kitchen of your dreams!
A fundamental piece of furniture to include in a Nordic kitchen is the peninsula. Very functional, this table allows you to optimise your room space. It’s also an excellent solution for those who have an open space house as it also functions as a divider between the living room and the kitchen.
The other star of your kitchen or dining room is the table. You’ll want to select one with clean wooden lines to create a rather modern effect. To set your table for dinners or lunches with relatives or friends, natural textile table linen such as linen or cotton are ideal options for respecting the Scandinavian style principles!
As far as colours are concerned, a combination of white and wood must obviously prevail in order to create a bright and welcoming kitchen.
A Scandinavian style bedroom
The bedroom is one of the rooms where we spend many hours a day, mainly to relax. Therefore the colours of the perfect Scandinavian bedroom must be soft and relaxing with a prevalence of white. This will create a welcoming nest!
We must obviously consider one of the most important features of Scandinavian interior design: the functionality of the furniture. One of the furnishings that allows you to combine design and practicality is the bedside table. If you need to optimise the space in your bedroom, opt for a floating model!
Add some accessories to furnish your home in a Nordic style!
Scandinavian interior design is not impersonal at all, indeed you can easily enhance your creativity with some prints and paintings to hang on the walls. You’ll have the opportunity to fully express your personality and create a more personal decor.
The best way to do this is to opt for shelves to hang on the walls or a bookcase that you can decorate with some precious objects, photos or even books. Each object must obviously be chosen with care to avoid creating confusion and disorder in the space!
If you want to bring the Scandinavian style to your home, give the green light to plants! They become the perfect accessory for bringing nature into your rooms. Place them in vases or containers made of natural materials such as jute, wood or even crochet.
The feeling of warmth and welcome that characterizes the Nordic style is often created by the chosen textiles. Some examples of textiles that perfectly suit this style are wool, felt, raw cotton and soft blankets. If you want to give a modern touch, choose them with geometric prints!
In conclusion, Scandinavian interior design comes from simple and clean lines, the high quality of the furniture and the materials used. When choosing your Nordic style furnishings, look for simple, functional and bright features. Therefore, focus on functional furnishings, with clean lines and light and warm finishes in order to create an organised and bright environment. If you want to modernise your space, don’t hesitate creating plays of light and contrasts! Finally decorate the room with various accessories such as plants, paintings and textiles for a more personalised touch!
If you want to discover other furniture styles, discover how to decorate your home in a minimalist style now!
