Ever since its introduction in the 1980s, Scandinavian design has been celebrated around the world for its cool, minimalist approach. The summertime midnight sun and the light that comes with the season has inspired the Scandinavian people to keep their homes as bright as possible to get them through the long dark winters. The wintertime whiteness of snow brightens both the indoors and out. Fireplaces, thick woollen blankets and sheep or reindeer hides warm the place during the cold months.
Scandinavians’ love for nature is reflected in the materials used in the homes. Wood is in abundance, used both for floors and ceiling and sometimes even covering the walls. Birch and beech trees are native and often stained or painted white to get rid of any yellowish hue. Wall-to-wall carpets have since long been thrown and replaced with rugs of the same grey/white/sand colour scheme as the rest of the interior. Ceilings are covered in pine wood panelling, this too painted white.
In Scandinavian design furniture is functional rather than there to impress and lines are clean and simple. Decorative ornaments are kept at an absolute minimum. The moto “less is more” is the way to go; meaning apart from being extremely stylish in a minimalistic way, Scandinavian homes are also incredibly easy to clean! Curtains and quality textiles are important though. The Scandinavians often change their curtains to reflect the season, which is easily done as they are of simple design and light fabrics. For example, these simple white and green curtains are a perfect example of a curtain set that would be found in a Scandinavian home during spring/summer months.
Black and white photographic art in simple picture frames adds to the minimalist interior. Pale blue is one of the few colours that make it onto the Scandinavian palette along with soft shades of green and can be found in upholstery, home accessories such as vases as well as rugs. However, contemporary Scandinavians like to add a splash of colour to their otherwise white abode. A colourful lamp, an armchair in bold colours or some Scandinavian art glass.
Scandinavians like wallpaper but when they introduce a strong pattern they keep it to an accent wall only. Patterns inspired by nature bring the outdoors in and are a daring move that really makes the Scandinavian room stand out. For example, this motif that is strong but at the same time creating a calming atmosphere would be typical of a bedroom in a Nordic home.
Achieving the Scandinavian style is easy. Start by painting your room white, you can then add item by item with restraint. This style suits those looking for a functional yet beautiful home, a result that is pleasing to the eye which will calm them down when returning home after a long day.